The Magdeburger Reiter — the Magdeburg Rider — stands in the Alter Markt (Old Market Square), though what you see there today is a 1966 copy. The original 13th-century statue, carved around 1240 and considered the first free-standing equestrian monument in Europe north of the Alps, is preserved in the Kulturhistorisches Museum.
The statue depicts a crowned rider on horseback flanked by two female figures — long identified as Emperor Otto I (who founded the city and made it the center of his empire) but of debated identification. Whatever its subject, it is a remarkable piece of medieval sculpture: the proportions are correct, the horse is confidently executed, and the whole composition has a dignity and authority that justifies its status as Magdeburg's primary emblem.
The Alter Markt is the historic center of the city, significantly rebuilt after wartime bombing but still framed by the ornate city hall and some Baroque buildings. The square is pleasant enough for a brief stop.