Bernburg. The more cyclists ride over it, the faster the logo, drawn in chalk, will fade away. District Administrator Markus Bauer – in Bernburg on Friday in front of the district office – and his administrative staff – in the towns across the district a few days earlier – have put the finishing touches to preparations ahead of the start of CITY CYCLING on Monday. They have drawn attention to the community campaign in various locations and on individual paths, making it visible to everyone.
“Now it’s up to the people of Salzland – and their legs and minds – to make the 2026 launch a success.” Markus Bauer naturally hopes that the response will be huge and leave people wanting more. The district is taking part for the first time in the international CITY CYCLING campaign, and the District Administrator is its proud patron: “By taking part, we’re making it possible for everyone to join in at the same time – people who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to do so through their own towns and parishes.”
The town of Calbe is already on board. Aschersleben, Bernburg, Schönebeck and Staßfurt are joining forces with the Salzlandkreis district to cycle together during the agreed campaign period from 14 June to 4 July. They have been working intensively on preparations for this in a working group. The aim for everyone is to cycle as many everyday journeys as possible for 21 days, thereby collecting kilometres for the local authority. Three weeks of cycling instead of driving! Whether on the way to work, school, the shops or in your free time – every kilometre cycled counts.
Anyone who lives, works, belongs to a club or attends a school in the Salzlandkreis is welcome to take part – whether as an individual or as part of a team. Anyone who wishes to can form their own team or join an existing one. So far, 119 teams have registered. The focus is on having fun together through exercise, team spirit and a commitment to a sustainable future.
Patron Markus Bauer explains: “For me, this joint initiative with our participating towns in the district is certainly a sporting competition, but it is so much more than that. Together with its local authorities, the district is sending a strong message in support of climate-friendly mobility, health and a better quality of life, entirely in line with our strategy for the future. The initiative brings us together as we strive to achieve the best possible results through friendly competition. Ultimately, my stated aim is to make cycling throughout the Salzlandkreis permanently more attractive, safer and a matter of course – both in everyday life and at leisure.”
Especially as the people of the Salzland live in a rural region that is already popular with cyclists. Three popular long-distance cycle routes and the local network connect the towns and villages, enhancing quality of life and facilitating sustainable tourism. Because an attractive district needs modern infrastructure, the Salzlandkreis and its constituent municipalities are making targeted investments in the network, upgrading existing links, closing gaps and creating new routes to ensure safe journeys to school and comfortable commutes to work.
People who are collecting kilometres for the STADTRADELN campaign also cycle on these routes and for these routes. Anyone who uses the STADTRADELN app also helps by providing anonymised traffic data that shows which routes are heavily used and where the relevant authorities need to focus their planning efforts.
“So, join the movement,” says District Administrator Markus Bauer, inviting all residents to get involved. You can sign up directly via the central campaign platform www.stadtradeln.de by registering for the Salzlandkreis and logging in.
Of course, the district administrator doesn’t know which town will end up with the lead either. But he has already announced the following for participants who have registered with the Salzland district: “The nursery, primary school and secondary school with the most active participants will receive a trophy from us, and the participant who has cycled the most kilometres individually will receive a Salzland box. And we’ll be back again next year. The twelfth Salzland Cycling Day in 2027 is set to be our joint kick-off.”
The CITY CYCLING campaign is supported by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fahrradfreundlicher Kommunen Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Digital Affairs.