Bodenwerder is the home town of a man who was never quite able to tell the truth, and the town has made him a hero. Baron Münchhausen, Hieronymus Carl Friedrich von Münchhausen, was born here in 1720 and lived in the family manor beside the Weser, and as an old man he entertained dinner guests with fantastical tales of riding on a cannonball, pulling himself out of a swamp by his own hair, and flying to the moon. A writer collected the stories, and the baron became a literary legend. The old manor is now the town hall and holds a museum, and a fountain shows him on his cannonball.
The town itself sits on a bend of the Weser, with a bridge, a promenade, and a row of old half-timbered houses along the water. It is a quiet, friendly place, with a river that has served as a highway for centuries. Barges and pleasure boats pass, and cyclists follow the Weser cycle path along the bank. The hills of the Weser Uplands rise on both sides, covered with beech forest, and the river valley is wide and green.
The riding along the Weser is gentle and pleasant. The B83 follows the river, with long, flowing curves, easy gradients, and good views, and the minor roads climb into the forested hills on either side. Traffic is moderate, with tourist coaches and tractors, but the pace is relaxed. Look for gravel at junctions and for slow farm machinery around harvest time. In autumn, mist lies on the river in the morning, and the hills glow with colour. In winter, the road can ice over in shaded places.
Bodenwerder has fuel, a supermarket, bakeries, and a few cafes and restaurants, and it is a sensible place to rest and refuel before the next section. Hehlen, a smaller village about three kilometres away, has fewer services. A stop on the riverfront, with a coffee and a view of the water, is a nice way to break the day. Be prepared for the occasional flood: the Weser rises in wet weather, and the promenade is sometimes under water. The best seasons are spring and autumn, and the town is quietest in the early morning.