Diesbar-Seußlitz is a very small place at the far northern end of the Saxon Wine Route, in a bend of the Elbe where the hills soften and the valley widens. The village, made of two older villages joined together, sits between the river and a slope of vineyards, and above the roofs stands the baroque palace of Seußlitz, once a convent for noble ladies and later a country estate, with a terraced garden stepping down toward the water. The population is only a few hundred, so do not expect much beyond the essentials, and plan your supplies in advance.
The wine here is the point. Saxony's vineyards lie on the Elbe at around fifty-one degrees north, about as far north as commercial wine growing goes in Germany, and the vines survive thanks to the river, which holds heat, and the steep south-facing terraces. The soil is a mix of granite, loess and sandy loam, and the white wines, particularly Riesling, Weissburgunder and Müller-Thurgau, are dry and crisp, with good acidity. Production is tiny, and most of it is drunk within Saxony, which is a reason to stop at a small estate and ask what is open.
The riding is easy and gentle, a pleasant coda to the route. The road follows the river between fields and orchards, with a few low bends and views across to the far bank, and in autumn the vines glow yellow and red. It is bike country in a modest way, with a lot of cyclists on the Elbe path alongside, so go carefully on summer afternoons. There are ferries across the river in places, small cable ferries that carry a few vehicles, which are a good way to change the pace.
Fuel is not in the village. Nünchritz, about seven kilometres off, is the nearest town of any size, with a petrol station and shops, and Meissen, farther up the river, has larger supply and the famous porcelain works. Between September and October, young wine, called Federweisser, appears in the cellars, cloudy and sweet and slightly fizzy, and it goes with onion tart. A walk through the palace garden at sunset is a small reward for the end of the road.