Everyone knows the story, and Hameln has not tried to hide it. According to the legend, in 1284 the town was overrun by rats, and a stranger in colourful clothes offered to rid it of them in return for payment. He played his pipe, the rats followed him into the Weser and drowned, and the town refused to pay. So he played again, and this time the town's children followed him out of the gate and were never seen again. The Brothers Grimm wrote it down, Robert Browning wrote a poem, and the Pied Piper became one of the best-known figures in European folklore. The historical record does record some tragedy in 1284, though what actually happened is still a mystery.
The town deals with it cheerfully. Rat motifs decorate bakeries and shops, a rat-catcher's house with a carved front stands in a street that is closed to music, and on summer Sundays actors perform the tale in front of the Hochzeitshaus, the old wedding house. Apart from the legend, Hameln is a fine example of Weser Renaissance architecture, with ornate gabled houses of stone and timber, richly carved, standing along the main streets and lanes. The town lies on the Weser river, which has carried goods and people through the region for centuries, and the old centre is a pleasant place for a walk.
For the rider, Hameln is the practical kind of stop. It has about fifty-eight thousand people, so fuel, groceries, and repair services are all available, and cafés on the old town squares are well suited to a long coffee break. The countryside around is gentle hill land, with the roads leading toward the Lippe hills and the Harz mountains winding through woods, villages and fields. The surface is generally good, with some bumpy patches, and traffic can be heavy in town at midday. Weekends in summer bring tourists and cyclists on the river path.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with fresh green or golden colour in the hills, and clear air. Summer is warm, with the occasional thunderstorm. Try the local sausage and potato dishes in the old town, and leave time for a stroll along the Weser embankment in the evening, when the light turns the river gold.