Barby - on both banks of the Elbe and at the mouth of the Saale

Short description

A half-day hike takes you to the confluence of the Saale and to the Elbe riverbanks of Barby.

Description

We hike from the ferry parking lot on a short detour to the confluence of the Saale. From there, we hike back to the ferry stop and cross over to Ronney. Then the path leads us within sight of the Elbe to the Barby Elbe bridge. We cross the river on the disused railway bridge and hike back to the starting point along the Elbe dam and the meadows.

 

Directions

Where the Saale flows into the Elbe, lies the small town of Barby, the starting point of our hike today. Its first documented mention by Otto I as bargogi - located at the bend of the river - dates back to the year 961. At that time, the place served as a starting point for conquests into the Slavic territories east of the Elbe. In 1497, Barby was raised to a princely county. The Counts of Barby wrote a good piece of the citys history. From 1687 to 1715, Duke Heinrich had the castle built, in which the Moravian Brethren community later established the academic barbyensis educational institution, thus putting Barby at the center of Germanys intellectual life for years. Today, the castle houses the land register archive of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The name Barby has had a special significance for navigation for over 150 years. Since 1848, the gauge in Barby has provided the measurements for the Elbes water level reports. In the mid-19th century, industrialization began in Barby.

Additional information

Tour highlights

• Saale confluence - where the Saale flows into the Elbe
• Ride with the cable ferry
  Crossing with the cable ferry is a picturesque experience, as it overcomes the rivers without manpower or engine power. Cable ferries use only the energy of the flowing water to get from one bank to the other.                                                              Please note the ferry times when preparing.
• Ronney Visit the Ronney Environmental Center. The house, run by an independent organization, offers a wide range of learning and active relaxation in a fascinating natural landscape, the Biosphere Reserve Flusslandschaft Mittelelbe.
• Elbe bridge
  The 757 m long bridge was built in wrought iron construction. It used to be a railway bridge, now only used by cyclists and pedestrians.
• Barby
  The tourism project Grafschaft-Barby e.V. offers many interesting insights.

Travel information

from Schönebeck always on state road L 51 (Schönebeck - Pömmelte - Barby - ferry stop)

Parking information

Ferry stop Barby

Safety instructions

no specific requirements

Equipment

no specific requirements