The best road cycling routes around Apenburg-Winterfeld

Salzwedel station is an important regional transport hub in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. It connects the historic Hanseatic city in the Altmark region with supra-regional centers and looks back on a rich history as part of the historic "Amerikalinie" (America Line). The station has four platforms and primarily serves regional and commuter traffic: RE20 (Magdeburg – Stendal – Uelzen): The most important lifeline of the station, which crosses the Altmark at regular intervals. Long-distance traffic (IC): Salzwedel is also connected to the Deutsche Bahn's Intercity network, providing direct connections towards Uelzen/Hamburg and Magdeburg. During line closures or major construction sites on the main Hamburg–Berlin axis, the route via Salzwedel is regularly used as an important diversion route for heavy long-distance and freight traffic. The striking station building was erected in 1870 by the Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahngesellschaft. The magnificent brick building in the imperial style testifies to the heyday of railway construction, when Salzwedel became a key station on the direct connection between Berlin and the North German ports (hence the name Amerikalinie). Directly opposite was once the Salzwedel Kleinbahnhof (later Salzwedel-Neustadt), from which the regional narrow-gauge railways started to the surrounding villages of the Altmark. After years of vacancy, the main building, which is a listed monument, is the focus of revitalization and renovation projects.

The original Lüchower Tor was a typical Gothic stepped gable building and was demolished in 1837/38 due to dilapidation. In its place, a new gate structure was built in 1840 with four sandstone pillars and double leaf gates made of oak wood. Until the completion of the structure, smugglers had free rein for years. This was a nuisance for the main customs office. It reported in 1838 that no adequate security was guaranteed against the nocturnal smuggling of taxable goods. The outer pillars with castle battlement-like crowns and the small passage gate fitted with masonry stones are remnants of the 1840 structure. The two inner pillars along with the gates were removed in 1892 to make way for increasing traffic. The Schäfergraben once flowed along behind the gate. https://entdecke-salzwedel.de/luechower-tor/

The Karlsturm is a mighty, round brick tower on a fieldstone base, built around 1370. It is the remnant of the former Altpervertoranlage and represented the strongest fortification of the city at that time. It was originally 150 meters long and consisted of an inner gate, a zwinger, and two outer gates on the Jeetze river diversion (city moat). The outer gate was demolished in 1812, the main gate fell victim to growing traffic in 1856, and the drawbridge had already been removed in 1653. The tower is about 27 meters high, has a wall thickness of approx. 1.90 meters, and a diameter of 8.80 meters. Originally, it consisted of four floors, divided by three cross vaults. Today, only the lower floor has been preserved. Its pointed roof collapsed around 1800 and was later restored. The Karlsturm is decorated with a pointed arch frieze and displays the coats of arms of the German Emperor, the seven Electorates, and the two cities of Salzwedel. In the central niche stands a stone sculpture, originally interpreted as Emperor Henry V, but later identified as Emperor Charles IV. The tower's name was therefore changed from Heinrichsturm to Karlsturm in 1833. Over time, the tower served as a warehouse for goods and ice, which brought about some structural changes. There were proposals to convert the tower into a water tower or a tower café, which, however, were not implemented. https://entdecke-salzwedel.de/karlsturm/

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

The St. Catherine's Church in the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel is a significant, three-nave Gothic brick basilica. The documented construction start of the house of worship dates back to the year 1280. It was built as the main parish church for the then newly founded Salzwedel Neustadt. After the founding of the Neustadt (1247), the church was designed as a purely community church, which is why historically there was no separation between the chancel and the nave. While the massive tower base still bears Romanesque features, North German brick Gothic dominates the rest of the building. In the mid-15th century, the complex was extended to the west with a Late Gothic hall. During the GDR era, the building was acutely threatened by decay and demolition. Only through the massive, courageous commitment of the community members could the church be saved. During the Wende in autumn 1989, it was a central place for local peace prayers. As the church, located near the old Hanseatic port, is presumably built on marshy ground, its structural integrity has suffered from cracks for centuries; extensive renovations (supported, among others, by the German Foundation for Monument Protection) secure the foundation and the tie rods. Since 1981, the chancel has housed the valuable Late Gothic carved altarpiece from the Dambeck monastery church, which shows the rare depiction of a unicorn fleeing into the lap of the Virgin Mary. The original high altar was sold to Frankfurt Cathedral in the 19th century to finance renovations. Three of the originally nine colored glass windows from the 15th century have been preserved. They survived World War II unscathed because they were stored away in time. https://gemeinde-bunt.de/gemeinden/st-katharinenkirche

would probably have been destroyed in the Second World War

The waviness is mostly due to root upheavals. Since many cycle paths around Oebisfelde run through wooded areas or along avenues (e.g. in the direction of Weferlingen or on the Aller cycle path), the roots of the adjacent trees push the asphalt upwards. This leads to the typical "jump ramps", which can be particularly uncomfortable and dangerous for racing bikes or heavily laden touring bikes.

Lübbow is a small, idyllic municipality in the district of Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, located directly on the state border with Saxony-Anhalt. As it is only about 10 to 12 kilometers away from the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel, the connection there is very close.