Harburg was its own town for most of its history, and some residents still say so. Standing on the south bank of the Elbe, across the great river from Hamburg, it grew up as a Hanoverian and later Prussian harbour town, with its own castle, canal and industries, until the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937 swallowed it into the city. The old inner harbour has been reborn as a district of offices and cafes, and the technical university stands on a former industrial site. It is a rougher, more honest part of Hamburg than the lakeside villas of the north.
The industries tell the story. Rubber, oil mills, shipyards and chemical works lined the harbour for a century, and their chimneys and warehouses still give the waterfront an edge of grit. Behind the town, the Harburg Hills rise in a wooded ridge, and then the country opens out into the Lüneburg Heath, the great sandy plain of heather, juniper and birch that stretches south and east. The heath is at its best in August and September, when the heather blooms purple and bees, shepherds and hikers come out. The highest point, the Wilseder Berg, rises to 169 metres, and it is the highest point of the heath.
A ride towards the Harz starts with the practical business of getting out. The Elbe tunnel and the motorway interchanges south of Harburg are congested, especially at rush hour and on summer Fridays, and sorting out the lanes can be tricky. Once past Seevetal and Stelle, the roads open up, and the heath roads are straight, quiet and lined with old oaks and half-timbered farms, which makes for relaxed riding. Wind is the main danger, and sudden fog in the early morning is common in autumn.
Fuel is easy here, with several stations in Harburg and Seevetal, and the bakeries open early. A Franzbrötchen and a coffee from a harbour bakery is a good start, and a plate of Heidschnucken lamb, from the heath sheep, makes a good dinner later. Late summer is the best season, though spring and autumn are fine, and a day of heather and big skies is a good way to start a longer journey south.