Donation handover

In September we went to Jessen and met with Katharina & Robert from the association “Krebskranke Kinder in Not eV” In front of the castle we revealed the secret and gave the donation amount of the Herzenstour 2022 in the amount of 12,500 euros Once again, we managed to exceed the amount raised last year. We are pleased that the organization can once again use the money to support children in desperate need.

If you want to know what we experienced during our 2022 Heart Tour, just scroll down...

Stage 1: Riesa to Torgau

We got on our bikes at 9:30 a.m. today and first crossed the Elbe bridge in Riesa. We rode on the right bank. In Mühlberg, we crossed the bridge again and rode on the left bank. In Mühlberg, we also took a short detour past Lake Borschützer.

We've covered 57.4 kilometers today, which is a relatively short distance compared to the other stages. A visit to the Torgau Castle Bears was a must, of course, but only one bear showed up today.

On the way here, we made another short stop at Weßnig, Germany's first cyclist church. (No, Philipp couldn't play the organ illegally here, because the instrument was being removed.)

We also met some creative characters along the way. This year, too, we couldn't convince Uwe to leave his water pistol at home.

As you can see, despite the seriousness behind our project, relaxation and fun are certainly not neglected. Tomorrow, our journey takes us to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, but first, we'll visit the chairwoman of the Children with Cancer in Need Association in Jessen.

Stage 2: Torgau to Wittenberge 72.4 kilometers

After a hearty breakfast this morning in Torgau, we took the signposted detour onto the Elbe Cycle Path, as the State Garden Show is taking place in Torgau until October.

In Dommitzsch, we crossed the Elbe by ferry. The temperatures were still quite pleasant in the morning, but then they quickly rose as we drove to Katharina's in Jessen. There, we fortified ourselves with a delicious solyanka, ice-cold drinks, and refreshed ourselves in the pool. It felt good!

We talked to Katharina about our project and our route.

Linda has also found a new friend in her dog Amy.

On the way from Jessen to Wittenberg, we rode partly through the woods. The wind and the hot temperatures made the bike path smell like a Finnish sauna. Luckily, the three of us each had a cooling towel that we could place on our necks to cool off a bit.

In the afternoon, we arrived at the Luther Hotel, which has supported our project for several years. A huge thank you to the hotel manager, Ms. Schlacht, because this support is something we don't take for granted.

Today we're taking the opportunity to show Uwe the beautiful city. Tomorrow we have our shortest leg, where we can recharge and gather strength.

Stage 3: Wittenberg to Dessau-Roßlau 40.8 kilometers

Since our route today wasn't that long, we decided to get up a little later and enjoy breakfast at the hotel in peace and quiet. After breakfast, we visited the delicious soft-serve ice cream stand from yesterday. After all, we wanted to see for ourselves that the ice cream was still as delicious today. Afterward, we took a photo with Martin Luther and then set off towards Wörlitz.

A visit to Wörlitz Park and the gondola ride that goes with it has almost become a tradition when our tour takes place in this area. It was another relaxing experience for the three of us. Unfortunately, we could only ride across Lake Wörlitz today, as the canals were impassable due to low water. It was still a wonderful experience nonetheless. We were able to park our bikes in the bike boxes again, so our luggage was safely stowed away. Despite the blazing sun, the ride across the lake was a good opportunity to gather strength for the upcoming stages, which are again somewhat longer.

In Coswig, we were treated to a delicious meal by Stephan Ziegler, who already knows our project and supported us again this year. We fortified ourselves with whole-wheat pasta, chicken, and some vegetables. Many thanks for that! At the Elbe Terrace, Linda and Uwe also took the opportunity to cool their feet in the Elbe River.

On the last eight kilometers to Dessau, we got a bit of a shower. This motivated us to pedal a little harder, and we were able to reach our hotel in Dessau relatively dry. On such a hot summer day as today, we weren't at all upset about the rain.

Stage 4: Dessau-Roßlau to Magdeburg 73.5 kilometers

Knowing we had a longer stage to cover today, we decided to get up early and have breakfast. This also had the advantage of not having to endure the midday sun quite as long.

Ferry crossings took place today in Breitenhagen and Barby. Incidentally, Heinrich's swinging bench was still standing in Barby. Unfortunately, we only saw it from the ferry, otherwise we would have taken another photo for you.

Despite the heat, we made good progress today and found a lovely spot for a break by the Elbe River. There, we were able to recharge our batteries in the shade of a tree. Today's tour consisted mostly of long, straight stretches. Initially, our bike path ran parallel to the main road for about 7 kilometers from Dessau to Aken. A little later, we cycled along the dike for a few kilometers. Despite the sun, this is a lovely experience, as you are truly immersed in peace and quiet and don't have to worry about any surrounding road noise.

Shortly before Magdeburg, we suddenly had to brake because a fallen tree was blocking our bike path. But that didn't stop us from continuing. We carried the bikes over the branches. Since a small "path" had already been formed, it worked quite well. A few kilometers later, we reached the state capital of Magdeburg in the early afternoon. Philipp spoke to an employee at the cathedral office yesterday, and there was good news: He'll be allowed to try out the cathedral organ for an hour again today.

This also offers an opportunity to practice again for the benefit concert on Thursday in Wittenberge.

