The best walks and hikes around Tangermünde

Tangermünde has mighty city walls.

The Tangermünde city wall is a significant historical structure in the town of Tangermünde and dates predominantly from the Middle Ages. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries and served to protect the prosperous Hanseatic city from attackers. Large parts of the brick wall have been preserved to this day and give a good impression of the former fortification. The city wall was originally interspersed with several towers and gates, some of which – like the well-known Neustädter Tor – still exist today. Typical of the structure is North German Brick Gothic, which strongly shapes the cityscape. Today, the Tangermünde city wall is a popular destination for visitors and an important testament to medieval urban architecture in Saxony-Anhalt.

The Rosspforte is located at the Elbe Gate and, together with the Rossfurt, formed the only access road from the Elbe into the town of Tangermünde for a long time. The Rossfurt is a 100-meter-long hollow way. The Elbe Gate once had a portcullis, the niches of which are still recognizable today, and features faithful replicas of the gate wings and the Elbe's water level marks. In 2013, it reached its highest level to date at 8.38 meters. Source: https://www.blutana.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/Rosspforte-Tangermuende-2155.html

Beautiful view of the old town on the flood meadows between Tanger and Elbe.

Only a few buildings remain of the castle in Tangermünde, first mentioned in 1009. Where the main castle once stood, a building was erected around 1700 on the massive foundation walls, which today houses a hotel. The keep, built in the 14th century, is called the Kapitelturm (Chapter Tower) as it once served as a grain silo for the Berlin Cathedral Chapter. It towers 50 meters high and has six floors. Today it is used as a viewing tower and offers a wide view over Tangermünde and the surrounding area. The prison tower of the former castle was built around 1480. It served for the additional security of the complex. It was not until the 18th century that it was actually used for holding prisoners. The tower received its conical roof in 1912. The Alte Kanzlei (Old Chancellery) is also one of the surviving buildings of the castle. Events are held today in the building dating from the 14th century. In the 17th century, there was a writing office here. Source: https://www.eurob.org/item/tangermuende_burg/

The Marktstraße leads on to the Putinnen. These are two towers, standing about 30 meters apart on the city wall. They protect a small staircase that serves as access to the river. The people of Tangermünde frequently relied on the water of the Tanger. For instance, in the 18th century, the city had only 12 wells, which could sometimes barely supply the necessary drinking water. The eastern tower served as a citizens' jail for a time. The already mentioned staircase leads through the western tower. Both towers were built around 1470. Source: https://www.portalsaeule.de/index.php?cat=Mauern%2C%20Tore%20und%20T%C3%BCrme%2FStadtbefestigungen%20in%20Deutschland&page=Tangerm%C3%BCnde_2

In 1941, Elblagerhaus GmbH had a grain silo with a capacity of 10,000 tons built at the harbor to store grain, legumes, and oilseeds. Even today, the facility is a widely visible, attractive ensemble.

The shot tower was built in the late 15th century. In the Middle Ages, this defensive tower was only half as high. It was originally used as a powder magazine and is therefore still sometimes called the powder tower today. In 1825, a merchant from Tangermünde had it raised to a height of 47 meters, and the following year set up a shot foundry in it, which was in operation until around the mid-19th century. For this purpose, the five old vaulted ceilings of the former floors were knocked out. Then, the casting of shot pellets could begin. The lead was melted at the top of the tower, mixed with arsenic, and poured through clay sieves. At the bottom were water vats, in which the shot pellets, formed by the fall, cooled down. This shot foundry gave the tower its current name. The tower has a total of 12 floors and a cellar. The 6th floor was temporarily used as living space when housing was scarce. After the shot foundry closed in the mid-19th century, the tower remained unused for a long time. It was only in the 1980s that the roof and windows were repaired and its usability was restored. Currently, the Tangermünde amateur radio club uses the tower for its antennas and associated technology. The club room is located at the foot of the tower. Source: https://www.tangermuende.info/sightseeing.html