Hermannsburg is a surprise in the middle of the heath, a village with a missionary history that stretches all the way to southern Africa. In the middle of the nineteenth century a local pastor named Ludwig Harms founded a mission here that trained and sent out farmer-missionaries, and over the following decades the Hermannsburg Mission sent hundreds of workers to Africa and India. Places in South Africa were named after the village, and a few of them still carry it, which is a strange thing to come across in a quiet corner of Lower Saxony. A museum and a large church recall the story.
The heath around the village is in the Südheide Nature Park, a landscape of pine, heather, juniper and birch, with sandy soil and slow rivers. It is less visited than the more famous northern heath around Wilsede, and for that reason it is a quieter place. Roads here run mostly straight, but they bend a little around old farms and woodland, and they have a smooth, easy character that suits a relaxed ride. Traffic is light on weekdays, and the main risks are farm vehicles, deer and the occasional patch of sand blown across the tarmac.
The Örtze river flows through the village, clear and shallow, and a stroll along it is pleasant after a spell in the saddle. In late summer, the heath blooms and the air smells of honey. Sheep graze in the open areas, helping to keep the heather from being overtaken by trees, and you may see a shepherd with a dog moving a flock along a lane. The timber houses, with their thatched or tiled roofs and old oak beams, are often decorated with carved horse heads on the gable.
For services, Hermannsburg has about eight thousand people, which means fuel stations, supermarkets, bakeries and a few restaurants, so it is a good stop. Try the heath lamb or the buckwheat cakes at a local inn. The roads toward Müden and Bergen are among the nicest in the area, and you can combine the three places in a loop of an hour or two. Early morning or late afternoon, when the low sun sets the heather glowing, is the time to be out.