Stage 5: Magdeburg to Tangermünde 80.2 kilometers

Due to a longer leg of the journey, an early breakfast was also on our agenda today. Our route took us through the famous waterway junction in Hohenwarthe. This is located north of Magdeburg and is a crossing of the Mittelland Canal over the Elbe. We are always impressed by the statics of such structures. The so-called trough bridge, at 918 meters long, is the largest canal bridge in Europe. We have been to this place several times, but it never fails to fascinate.

In Rogätz, we crossed the Elbe again by ferry and then had to take a detour due to dike construction work. This detour is clearly visible on our route map today.

Since we were able to ride relatively well today, we didn't take our first break until 50 kilometers in. We fortified ourselves, rested our legs for a bit, and refilled our water bottles with our remaining water.

Shortly before reaching Tangermünde, we heard a regular noise coming from Uwe's bike. The rear wheel kept rubbing against the fender at a specific spot. After a quick inspection, we found the problem: a loose spoke. Based on our experience from last year, we immediately went to a bike shop in Tangermünde. The staff were very friendly and helped immediately. The problem has now been resolved, and the bike is roadworthy again.

In Tangermünde today, we treated ourselves to an ice cream sundae and a cold drink and decided together that we deserved it given the route and today's temperatures.

Tomorrow, we have another long stretch ahead of us. Our benefit concert in Wittenberge is also taking place tomorrow. We're already looking forward to it.

Stage 6: Tangermünde to Wittenberge 78 kilometers

Today, 78 kilometers were on the agenda. So, once again, we had an early breakfast and then got on our bikes. At the hotel, our feline friend Philipp couldn't resist stroking the beautiful castle cat. Since we wanted to cycle through Havelberg again, we took the Sandau ferry. We then took our first break in the town of Havelberg. There, we rewarded ourselves with currywurst and fries. After this refreshment, we continued on to our next planned break in Rühstädt. We knew there was a lovely swimming spot in the Elbe, which we immediately took advantage of. It was a wonderful refreshment in the warm temperatures.

We then drove to Wittenberge, where we were met by a freelance journalist and a Wittenberge city employee. We reported on our project and our motivation for organizing and carrying out events like the Herzenstour. Our benefit concert took place at 6 p.m. in the Protestant church. We would like to thank Pastor Deckstrom and the church congregation once again for making this possible. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the music and listened to the emotional words of Linda and Uwe. Philipp once again used all the organ stops, and we are pleased to report that everything remained intact.

With today's benefit concert, we are experiencing another small success for our project and thus have a ray of hope for our approximately 90-kilometer stage tomorrow.

Stage 7: Wittenberge to Hitzacker 76.8 kilometers

We'd normally wanted to set off early again today, as our longest stage of the 2022 Herzenstour was on the agenda. When Uwe checked the rain radar, he suggested we wait another half hour. We've learned from our mistake last year. On the way to Verden, we rode WITH the rain front the entire time. This time, we let it pass. We still got a bit of drizzle and had to resort to our Herzenstour jackets, but overall it was bearable, and we didn't arrive at our destination completely soaked again.

First, we cycled from Wittenberge along the Elbe Cycle Path, right bank of the Elbe, until we reached the Ilka ferry from Lütkenwisch to Schnackenburg, where we crossed the river again. There, you'll also find a memorial site for victims of the GDR regime who did not survive their escape attempts across the former inner-German border.

By Gorleben, we had completed more than half of our route. We had originally planned for about 90 kilometers, but we replanned the tour on Komoot, and the total distance was significantly shortened. Arriving in the town, we fortified ourselves with a small snack to gain further strength for the headwind, which hadn't quite left us alone today.

About 15 kilometers before Hitzacker, we took another short coffee break by the Elbe, as the route today was more strenuous than the other days. So far, we haven't seen any sheep on the bike path, but today we did encounter some.

Today in Hitzacker, we'll meet with a journalist from the Elbe-Jeetzel newspaper and report on our project and our experiences. Today we'll gather some strength and, unfortunately, have to come to terms with the fact that our final leg begins tomorrow. The Herzenstour has not only grown as a project, but has also brought us together as friends, for which we are very grateful. For this reason, the final leg isn't easy for any of us.

Stage 8: Final stage Hitzacker to Lauenburg 57.2 kilometers

Today we were able to sleep in a little longer, as our final leg to Lauenburg wasn't as far as the other days. The ferry in Hitzacker is out of service due to a defect. The nearest bridge is eight kilometers away, but help was at hand. A man sails his small boat, which even has a motor, across the Elbe between Hitzacker and Bitter, picking up tourists and their bicycles in exchange for a donation. This isn't something to be taken for granted, and it certainly helps some people.

Today, we again spotted several border towers along our route. In the town of Konau, we took a short break at the tourist information office and visited the border museum. The property not only boasts a wealth of history, but also various fruit varieties, a farm shop, and its own beekeeping facility. A few kilometers later, we fortified ourselves with a hot chocolate in the town of Stiepelse.

We then rode along the dyke cycle path to Boizenburg, where we had to defend our soft ice cream from hungry wasps. After the ice cream break, we struggled with the incline, but we were quickly rewarded. It wasn't long before a significant downhill stretch began. Our speedometer showed 50 km/h for a few seconds.

The next stop was our destination for the 2022 Heart Tour: the beautiful, small town of Lauenburg.

After eight stages and more than 530 kilometers, we're amazed again at how quickly the time has passed. We thank you for your participation in our project. It's always a wonderful experience to be able to share our experiences with you, whether on our website or on our social networks.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and will continue to do so with our future projects.

Your Herzenstour team

Linda, Philipp and Uwe