Rehburg-Loccum lies on the north edge of the Rehburg hills, a modest ridge of wooded sandstone that rises from the flat plain west of Hannover, and for riders from the city it is the nearest thing to a mountain. The hills are not high by any measure, but they are covered in beech and oak, and the roads that cross them climb and twist in a way the plain never does, with a sense of enclosure and a welcome shade in summer.
The town takes its second name from Loccum, a Cistercian monastery founded in the twelfth century that remains one of the best-preserved medieval abbeys in northern Germany. After the Reformation it became a Protestant institution and is still a centre of the Lutheran church, with a seminary for pastors. The brick church, its plain Romanesque and early Gothic lines, and the cloister with its stone vaults are open to visitors, and the quiet of the place is striking. The monks' old fishponds and farms still shape the landscape around it.
Rehburg itself is a small spa, with a spring and a park, and it has a gentle, old-fashioned air. The hills above are criss-crossed by walking paths, and the views from the ridge reach over the plain toward the Steinhuder Meer, the large shallow lake a short distance to the east. On clear days the water gleams between the trees.
The roads are a mix of smooth and patched, with moderate bends, and the traffic is local, with some weekend riders from Hannover. The climbs are short and the descents open, so the ride feels like a pleasant exercise rather than a challenge. Wet leaves in autumn can be slippery on the shaded bends, and in winter ice may linger in the hollows.
The town has nearly eleven thousand people, so fuel, shops and cafes are easily found. Cafes near the monastery serve coffee and cake, and the grounds are a pleasant place to rest. Spring, when the beech leaves emerge a vivid green, and autumn, when they turn copper, are the best times for the ride.