Straubing lies a little to the northeast, and this stop sits in the great grain country around it, the Gäuboden. It is some of the most fertile land in Bavaria, a broad plain between the Danube and the Bavarian Forest covered in deep loess soil laid down by wind in the ice age, and the locals call it the breadbasket of the state. The villages of Leiblfing, Mengkofen and Geiselhöring each have a church with an onion dome and a ring of large farms. In summer the fields stand tall and golden, and the whole area smells of dust and warm straw.
For riders, this is a place of long straight roads and wide horizons. The land is flat, with scarcely a bend, and the surface is good, so progress is easy but a little monotonous. The most important thing is to watch the wind and the farm traffic: tractors with wide trailers appear without warning, and in harvest season the roads can be littered with chaff. Visibility is good, and you can see a long way ahead, but patience is a virtue.
Geiselhöring is the largest place nearby, with nearly seven thousand people, a railway station and the usual shops, bakeries and fuel stations. Mengkofen, a bit smaller, also has services, and Leiblfing, though tiny, has an inn. For a more substantial stop, Straubing, with its handsome old town and tall city tower, is only a short ride away, and every August hosts the Gäubodenfest, one of the biggest folk festivals in Bavaria.
The swim marker suggests a quiet lake or river bank nearby, and the Danube and Isar both lie within a few kilometres, along with a number of gravel pit lakes that have become local bathing spots. Be careful of currents on the rivers and ask a local about safe places. On a hot afternoon, a dip and a nap in the shade of an alder are an excellent way to end a day on the plain.