Day 14 on the Elbe Cycle Route

Tangermünde to Wittenberge, 52 miles

Most of our lodgings have included breakfast, but last night’s did not. Luckily, with all the street vendors at the festival, we were able to piece together our own spread: salami (pig, not donkey), Polish smoked cheese, and a hearty bread baked in a can. It was delicious and served as a perfect mid-afternoon snack for the trail as well.

In just a few miles, the scenery transitioned from fairy-tale half-timber buildings to the crumbling ruins of East German industry. Bob dug into the history and discovered we we’re looking at a nuclear power station that was never completed. Construction began in 1982 using Russian-designed reactors similar to those at Chernobyl. The project was abandoned in 1991 after German reunification.

Part of the site has since been repurposed into a pulp and paper factory.

We had planned a river crossing by ferry today, but for the first (and hopefully only) time, the ferry wasn’t running. That meant rerouting and adding a few extra miles to the ride—but we were grateful to eventually find a working ferry downstream! Our reward was sharing the ride with a massive tractor.

Once back on course, we paused in Havelberg for cappuccinos and fruit tortes…

Fuel for the legs and the spirit!

Refueled, we headed back onto the trail… and straight into the headwind we’d lost yesterday!

Rolling into Wittenberge mid-afternoon, the first thing we saw was an abrupt, imposing square tower with a clock. It turns out that in the early 1900s, the American Singer Sewing Machine Company opened a factory here, and the centerpiece was this freestanding clock tower that also doubled as a water tower. At the time, it was the tallest such building in mainland Europe and remains a city landmark.

Tonight we’re staying in a cozy little hotel on the Elbe harbor, complete with a snack bar and terrace. Our hotel owner guessed we were Canadian. When we said we were from the US, he kindly(?) assured us our accents weren’t as abrupt as other Americans… not sure if that was a compliment or not!

It’s a perfect place for relaxing after the day’s ride.

Dinner was conveniently close by. Bob couldn’t resist the breakfast schnitzel topped with two fried eggs over potatoes, while I went for a green salad with fried chanterelle mushrooms (now in season). Both meals hit the spot.

Tomorrow we keep following the Elbe north—headwinds or not—toward the North Sea. We estimate that it’ll take us 4 more days.

Gute Nacht, liebe Freunde!