Germany: Magdeburg

Magdeburg is the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and straddles the Elbe River. Founded in the year of 805 AD, this was the one of the largest and most prosperous city in Germany until the early/mid 17th century. In fact, the legal system of German Law known as Magdeburg Rights spread widely from here into the German towns and villages. Magdeburg was essentially wiped off the face of the earth twice – once in 1641 by the Catholic League, and then in 1945 by the allied bombing campaign. Most of the city was restarted so no it’s a combination of old and new. Magdeburg Cathedral stands out above all the other attractions (next post), other places to see are Town Hall (with the statue of the Magdeburger Roland and Reiter, the Grüne Zitadelle aka Green Citadel (which is actually pink and not a citadel but rather a modern avant-garde hotel), Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen (11th century Romanesque monastery), Johanniskirche (10th century church), some remnant city walls, and more.