Einbeck is where bock beer began. In the Middle Ages the town was one of the great brewing centres of the Hanseatic League, and its strong, dark beer was exported across northern Europe. When Bavarian brewers copied it, the name Einbecker was heard as ein Bock, a billy goat, and so a beer style got its name. The town still has a brewery, and the goat appears on the labels.
The old town is a delight, with a huge number of half-timbered houses, carved with figures and inscriptions, and a market square lined with fine buildings. Much of the town burned down in 1540, and was rebuilt with a regard for style that gives it a unity unusual in Germany. With about twenty-eight thousand people, Einbeck has every practical convenience, from fuel stations to supermarkets, and a large selection of restaurants and cafes, where you can try the local beer.
For riders, there is a bonus. The PS.Speicher, a museum in an old grain store near the centre, houses a large collection of cars and motorcycles, with exhibits that range from early machines to postwar classics. It is a fine place to spend an hour or two out of the rain, and the displays are well presented. There is a cafe on site.
The roads around Einbeck are quiet and winding, running through the hills of the Weser uplands and the Leine valley, with beech woods and farmland and a succession of small, tidy villages. Kreiensen, a few kilometres away, is a railway junction with a long history. The summer is warm, the autumn colours are good, and in winter ice can lie on the shady roads. A glass of Einbecker Bock and a hearty plate of local sausage, after a day on the bike, is the way to end the evening.