To Biesenthal and Magdeburg: the end of a summer roadtrip through Germany

I woke up with the sun on my last morning in the Harz Mountains, excited to see the end of a long and exhausting solo roadtrip through Germany. Although it had been wonderful, I was ready for it to come to an end. I was tired and in need of friendly and familiar faces.

A friend of mine, Maria, had invited me to stay with her in her hometown of Biesenthal just north of Berlin. We lived together with three other girls during our semester abroad in Nuuk, and we had a lot of catching up to do! Even though Biesenthal was quite a detour since I was in the Harz and had to hand in the car in Magdeburg, I couldn’t resist. I missed her terribly, and it felt too weird travelling through her country for the whole summer without seeing her! So I decided to spend my last full day with her.

The drive up took longer than expected as the Autobahn was full of roadwork which meant long and really slow queues, but I got there eventually in the early afternoon. It was so great to see Maria again, and I really loved her little hometown. I didn’t take any photos with my camera as I felt like just enjoying Biesenthal and Maria’s company without having to worry about compositions and lighting. It’s certainly not because Biesenthal isn’t picturesque, but phone pictures would have to do!

Maria showed me some of her favourite areas in the town, including a lookout tower near the ruins of Burgwall von Biesenthal, a Slavic hillfort from the 10th century. Standing four metres high, the tower offers a wonderful view over the quaint town and its lush foresty surroundings.

We took her dog Kira for an evening stroll through a meadow layered in fog, and continued to a beautiful lake that we reached just as dusk set in. Later that evening, we cozied up with ice cream and cuddles with her many cats, kittens and dogs! It was just what I needed after my long and tiring trip.

The next morning, we walked to the local bakery to buy fresh rolls that we enjoyed together in Maria’s cozy garden. Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye afterwards as I had to drive the long way to the small city of Magdeburg to give back my rental car. Thankfully, I didn’t experience any queues on this journey and I actually got to Magdeburg an hour earlier than expected, allowing me some time to explore.

I usually have a long list of places to see when I explore cities, but the unexpected hour in Magdeburg left me without one. But I actually really enjoyed just walking around, turning the corner that I found the most interesting and seeing whichever sights I came by, again without using my camera once. I walked along the bank of the river Elbe and admired the pretty churches, the 13th-century cathedral and the unusual buildings of Magdeburg – the whimsical pink Grüne Zitadelle von Magdeburg, designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, was a personal favourite!

I didn’t have any expectations for the city whatsoever, but I actually really liked it. Next time, I’ll come to Magdeburg to explore it properly – with my camera!

So that concluded my two-week roadtrip around Germany (with a few detours into Austria and Switzerland!). While it was at times challenging, lonely and exhausting, I really did enjoy seeing so much of my neighbouring country. It was also wonderful to have the freedom to go whereever I wanted, and I felt like I really got to know Germany on this trip.

The country that I once thought was the most boring country in the world (because all I saw as a child was the Autobahn…) is now one of my favourites. Germany, I love you!