Magdeburg

The capital city of Saxony Anhalt has much to charm you with. A boat ride on the Elbe River that winds its way through the city like a blue ribbon, gives you perspective on things you’d like to go after with zeal. The commentary on board the boat reveals that after the reunification of Germany, Magdeburg held onto its 1200-year-old history. Magdeburg was called the City of Otto after its famous sons, both Emperor Otto the Great and also Otto von Guericke. For those who came in late, Guericke, a scientist inventor and the Mayor of Magdeburg, who was born in the city in 1602, used two copper hemispheres (now available in either chocolate or iron, and a top-selling souvenir) as part of an experiment to demonstrate the physics of a vacuum. Today a trail takes you through town on what’s called the Guericke Mile, to guide you along his inventive footsteps.