Magdeburg is a city in the east of Germany that may be off the usual tourist routes, but our daughter is working here and so we are likely to visit now and again. So far she has not met any other Brits, but there are a range of nationalities here. Younger locals often speak some English, but older ones may have learnt Russian at school. Luckily my German is not too bad.
The city has some historical sites, but also some lovely parks. Generally those are free, but you have to pay to get into Elbauenpark that has a range of attractions.
The Millennium Tower is a huge wooden structure that dominates the local skyline. Inside is a science museum that covers much of human history.
The lower level is huge with lots of big exhibits. You can climb stairs inside or a ramp up the outside.
It is big on working models including this Archimedes spiral pump driven by a treadmill.
There was a temporary exhibition of some nice Lego models.
On other levels are exhibits about various aspects of science. It is something like the London Science Museum, but with less original artifacts. We had a great day so the view was good from the top. The park extends over a huge area. You can get around on their road 'train', but a lot of people brought their bikes.
There is a lake full of big carp. There was much more than we could explore in an afternoon, so we may well return some time. There is a zipwire from the tower, a climbing area, a toboggan run, butterfly house and various gardens. A lot of locals turned up with picnics to spend the day there.
Entry is not too bad at 9€ for adults and various discounts, including yearly passes. Some activities cost extra. They have a few places to buy food and drink. The local tram service seems good with a stop right outside.
