Aller Valley and Südheide Easy Flow
A 145 km loop from Hannover north
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Why this ride
A breathable day for riders who want calm mileage and green roads. 145 km round from Isernhagen Farster Bauerschaft - plan on about 3 h of riding. On the way it passes Burgdorf, Celle river road, Bergen heath edge and Winsen Aller water stop. Much of it runs through woodland.
Roadbook
- Hannover north gate
start
Langenhagen, on Hannover's northern edge, is known for its airport, and the occasional rumble of jets overhead is a reminder that this is the city's door to the outside world. The district's flat suburbs, business parks and long, straight roads belong to the plain, but Hannover itself has more to offer than most visitors expect. Between 1714 and 1837 the rulers of this small German electorate were also kings of Great Britain, from George I onward, and the baroque gardens at Herrenhausen, once their summer residence, are among the grandest in Germany, with a spectacular fountain that shoots up to about seventy metres.
The city also has the philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who served the court and is commemorated by a famous biscuit named in his honour, and the New Town Hall, a huge building of 1913 with a dome and a model of the city in the lobby. Much of Hannover was destroyed in the Second World War, which explains its modern look, and the surviving old streets are a small fraction of the earlier town.
North of the city, the land opens into the Südheide, a region of pine forest, heath and sandy soils that stretches toward Celle. The roads here run between pines in long, easy lines, with gentle bends and an occasional dip over a stream, and in late summer the heather blooms in purple patches. This is quiet riding, good for relaxed days and for a rhythm without hurry. Surfaces are mostly good, with some patched sections, and deer and wild boar cross at dusk, which is a real hazard. Autumn mist and winter ice make the heathland roads treacherous in the early hours. May to September is best.
In the other direction, a long day takes you toward the Teutoburg Forest and the Externsteine, a group of tall sandstone pillars near Detmold that have been a sacred and mysterious place for centuries. Nearby stands the Hermannsdenkmal, a giant copper statue completed in 1875 to commemorate the Germanic leader Arminius, who defeated three Roman legions in the forest in AD 9. The ridge road along the Teutoburg is lovely, with curves through beech forest and wide views over the plain.
Fuel and services are abundant near the start, with Langenhagen and the surrounding suburbs offering stations, bakeries and supermarkets. Fill up before heading into the heath, where villages are small and stations are far apart. Check the speed limits, because Lower Saxony has many fixed cameras, and carry a layer for chilly mornings.
- Burgdorf fuel gate
fuel
Burgdorf is a town of around thirty thousand people in the flat country northeast of Hanover, on the sandy plain between Hanover and the Aller valley, and it serves as a useful gate for riders heading north into the Lüneburg and Südheide country. The landscape is open and agricultural, with fields of wheat, rape and sugar beet, and long, straight roads lined with trees. This is not mountain land, and the pleasures of the ride lie in rhythm, light and the quiet, unpressured miles.
The Aller itself is a slow, meandering river, running northwest to join the Weser, with marshy meadows and wooded banks that make good habitat for storks and herons. To the north lies Celle, an hour or so's ride, one of the best-preserved old towns in Germany, with more than four hundred half-timbered houses, a ducal castle and a handsome market square. The Südheide Nature Park beyond has heath, pine forest and sandy lanes, and in August and September the heather blooms purple. Near Wietze, a small German Oil Museum recalls that Germany's first oil boom happened here in the late nineteenth century, when wells in the heath produced a large share of the country's supply.
For a rider, the Aller valley and the Südheide give easy, gentle roads, with long sightlines, smooth surfaces and some rural bends. Hazards include tractors, farm traffic and deer at dawn and dusk. In spring and early summer the asparagus season brings farm stalls to every roadside, and local restaurants serve it with new potatoes, ham and butter. Crosswinds on the open stretches can be strong.
Burgdorf has all the services you would expect, with several fuel stations on the main roads, supermarkets and bakeries, and a pleasant old town centre. Fill up before you leave, since the countryside beyond has fewer stations and many close early on Sundays. Grab a coffee, enjoy the town and settle into the long, easy rhythm of the north German plain.
- Celle river road
swim
Celle is among the best-preserved old towns in Germany, and a stop here is rarely wasted. More than four hundred half-timbered houses stand in the old centre, many of them with carved beams and painted inscriptions, and the streets, unlike in many German towns, escaped the wartime bombing. On a sunny afternoon, the market square, the ducal castle, and the cobbled lanes make a very pleasant place to wander.
The castle was the seat of the Welf dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg for centuries, and it has a Baroque theatre, one of the oldest in Europe still in use. It was also the place of exile for Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark, banished here in 1772 after a scandal at the Copenhagen court, who died in Celle three years later at the age of twenty-three. The town also has a famous stud, where Hanoverian horses are bred, and its stallion parade each autumn draws large crowds. The Aller river flows through the town, and canals and boat trips on the water add to the charm.
For a rider, the river roads along the Aller are a gentle pleasure. Flat, quiet, and tree-lined, they follow the river past meadows, small villages, and farm stalls. The surface is generally good, with the occasional bump, and the bends are open and easy. A swim in the river is possible in summer at certain spots, though the current can be strong, and signs should be read carefully. Traffic in the old town is heavy at weekends, with one-way streets and busy car parks, so use the parking on the edge and walk in.
Celle is a town of seventy thousand, so fuel, food, and anything else you need are close at hand. Adelheidsdorf, a smaller village about seven kilometres away, has limited services. The cafes on the squares are a good place for a long lunch, and the asparagus season in spring, with local white asparagus served with ham and potatoes, is a regional treat. Spring and autumn are the best times, with mild weather and fewer crowds, and winter brings frost and a quiet beauty.
