Bad Nenndorf is a spa town that never grew into a resort, and that suits it. It sits in the Schaumburg countryside west of Hanover, at the foot of the low wooded ridge of the Deister, and its trade is sulphurous water. Springs here were developed as a bath in the late eighteenth century under the rulers of Hesse-Kassel, and a park of old trees, colonnades and bathhouses survives from that period. The smell of the water is distinctive, and the baths are still used for health treatments, particularly for joint and skin complaints. The town is quiet, tidy and slightly formal.
There is a darker chapter in its past. After the Second World War a British interrogation centre operated in the town, and the treatment of prisoners there caused a scandal back in Britain. It is a reminder that even peaceful spa towns have layers of history. Today the town is calm, and the surroundings, with farmland, small villages and castles such as the one at nearby Rodenberg, are good for relaxed riding.
The road system around Bad Nenndorf is a web of secondary roads that run through the lowland between the Deister and the Weser hills. The surface is generally smooth, and bends are gentle, passing through villages with half-timbered houses and brick churches. Traffic is light outside commuter hours, and the main risk is agricultural machinery in the harvest season. To the south, the Deister ridge, about twenty kilometres long, offers forested roads and walking trails, while to the north the Steinhuder Meer, the largest lake in Lower Saxony, is a popular day out.
For the rider, the town is a handy break. It has about ten thousand people, so fuel stations, bakeries and cafés are plentiful, and it is a good place for a coffee or a late breakfast before heading on. A walk through the spa gardens takes ten minutes and is an easy way to loosen up. Spring and early autumn are the best times for the ride, when the fields are green or golden and the light is soft. In summer, cafés set tables in the park, and in the evening the town falls quiet, so there is no need to hurry.