The Central German chemistry triangle is the in Saxony-Anhalt located part of the Leipzig lowland bay. The region is shaped by open-cast lignite mines industrial center of central Germany with a focus on the chemical industry. It borders to the south Saale-Unstrut region on, to the west that Mansfeld country, to the north that Lower Saale Valley, to the northeast the region Anhalt-Wittenberg and to the east the in Saxony located Leipzig lowland bay.
places
- 1 Halle (Saale) - by far the largest city in the region with a little over 230,000 inhabitants. The city, which has become rich through salt extraction, has largely been able to retain its historical core around the market square and Hallmarkt, which today, when renovated, exudes a lively urbanity.
- 2 Merseburg - Cathedral city with importance going back far into the Middle Ages, German emperors held more than 20 Reichstag here in the Middle Ages. The cathedral is a must for those interested in art. Today an industrial and university town between the chemical combines Buna and Leuna.
- 3 Bitterfeld-Wolfen - Once the “dirtiest city in Europe” and the center of the chemical industry, today the “Bitterfeld Sea” with a level tower and water front is located near Bitterfeld-Wolfen.
- 4 Munch - Once the center of lignite processing on the edge of the Geiseltal open-cast mine, the flooded Geiseltalsee is just under 19 km away2 the largest artificial lake in Germany. In the district of Langeneichstädt there is an approx. 5000 year old large stone grave and medieval Eichstädter observation tower.
- 5 Querfurt - one of the largest medieval castles in Germany
Smaller places are:
- 6 Bad Durrenberg - spa park; largest contiguous graduation tower in Europe.
- 7 Bad Lauchstädt - Goethe theater and spa facilities.
- 8 Landsberg - the most important landmark is the double chapel St. Crucis on the Kapellenberg.
- 9 Lützen - In the Thirty Years War scene of the Battle of Lützen, 1813 Battle of Großgörschen.
- 10 Petersberg - striking, 250 meter high Petersberg; Collegiate Church of St. Petrus on the Romanesque Road
Other goals
- Leipzig - by far the largest city in the region is located east of Halle and Merseburg.
background
As the crossroads of many trade routes and the extraction point for salt, the region, together with the Leipzig area with its central location in the German Empire, has had economic and strategic importance since the Middle Ages. Separated from Saxony only at the Congress of Vienna, the finds of lignite in the 19th century led to the development of an important energy industry throughout Germany and, since the beginning of the 20th century, a chemical industry. The ruthless exploitation of industrial capacities and the environment in the GDR era contributed to a justified, negative image of the region from which it can only slowly break away. The actual development has already rushed ahead, after the dirtiest operations and most of the opencast mines closed, a post-mining landscape has emerged (Central German lake district) with many opportunities for local recreation, which can provide the courageous traveler with exciting impressions.
getting there
The Leipzig Halle Airport
(IATA: LEJ) lies on the eastern edge of the chemistry triangle Schkeuditzer Hall. From there you have a short journey by car or train; It may be necessary to change trains in Halle, Leipzig Messe or Leipzig Hauptbahnhof.
ICE stop with direct connections Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Dortmund and Munich are Hall or Leipzig.
The Motorway A 9 Berlin - Munich crosses the area in a north-south direction, the A 14 Leipzig - Magdeburg in a south-east-north-west direction. The A 38 Halle - Göttingen runs west-east and continues beyond the A 9 (Rippachtal motorway junction) as a southern bypass of Leipzig.
mobility
There is a relatively dense rail network, so many places can be reached by train. From Halle there are railway lines to Magdeburg, Bitterfeld, Delitzsch, Leipzig via the airport or via Schkeuditz, Naumburg via Merseburg and Eisleben, which are served by regional trains or the Central German S-Bahn. Other railway lines in the region with passenger traffic are Merseburg - Querfurt and Weißenfels - Leipzig.
Halle has a very extensive Tram network with a specialty: Line 5, the former Merseburg overland railway drives over Schkopau, Merseburg, Leuna up Bad Durrenberg (31 kilometers in total - one of the longest tram lines in Europe).
Halle and the Saalekreis surrounding the city belong to the Central German Transport Association (MDV) at; only for Bitterfeld this does not apply. All network tickets are valid on regional trains, trams and buses in the respective tariff zone. The Saxony-Anhalt (Saxony / Thuringia) ticket is also recognized by all public transport in the MDV. If you only want to travel by train to other means of transport without authorization to transfer, you can also purchase tickets at the DB tariff using BahnCard discounts (exception: within the urban area of Halle and for Halle-Leipzig).
Tourist Attractions
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- The longest bridge in Germany, the branching Saale-Elster valley bridge (approx. 8.6 km long, located between Halle and Merseburg) was completed in 2013.
- Castle and cathedral in Merseburg
- Evidence of the Thirty Years' War and the Battle of Nations as well as a castle in Lützen
- Germany's longest graduation tower in Bad Dürrenberg
- Medieval castle in Querfurt
- Bitterfeld Arch and Amber Exhibition
