Aschersleben: Discover Art, Parks and History

Aschersleben combines a green ring around the historic old town with striking buildings, modern art and themes ranging from archaeology to space travel. Parks, exhibitions and a variety of cycling destinations offer different highlights. When planning your trip, you can start by deciding whether culture, green spaces or an active tour should take centre stage.

Art, Architecture and the City’s History

Aschersleben’s cultural attractions include modern art, impressive towers, a Romanesque hilltop castle and an unusually tilted church. A Freemasons’ lodge temple, freely accessible to the public, is considered unique in Germany. The city’s diverse buildings and art venues offer more than one way to explore: architecture, art and history can each be discovered in their own right.

The museum’s exhibition on prehistory and early history features archaeological finds from Aschersleben and the surrounding area. It spans the period from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age. The Aschersleben DRIVE THRU GALLERY showcases art in the open air: along the main road through the town, outdoor artworks can be experienced by people travelling by car.

The Neo Rauch Graphic Arts Foundation is located in Bestehornpark. You can reach it on foot via Bestehornstraße or Wilhelmstraße, or via the entrance by the car park on Heinrichstraße. Guided tours can currently be booked in German or English. Check the latest access and booking requirements before your visit.

Discover Green Spaces and Nature

Landscaped gardens and parks stretch from the railway station to the Eine River, forming a green ring around the historic old town. Five parks in the town centre and the promenade ring are part of the “Garden Dreams – Historic Parks in Saxony-Anhalt” network. The parks and gardens are accessible to visitors with limited mobility; check the latest access requirements before your visit.

For a different view of nature, follow the nature trail in the municipal cemetery. Five information boards explain features of the natural environment and wildlife. Access is subject to the cemetery’s opening hours. A tourist pedestrian signposting system also points the way to notable houses, towers and parks, helping you find your way around as you explore the city.

Planetarium, Tradition and Cycling Tours

The planetarium combines astronomy with other natural sciences and topics related to space travel. Its visitor programme includes expert talks, stargazing and musical events. Check the current programme in advance to see which dates suit your visit.

The cultivation of marjoram is another part of the area’s varied range of themes: guided tours explore its history and the people associated with it. Check tour availability as you plan your trip. Cyclists can choose from a variety of destinations. One cycling loop passes through a bird sanctuary and stops at Lake Frose; another cycling route connects Aschersleben and Seeland. The Aschersleben–Harzer-Seenland Tour is also designated as a cycling route, and another cycling tour leads to Arnstein Castle ruins. These destinations offer different highlights, from the bird sanctuary and Lake Frose to the castle ruins.

If you are travelling with family, you can plan each day around different interests: city history and art, time in the parks or a cycling tour each offer their own highlights.

More to Explore in the Salzlandkreis Destination Area

In the wider Salzlandkreis destination area, the Pömmelte Circular Sanctuary offers a distinctive archaeological highlight. It is a reconstruction of a cult site dating back more than 4,000 years. The 115-metre-wide site consists of wooden palisade rings, pits and ramparts; it can be viewed from a nine-metre-high observation platform. The site is freely accessible all year round, except during certain events. Free parking and accessible toilets are available.

The Salzlandkreis is represented on the Romanesque Road with six sites in five towns. In Staßfurt, the Municipal and Mining Museum focuses on the town’s history, salt production by evaporation and the potash industry. The Egeln Water Castle houses a museum of prehistory and early history. Castle festivals, markets and cultural events are held there regularly; check dates for individual events separately.

Plötzkau Castle also brings several visitor themes together: a museum with various areas of focus is housed in different rooms and in the tower. Below the castle, a nature trail about two kilometres long runs through the floodplain forest along the Saale.

Cycling Routes and Landscapes in the Salzlandkreis

For cycle tourists, the long-distance routes differ in length and course. The 3-Flüsse cycle route is a day tour of around 36 kilometres between Ilberstedt and Hohenerxleben. It follows the Bode, Saale and Wipper rivers; in the central Salzlandkreis, riverside landscapes with woods and meadows are part of the scenery, as are elevated agricultural plains with wide-open views. The Bode cycle route crosses the Salzlandkreis for about 51 kilometres and passes through floodplain landscapes, historic towns and villages. Its scenery includes meadows, hedgerows and old oak trees; the route leads to the Rothenförde weir, built in 1889.

The Saale cycle route runs through the Salzlandkreis between Rothenburg in the Saalekreis and Barby, taking in a peaceful riverside landscape of woods and meadows. The EL-SA Tour passes through a sparsely populated part of the Salzlandkreis with the largest contiguous forest areas; one section runs through the part belonging to the town of Barby. These routes offer different landscape experiences, without suggesting that their lengths or courses are the same.

Discover more destinations: Königsaue, Winningen, Calbe, Könnern, Staßfurt, Plötzkau, Barby, Seeland.

View the wider travel overview: Salzlandkreis.