The Steinhuder Meer is the largest lake in Lower Saxony, and it is a curious one. It is about thirty square kilometres in area but very shallow, no more than three metres or so in most places, and that gives it a warm, brownish water and a character more like a vast pond than an alpine lake. The shore is low and reedy, with sandy beaches in some places, woods and meadows behind, and the whole place feels relaxed, a favourite for Hanoverians who want to sail, swim, or eat fish in the sun.
In the middle of the lake lies a small artificial island, Wilhelmstein, a fortress built in the 1760s by Count Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe. The count was a military innovator, and he established a military school on the island, where Gerhard von Scharnhorst, later a leading Prussian army reformer, studied. The fortress can be reached by boat, and its circular walls and small buildings are a charming and slightly absurd place to visit. The village of Steinhude, on the southern shore, has a harbour and a lakeside promenade, with half-timbered houses and fishing nets drying.
The speciality is smoked eel, caught in the lake and smoked in small smokehouses in the village. It is rich, oily, and delicious on dark bread, and a few stands and cafes sell it along the waterfront. Whitefish and pike-perch are also on the menu, and the cake in the cafes is substantial. The lake is also a bird reserve, with a large wetland on the western side that attracts migrating ducks, geese, and waders.
For a rider, it is a place for a gentle stop: parking near the harbour, an hour or two on the shore, and an ice cream or a fish roll in the sun. The roads around it are flat and quiet, with long straights and gentle bends, and the surface is generally good. Fuel is available in Wunstorf, about seven kilometres away, and in Hagenburg, a smaller place nearby. Weekends in summer are crowded, with day-trippers from Hanover, so go early or on a weekday. Swimming is possible from the beaches, and the water is shallow and warm, though it can be murky.