Transport in the Altmark – from silent ferries and ecological dial-a-bus services

The Altmark – here you will find vast landscapes, farmland and forests, lots of nature and, compared to elsewhere, little traffic. Most Altmarkers have a car to be independently mobile.

In the morning you drive together to work with many other drivers. Anyone who doesn't have that far to go, travels by bike or e-bike. The children are standing at the bus stop, waiting for the school bus. Some villages are so remote that the journey to school is long. Apart from school transport, buses stop rarely in the small villages, but are on call in other places. The great service on offer here: dial-a-bus. If you call the bus company, you can order the bus to take you to your desired destination. This relieves traffic and avoids empty runs, for the sake of the environment. In the town of Osterburg there is even the citizens' bus, which takes people from the small villages to the town. In addition, most larger towns and cities are located along railway lines and the bus lines are well coordinated with the trains. So if you have a longer commute to work, the alternative by rail will help you reach your destination quickly.

Be it car drivers, motorcyclists or cyclists, the Elbe river is the natural border for everyone who uses the roads in the Altmark region. If you want to cross it, the only asphalt option in the whole of the Altmark is the Elbe bridge near Tangermünde. Otherwise it means enjoying nature and breathing in the country air while waiting for the ferryman. There are ferries in four places along the Elbe, the Altmark region's second special feature. The ferrymen on the Elbe have been taking people from one side of the river to the other for many centuries. It used to be pedestrians and horsemen but today it's mainly cars and cycling tourists. The yaw cable ferry only works with the force of the water, which causes the ferry to glide slowly over the river. It rattles and splashes, nothing else can be heard but the geese cackling in the distance. Anyone who uses the ferry and can put their mobile phone down for a few minutes, experiences moments when the hectic pace of everyday life comes to a standstill, a few moments of calm.