Burgdorf is a solid, practical town of thirty thousand people on the eastern edge of the Hannover region, where the farmland begins to turn into heath and pine. The name means castle village, and the place grew around a medieval fortress that has since vanished. Today it is a commuter town, with a brick-built centre, a pedestrian precinct and a good supply of shops, bakeries and filling stations, and it is the sort of place you stop at when you need to take care of practical things.
The return road here comes in from the east, from the Lüneburg Heath side, and the landscape changes as you ride. The Südheide, the southern heath, is a country of sandy soils, birch and pine woods, open fields and tiny villages, with long straight roads and gentle curves. Sandy ground and cool air make for a distinctive smell, a mixture of resin and dry grass, and in late summer the heather blooms purple in the nature reserves further north.
Burgdorf marks the point where the heath yields to the Hannover plain, and the traffic increases accordingly. On the final stretch to the city the roads are wider and busier, and speed limits are strictly enforced, so keep an eye on the signs. Rush hour can be slow, so a coffee stop here is a good way to let the traffic die down. The town has a few cafés on the main street and a weekly market, which is a good place for fresh bread and local cheese.
Lehrte, a larger town eight kilometres south-west, has more shops, and Hänigsen is a smaller village to the north. Fuel is easy, with several stations on the main road, and it is wise to fill up here at the end of a long ride. If you have time, take a short detour into the woods and let the bike cool down. The pine smell, the quiet and the soft sand under the trees are a world away from the city, and a good way to end the day.