In the late eighteenth century, a small German principality decided to remake its entire landscape as a work of art. Prince Leopold III Friedrich Franz of Anhalt-Dessau, inspired by travels in England and by the ideas of the Enlightenment, created a vast network of parks, gardens, palaces and estates along the Elbe and Mulde rivers, combining beauty, education and agriculture. The result, the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz, is one of the earliest and largest landscape gardens in continental Europe, and it was listed by UNESCO in 2000.
The heart of it is Wörlitz Park, laid out around a lake with canals, islands, bridges and buildings in many styles. Wörlitz Palace, built in the 1770s, is considered the first neoclassical building in Germany. The Gothic House, with its pointed windows and stained glass, is one of the earliest Gothic Revival buildings on the continent. And on an island in the lake stands an artificial volcano, the Stein, which could be made to erupt with fireworks, alongside a copy of a Roman villa. Small hand-pulled ferries carry visitors across the canals, part of the charm.
The parks lie in the Middle Elbe floodplain, now a biosphere reserve, with meadows, oak forests and old river channels. The area is home to beavers, which have made a remarkable comeback here, as well as storks and many other birds. Dessau, a short ride west, is famous as the home of the Bauhaus, the influential school of art and design, whose buildings are also listed by UNESCO.
The riding in the area is flat and easy, with straight roads through farmland, forests and villages. The roads along the Elbe, especially on the dike tops, offer views over the river and the floodplain. Traffic is light, but cyclists are common, especially on the Elbe cycle route. Surfaces are generally good, though some minor roads are cobbled or rough.
Wörlitz is a small town with cafés, restaurants and accommodation; for fuel, Dessau or Oranienbaum are more reliable. Try a local fish dish from the Elbe, or a slice of cake in a garden café. Spring and early summer are the best seasons, when the parks are green and full of flowers. Summer can be hot, and mosquitoes along the river can be fierce.