The best traffic-free bike rides around Gartower Tannen

The original Lüchower Tor was a typical Gothic stepped gable building and was demolished in 1837/38 due to dilapidation. In its place, a new gate structure was built in 1840 with four sandstone pillars and double leaf gates made of oak wood. Until the completion of the structure, smugglers had free rein for years. This was a nuisance for the main customs office. It reported in 1838 that no adequate security was guaranteed against the nocturnal smuggling of taxable goods. The outer pillars with castle battlement-like crowns and the small passage gate fitted with masonry stones are remnants of the 1840 structure. The two inner pillars along with the gates were removed in 1892 to make way for increasing traffic. The Schäfergraben once flowed along behind the gate. https://entdecke-salzwedel.de/luechower-tor/

The St. Catherine's Church in the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel is a significant, three-nave Gothic brick basilica. The documented construction start of the house of worship dates back to the year 1280. It was built as the main parish church for the then newly founded Salzwedel Neustadt. After the founding of the Neustadt (1247), the church was designed as a purely community church, which is why historically there was no separation between the chancel and the nave. While the massive tower base still bears Romanesque features, North German brick Gothic dominates the rest of the building. In the mid-15th century, the complex was extended to the west with a Late Gothic hall. During the GDR era, the building was acutely threatened by decay and demolition. Only through the massive, courageous commitment of the community members could the church be saved. During the Wende in autumn 1989, it was a central place for local peace prayers. As the church, located near the old Hanseatic port, is presumably built on marshy ground, its structural integrity has suffered from cracks for centuries; extensive renovations (supported, among others, by the German Foundation for Monument Protection) secure the foundation and the tie rods. Since 1981, the chancel has housed the valuable Late Gothic carved altarpiece from the Dambeck monastery church, which shows the rare depiction of a unicorn fleeing into the lap of the Virgin Mary. The original high altar was sold to Frankfurt Cathedral in the 19th century to finance renovations. Three of the originally nine colored glass windows from the 15th century have been preserved. They survived World War II unscathed because they were stored away in time. https://gemeinde-bunt.de/gemeinden/st-katharinenkirche

In Salzwedel, an 11.5-meter-high natural gas flare commemorates the history of natural gas production in the Altmark region. It stands by the indoor swimming pool and was ceremonially unveiled in May 2017. The flare represents decades of natural gas production, particularly by the former VEB Erdgasförderung Salzwedel during GDR times. On August 17, 1969, natural gas from the Altmark region flowed to Magdeburg for the first time. Subsequently, the production area developed into the second largest in Europe. The natural gas field in the Altmark – one of the largest natural gas deposits on the European mainland. While the monument commemorates the tradition, the company Neptune Energy is currently carrying out backfilling work on the former gas well Altensalzwedel 151 south of Mahlsdorf, which was in production until 2022. 📜volksstimme.de

Lübbow is a small, idyllic municipality in the district of Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, located directly on the state border with Saxony-Anhalt. As it is only about 10 to 12 kilometers away from the Hanseatic city of Salzwedel, the connection there is very close.

The former border tower near Hoyersburg is one of the most striking relics of the German division in the Altmark. It is located directly on the federal highway B248 between Salzwedel (Saxony-Anhalt) and Lüchow (Lower Saxony). The tower was part of the GDR border fortifications. In contrast to the simpler observation towers, the structure in Hoyersburg was a so-called command post (FüSt).

The Greek restaurant serves great food

Well signposted for district collectors

Unfortunately it's closed on Mondays - so "cold kitchen".