Tangermünde (dpa/sa) - A good three months after the start of the award for the new regional seal "echt Altmark" in the sparsely populated north of Saxony-Anhalt, there are 13 bearers of the seal. Companies in the catering and hotel industry, food manufacturers and artisans, among others, can be certified. "The seal distinguishes special products as well as inspiring experience offers," said the managing director of the Altmark regional marketing and tourism association, Carla Reckling-Kurz.

Five other companies have applied for the seal and are in the certification phase, the Tangermünde-based association announced. Support for the "real Altmark" project also comes from the state.

The Altmark region consists of the districts of Stendal and Salzwedel - there is a lot of space and few people. The Altmark district of Salzwedel is about the size of Saarland and has a population density of around 36 inhabitants per square kilometer. In Germany, about 229 people live on average per square kilometer, in Saxony-Anhalt it is 113.