Distance: 24km
Duration: 5.5h and 1.5h break
Weather: sunny with clouds, humidity
The first few kilometres led me primarily through the forest. I chose to take the cycling path instead of the walking path as the grass was still wet from the rain of the night and I was worried that the shoes would get wet inside after a while. This meant a detour of about 2 kilometres but still better than walking with moist socks. At some point, I forgot to take a turning as I haven’t checked the map on my mobile. Afterwards, I was quite grateful for the extra distance as it took me past the old castle of Walternienburg which must be one of the most beautiful registry offices in Germany! I walked into the court yard and the facility manager showed me around. You could tell that he was very proud to work in such a beautiful place.
The other highlight of today’s trip was the crossing of the Elbe via the very old iron bridge in Barby which was finalised in the end of the 19th century. It was primarily used for freight transport but is now only open for pedestrians and cyclists. I loved the combination of the industrial touch and the nature claiming back parts of it.
The final trip of today’s walk took me along a busy road with a lot of trucks due to the local gravel plant. To stay away from the passing trucks, I decided to walk through the fields. However, this was very exhausting as it was an uneven and soft ground. Hence, by the time I got into Schönebeck, I was pretty flat out. The accommodation, however, mad me up for it as it was a beautiful place right next to the Elbe with great food and very nice staff.
Accommodation: https://www.weltrad.de/quartier/
The train bridge from Barby’s side
Sabine's blog 