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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Magdeburg
Give Magdeburg one full day: cathedral, Hundertwasser's Green Citadel and the Elbe parks. Two nights if you add a river cruise or a day trip.
Magdeburg is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt and a mid-sized Elbe city of about 250,000 people, roughly halfway between Berlin and Hanover on the east-west rail line. It was one of medieval Europe's major cities and an Ottonian power centre, then was almost destroyed in 1631 during the Thirty Years' War. Today the rebuilt centre holds a Gothic cathedral, Germany's oldest surviving Romanesque monastery complex and a late Hundertwasser building, with wide river parks along the Elbe. It is a one-day city for most travellers, and a good rail stop between Berlin and the Harz.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, grey); check for Christmas market crowds in Dec
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | €2.50–4 |
| Kebab or currywurst | €5–8 |
| Mid-range restaurant main | €12–20 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a bar | €4–5.50 |
| Tram single ticket (60 min) | €3.00 |
| Tram day ticket | €7.40 |
| Museum entry | €5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LEJ · Leipzig/Halle
- A nearby airport on the A14; hourly IC train to Magdeburg Hbf, about 1 h
- BER · Berlin Brandenburg
- About 2 h by train; 90 min by car via the A10 and A2
- HAJ · Hannover
- S-Bahn to Hannover Hbf, then IC or regional train to Magdeburg
Typical fares
- Magdeburg Hbf → city centre, tram
- about €3.00, 10 min
- LEJ airport → Magdeburg Hbf, IC train
- about €23, 1 h
- Taxi in the centre
- €10–15
Get around
Trams and buses run under the Marego fare system, zone 010 for the whole city; a 60-min single ticket costs €3.00 and a day ticket €7.40 (2026 estimate). One S-Bahn line crosses the city north-south every 30 min. Punch your ticket in the vehicle if you bought it outside. The centre is walkable; the Elbe parks and Elbauenpark need a tram or bike.
See and do
Known for
- Magdeburg Cathedral (Dom)
- Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen
- Green Citadel by Hundertwasser
- Elbe river parks and the Elberadweg cycle path
- Jahrtausendturm in Elbauenpark
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Quedlinburg | Regional train via Halberstadt, change once | About 1 h 30 min |
| Wernigerode | Regional train via Halberstadt, change once | About 1 h 45 min |
| Halle | Frequent regional or IC train | About 1 h |
| Dessau | Regional train towards Leipzig | About 1 h |
| Thale | Regional train via Halberstadt | About 1 h 45 min |
| Halberstadt | Regional train | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Altstadt / Breiter Weg
- Cathedral, Green Citadel and most restaurants within a 15-min walk; best for a short stay.
- Hauptbahnhof area
- Practical for one night with bags; tram into the centre in about 10 min.
- Hasselbachplatz
- Bars and cheap eats south of the centre; tram stop on several lines.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallohallo |
| Thank you | Dankedanke |
| Please | Bittebitte |
| One ticket, please | Eine Fahrkarte, bitteine-uh far-kar-tuh, bitte |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel kos-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit kar-tuh tsah-len |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy and validate your ticket before you board; inspectors do check.
- Most shops close on Sundays apart from the station and petrol stations.
- Night trams and buses run on separate N-lines from about 23:15; outer districts are thinly served.
- Ferries across the Elbe run March–October, Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 only.
Magdeburg is a normal, safe mid-sized German city; the practical risks are tram ticket checks, dark riverside paths at night and thin late-night service in the outer districts.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Magdeburg yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Magdeburg Cathedral (Dom)
- Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen
- Green Citadel by Hundertwasser
- Elbe river parks and the Elberadweg cycle path
- Jahrtausendturm in Elbauenpark
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Magdeburg city website: www.magdeburg.de/
- Magdeburg tourism: www.magdeburg-tourist.de/
- Magdeburg Cathedral: www.magdeburgerdom.de
- Green Citadel: www.gruene-zitadelle.de/
- Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen: www.kunstmuseum-magdeburg.de/
- Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg: www.khm-magdeburg.de/
- Deutsche Bahn international: int.bahn.de/en
- Wikivoyage: Magdeburg, revision 5323248 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323248
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Magdeburg
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Magdeburg; most are in Berlin. The US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are all in Berlin.
Tipping: round up or add 5–10% and say the total as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/magdeburg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.