Harburg is the part of Hamburg that most visitors never see, and that is its charm. It sits on the south bank of the Elbe, across the water from the centre, and for centuries it was a separate town in another state, a port, a manufacturing centre and a river crossing in its own right. Today it is a district of Hamburg with a university of technology, old warehouses converted into offices and an inner harbour with a mix of rusted cranes and new apartments. Beyond lies the Harburg Hills, a low wooded ridge, and then the heathland of Lower Saxony.
Riders who come back to Hamburg from the heath know the end of the day well. The roads from the Lüneburg Heath run north through pine woods and farmland and into the suburbs, and then come the Elbe bridges, with the vast container port spread out on either side, a steel landscape of gantry cranes, stacked boxes and ships that are bigger than any building you have ever seen. The Köhlbrand Bridge, a long cable-stayed span, carries traffic high above the harbour at night, and the lights below are an unexpected pleasure. The traffic is heavy at rush hour, so plan your return time.
Hamburg is Germany's second city and its biggest port, and the harbour has shaped its character for a thousand years. Merchants of the Hanseatic League made the city rich, and the title Free and Hanseatic City is still in its official name. The people are known for a dry, reserved humour and an indifference to weather, and there is a local saying that there is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes. A Fischbrötchen, a bread roll with pickled herring or smoked salmon, is the standard quick lunch.
Fuel is plentiful in Harburg and on the main roads in and out. Parking is tight in the centre, so look for garages on the edge. The best time to ride the heath is late summer, when the heather blooms purple, and the best time to see the port is at dusk, from the harbour promenade, when the lights come on and the ferries cross in the dark.