Salzlandkreis: Discover River Landscapes and History

The Ringheiligtum Pömmelte and Early History

The Ringheiligtum Pömmelte is a reconstruction of a ceremonial site more than 4,000 years old. The 115-metre-wide complex consists of wooden palisade rings, pits and ramparts. From a nine-metre-high viewing platform, you can see the entire complex. This makes it possible to appreciate the layout of the site not only by looking at individual structures, but also from above.

The Ringheiligtum is open to visitors free of charge all year round, except during certain events. Visitors have access to free parking and accessible toilets. Those interested in early history will also find a museum of prehistory and early history at Egeln Water Castle. Castle festivals, markets and cultural events are regularly held in Egeln; please check specific dates separately when planning your visit.

Plötzkau Castle also combines a historic site with museum visits: several rooms and the tower house a museum covering a variety of topics. Below the castle, a nature trail about two kilometres long runs through the floodplain forest along the Saale. This allows you to include a museum visit and a riverside walk as separate priorities in your travel plans.

Cycling Routes Between Rivers and Open Countryside

The 3-Flüsse-Radweg is a day trip of around 36 kilometres between Ilberstedt and Hohenerxleben. It follows the Bode, Saale and Wipper rivers, taking in river landscapes with forests and meadows in the central part of Salzlandkreis. The route also passes elevated farmland with wide-open views, bringing together several different landscape impressions in one ride.

The Boderadweg crosses Salzlandkreis over a distance of about 51 kilometres. Its route passes through floodplains, historic towns and villages. One section runs through a quiet floodplain landscape of meadows, hedgerows and old oak trees to Rothenförder Weir, built in 1889. The approximate distance and the landscapes described can help you consider this cycling route as a distinct option alongside the shorter 3-Flüsse day trip.

The Saaleradweg also passes through Salzlandkreis: between Rothenburg in the Saalekreis district and Barby, it takes you through a quiet river landscape of woodland and meadows. If you want to choose a holiday apartment based on planned excursions, you can first decide which of these routes and landscapes interest you most. The route information describes each route; it does not provide distances between individual accommodations and excursion destinations.

Museums, Places and Further Discoveries

The Municipal and Mining Museum in Staßfurt focuses on the town’s history, as well as salt production by boiling and the potash industry. These topics offer insights into different aspects of the town’s history and distinguish the museum from the prehistory and early history collection in Egeln and the varied museum exhibits at Plötzkau Castle. You can therefore plan your stay around the cultural subject that interests you most, or around planned cycling and nature experiences.

Salzlandkreis is also represented on the Romanesque Road by six sites in five towns. If you are interested in Romanesque architecture, you can include these sites as an additional cultural focus. Neugattersleben Castle Park is another site that can be visited free of charge.

For more places to discover in Salzlandkreis: Aschersleben, Hecklingen, Schönebeck, Welsleben, Bernburg, Staßfurt, Calbe, Nienburg, Barby, Seeland, Könnern, Egeln, Plötzkau, Baalberge and Wolmirsleben.

For the higher-level travel overview: Saxony-Anhalt.