Sandau is one of the smallest towns in Germany, a cluster of houses and a big Romanesque brick church on the east bank of the Elbe in Saxony-Anhalt, opposite the meadows that stretch towards Havelberg. A cable ferry crosses the river here, a slow and peaceful way to reach the other bank, and the experience of standing on the deck with your bike, watching the broad, brown river slide past, is a fine reason to come.
The Elbe here is one of the most natural large rivers in central Europe, with wide floodplains, meadows, oxbow lakes and riverside forests, protected as part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. White storks nest on the roofs of the villages, and in spring and autumn, huge flocks of geese and cranes gather on the meadows. The river floods regularly, and the dykes that protect the villages are a reminder of its power; in 2013, a dyke broke nearby, flooding a wide area.
The riding here is flat and open, with roads along the dykes and through the meadows and villages. Traffic is very light, and the views over the river and the floodplain are wide and beautiful. The roads can be windy, and agricultural vehicles are common. Some roads are narrow, and the villages may have cobbled streets. Check the ferry schedule before planning a crossing, as it can be suspended during high water.
Services in Sandau are thin, so plan the tank and lunch around Havelberg, a short ride north, which has a magnificent cathedral on a hill above the town. A meal in Havelberg, with a view over the river, is a fine reward. The Dahme lakes lie far to the east, across the whole of Brandenburg.