We developed multilayered, purely inorganic coatings for the corrosion protection of AZ magnesium alloys. Polymeric acid-catalyzed sols form relatively dense coatings, but any direct contact to the reactive magnesium substrate has to be avoided. However polymeric sols based on SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3, ZrO2 and up to 5% of lanthanide salts can be used to seal samples with prime coat based on aqueous nanoparticle dispersions. Without organic network modification, these sealings have to be kept thin to avoid cracks. However if the coating process with aqueous dispersions and polymeric sols is alternated, a kind of lamellar sandwich structure can be formed which stays crack-free up to several layers. The performance and the protective properties of these coatings were studied with different methods (EIS, salt spray tests and electron microscopy).