Harburg, on the south bank of the Elbe, is the part of Hamburg that visitors rarely see. It was a separate town until 1937, and it still has its own centre, its own inner harbour with old warehouses, and a slightly rough, working feel that contrasts with the polished facades of the city across the river. Behind it lies Seevetal, a green commuter district at the northern edge of the Lüneburg Heath, and the land begins to open into woods and sand. The dot sits at this seam between city and country.
To get here from the north, you cross the Elbe, which at Hamburg is wide, tidal and busy with container ships, tugs and ferries. The bridges and tunnels that carry traffic are among the busiest in Germany, and the long, curving Köhlbrand Bridge, opened in 1974, is a sight in itself, rising high over the harbour with cranes on either side. The Elbe tunnel, a Hamburg landmark since 1911, can be walked or ridden through.
The day's loop has taken in the Wendland, a remote, thinly populated district in the far east of Lower Saxony, where the villages are built in a circle, known as Rundlingsdörfer, with the houses facing a central green. It is an unusual landscape of half-timbered farmsteads, quiet roads and wide meadows along the Elbe, with a gentle, almost forgotten feeling. The Elbe forest and the Harz edge give contrast, with winding roads and woodland.
Riding in the south of Hamburg demands patience. The roads are busy with lorries going to and from the port, the Autobahn A7 is often jammed, and the tunnels have strict speed limits. The best option is to travel in the middle of the day or on a Sunday. Cobbled streets and tram rails are slippery in the wet.
Fuel and food are easy in Harburg and Seevetal, with a wide choice of stations, supermarkets and restaurants. Harburg's inner harbour has cafes in converted warehouses, and a coffee with a view of the water is a good end to the ride. In the evenings, the harbour lights come on, and the cranes glow against the sky.