Wandsbek is the neighbourhood that most people never think of as a place, but it was once a town of its own, and a Danish one at that. Until the middle of the nineteenth century it belonged to the Danish crown, and a poet named Matthias Claudius lived here in the late eighteenth century, editing a newspaper called the Wandsbecker Bote and writing the evening song Der Mond ist aufgegangen, which every German schoolchild knows. Now the district is an anonymous sprawl of housing blocks and shopping streets, but the story is worth remembering as you ride in.
The point here lies at the north-eastern fringe, in the quiet housing estates between Farmsen-Berne and Sasel, where the city meets the fields. It is a landing strip for the end of a ride, a moment of calm after the lakes and hills of Holstein. The roads in these suburbs are quiet in the evening, lined with lime trees and detached houses, and the traffic is easy compared to the centre.
Coming home at the end of a day is a time to think about the road you rode. Holstein Switzerland is not high or wild, but it is full of small pleasures: a lake shining between the trees, a baroque castle, a village with a good bakery. The ride back often runs on straight roads through farmland with big skies, and the evening light, in late summer, is long and honey-coloured. Watch for deer at dusk, particularly where the road crosses woods or hedges.
Fuel is plentiful, because the suburbs are packed with stations and supermarkets, and the nearby districts have everything. A short ride south brings you to the centre of Hamburg, with its harbour and the big ships. If you have time left, head for the Alster, the lake in the middle of the city, and walk along its shore as the lights come on. The evening air smells of water and linden, and the city quiets down. A good place to end the day, whatever the weather.