The Altes Land is a strip of fruit orchards along the south bank of the Elbe, just west of Hamburg, and Jork is its heart. It is the largest continuous fruit-growing area in northern Europe, and in late April and May the blossom is so thick that the whole landscape seems to be wrapped in white and pink. In autumn, the trees are heavy with apples, and roadside stalls sell them by the sack. The scent of blossom in spring, or of fallen fruit in autumn, is as strong as the fog off the river.
The land itself is a work of human ingenuity. In the twelfth century, Dutch settlers were invited by the Archbishop of Bremen to drain and cultivate the marshes, and they built a network of dykes, ditches, and canals that still shapes the countryside. The farmhouses, built in half-timbered style with decorative brickwork and elaborate gates, are some of the finest in northern Germany, and the long, narrow farm plots run from the river dyke to the back of the marsh. Boats once carried the fruit to Hamburg, and the old Este river is still lined with beautiful houses.
The riding is gentle and charming rather than exciting. The roads follow the dykes and ditches, with long straights, low bridges, and sudden right-angled bends, and the surface is mostly smooth, though patches and bumps exist. Traffic can be heavy in blossom season, when Hamburg residents flood out for the day, so early starts and weekdays are better. The narrow roads and unexpected turns demand attention, and cyclists are everywhere. In summer, the farm shops sell cherries and plums, and there are cafes in converted barns.
Jork is a proper town of twelve thousand people, with fuel, shops, and restaurants, and Hamburg is about thirty kilometres away. Guderhandviertel, a smaller village nearby, is quieter. Try a slice of apple cake and a glass of local cider, and take a few minutes to look at the farmhouses. Spring blossom is the main event, usually in the first half of May, and the September and October harvest is the second. Winter is quiet, and the Elbe fog can be heavy, but the villages are still pleasant.