Hansestadt Stendal (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛndaːl]) is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark region.

Geography

Situated west of the Elbe valley, the Stendal town centre is located some 125 km (78 mi) west of Berlin, around 170 km (110 mi) east of Hanover, and 55 km (34 mi) north of the state capital Magdeburg. Stendal is the seat of a University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) and preserves a picturesque old town including a historic market and several churches. The nearby village Uchtspringe is home to a psychiatric rehabilitation clinic.

Stendal station is the most important interchange and rail hub in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Located on the Berlin–Lehrte railway and the parallel Hanover–Berlin high-speed railway line, it is regularly served by Intercity and Intercity-Express (ICE) trains. A direct connection to the German Autobahn network is planned with the extension of the BAB 14 from Magdeburg to Schwerin.

Stendal (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛndaːl]) is a district (Kreis) in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Its neighbouring districts are (clockwise from the south): Jerichower Land, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts of Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Havelland in Brandenburg.

History

In the administrative reform of 1994 the previous district of Stendal was merged with the districts of Osterburg and Havelberg.

Geography

The district is located in the Altmark region. Its highest elevation is the 132.8 metre high Landsberg. The main rivers in the district are the Elbe and the Havel.

Partnerships

In 1990, a friendship with the Russian Yartsevsky District was started, which grew into a partnership in 1996. In 1994, a partnership with the Lithuanian district Mažeikiai was started. Further partnerships exist with the Lippe district in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Swedish municipality Vårgårda, and with the towns Płock (Poland), Havířov (Czech Republic), Saldus (Latvia), Paide (Estonia) and Karlshamn (Sweden).