The best traffic-free bike rides in Salzwedeler Forst

The Salzwedeler Dumme is a left or western tributary of the Jeetze (Jeetzel) in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Together with the Jeetze, it forms the characteristic network of waterways that gives the historic old town of Salzwedel its special charm. The name "Dumme" by no means has an offensive meaning, but is of Germanic origin (first mentioned in 1343 as de dummen). It most likely derives from the Old Low German "dumb" or Old High German "tumb" for "mute" or "still". The name thus describes the very slow flow rate of the river. The Dumme originates in the west of the Altmark near the Lower Saxony border between the towns of Neuekrug and Höddelsen. It flows relatively straight northeast. At the Tylsen diversion structure, part of its water is diverted into the Alte Dumme if necessary. In the town area of Salzwedel, the river bends north and finally flows into the Jeetze in the Neustadt, directly from the south. www.dumme-salzwedel.de

The Jeetze (later called Jeetzel in its Lower Saxony course) is the lifeline of the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel in Saxony-Anhalt. The approximately 73-kilometer-long river originates in the Altmark and flows into the Elbe near Hitzacker. In Salzwedel, it significantly shapes the cityscape and history. Thanks to the Jeetze, Salzwedel was granted Hanseatic rights in 1263. From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, the river served as an important trade and transport route, via which goods were shipped to the Elbe and further to Hamburg. The city even had its own harbor. Today, the Jeetze winds its way through the historic old town in numerous branches and small canals.

Today's Kunsthaus Salzwedel was opened in January 1906 as the city's Lyceum. The impressive, neo-Gothic brick building is a cityscape-defining individual and cultural monument and is located in the northern old town. The private initiative of citizens and artists led to the founding of the Kunststiftung Salzwedel in 2012. The initiators' central goal was to create a place for art in Salzwedel. After an extensive, multi-year renovation of the former school building, the Kunsthaus Salzwedel was opened in 2015. Since the beginning of 2016, it has been showing a collection of German expressionist graphics from the collector Gus Kopriva. The carefully renovated house is well suited for filming historical and contemporary material. https://www.mdm-online.de/film-commission/location-guide/kunsthaus-salzwedel

The Steintor in the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel is the most recent of the formerly ten medieval city gates. It was built around 1530, incorporating an older round tower that formerly served as a prison. The gate, in the North German Brick Gothic style, is located at the Neustädter Wallfriedhof and marks the historic northern entrance to the fortified old town. The gable shows late Gothic ornaments on both sides. The gate is one of the few preserved ones and can still be passed by cars and pedestrians. https://www.fachwerkfreunde.de/index.php/bundeslaender/sachsen-anhalt/salzwedel/artikel-steintor-937

from 1903/05, a former neo-Gothic style school

The cascade at Arendsee is a popular, but often dry attraction. Originally designed as a "waterfall", it is now more of a monumental concrete staircase on the shore.

It's worth stopping here if you find accommodation. I had one in the Ratskeller.

Next door there is also an animal park that you can visit