- Bergen heath edge
photo
Bergen sits on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath, where the sandy, open heather country meets the pine forests and the farmland of the Aller valley, and it is a quiet town with a heavy history on its doorstep. A few kilometres to the north-west lies the memorial at Bergen-Belsen, where a Nazi concentration camp stood, and where tens of thousands of people died, among them Anne Frank and her sister Margot, in early 1945. The site is a place of remembrance, with a documentation centre and a large cemetery, and many visitors come to pay their respects. It is a sobering place and deserves time and quiet.
The country around the town is also home to a large military training area, one of the biggest in Germany, which has had the unintended effect of preserving large areas of heath from development. Access to the training grounds is restricted, but the roads and tracks around the edges pass through some beautiful scenery: heather, juniper, birch, and pine, with wide skies and few houses. Hermannsburg, a village a few kilometres to the south-west, was the seat of a Lutheran mission society, founded in the nineteenth century, that sent missionaries to Africa and elsewhere.
The riding is calm and pleasant. The roads are mostly flat, with long straights and open bends, running between pine plantations and fields, and the surface is generally good. The heath is best in late summer, when the heather blooms, and in autumn, when the birch leaves turn gold. Traffic is light, though weekends in August can bring cyclists, walkers, and tourists. Watch for military vehicles on some roads, and for deer and wild boar at dusk. Sand can drift across the surface after dry, windy days.
Fuel, supermarkets, and cafes are available in Bergen, and Hermannsburg is a smaller place, about nine kilometres away, with a few places to eat. If you have time, visit the memorial first, and then take a break at a cafe in town. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with fresh air and soft light, and winters are cold and grey, with frost and sometimes snow. Bring a rain layer, since the weather can change quickly in the flat country, and take care on sandy side roads.
- Winsen Aller water stop
swim
The Aller is a slow, brown, unhurried river that crosses the flat country between the Lüneburg Heath and Hanover, and Winsen is one of the small towns that has grown up on its banks. The surroundings are the sandy lowlands of Lower Saxony, with pine plantations, maize fields, and the long, level horizon that makes the sky feel enormous. It is not a place of drama, and it does not pretend to be, but there is something satisfying about a town where the river is the best part of the afternoon.
The Aller has shaped life here for centuries. It once carried goods between the heath and the Weser, and its meadows flood in wet seasons, which is why the settlements stand on slightly higher ground. The river banks are lined with willows and alder, and in summer there are quiet spots where a rider can sit in the shade with a drink and watch the current. Herons and kingfishers are common, and cyclists on the Aller cycle path pass at regular intervals.
For a motorcyclist, Winsen is a calm, easy stop. The roads in the area are flat, with long straights and gentle bends, and the surface is generally good, with a few patches. It is a landscape that suits a relaxed ride, with farm shops selling asparagus in spring and potatoes in autumn. Traffic is light, apart from tractors and the odd lorry, and speed limits in villages are strictly observed. After rain, the river road can have puddles and mud, and in autumn, mist hangs on the water in the early morning.
The town has fuel, a supermarket, bakeries, and a few cafes, and Wietze, about six kilometres away, is a smaller neighbour with its own services. Swimming in the river is possible in some places in summer, though the water is brown and the current can be stronger than it looks, so look for signed spots and take advice. A picnic by the water is a pleasant alternative. Late spring and early autumn are the best times, with mild air and soft light, and in winter the river can freeze at the edges.
- Wietze coffee return
food
Wietze is a village with a surprising secret: it was once one of the most important oil fields in Europe. Oil was found seeping from the ground here in the nineteenth century, and by 1859 drilling had begun, among the earliest in the world. In the early twentieth century the field was one of the largest in Germany, with derricks crowding the heath, and for decades the oil that came from Wietze helped to fuel a growing industrial nation. By the middle of the century the wells were running dry, and the derricks were gone, but the village remembers.
The German Oil Museum, set on the old oil field, tells the story, with preserved derricks, pumps, and machinery, and a historic drilling rig that can be climbed. Wooden derricks stand in the trees, and the ground around still holds the shape of old pits. For anyone with a fondness for engines and old machines, it is a fascinating place, and even a quick look from the road is worth the detour. The site also shows the human side of the boom: the cramped lodgings, the long hours, and the dangers of the work.
The riding around Wietze is gentle and quiet. The Aller flows beside the village, and the flat roads follow the river through meadows and pine woods, with long straights and easy bends. The surface is generally good, and traffic is light. Sandy side roads can be loose, especially after dry spells, and in autumn, leaves and mud can make the surface slippery. It is the sort of country in which an hour goes by without a car, and the main event is the smell of pine resin and warm sand.
For a coffee return, Wietze has a bakery, a couple of cafes, and a supermarket, and the fuel station on the main road is convenient. Winsen, about six kilometres away, is the larger neighbour with more choice. The museum has seasonal opening hours, so check before you go, and bring a rain layer, because the weather is changeable. The best seasons are spring and autumn, and a late-afternoon stop in the warm light is a pleasant end to a day on the flat roads of the Aller valley.
- Back to Hannover
finish
North of Hannover, near Langenhagen and Isernhagen, the city turns into a district of villas, horse paddocks and big gardens, and the sky fills with the sound of aircraft. Hannover Airport lies in Langenhagen, and the approach and departure paths pass low over the roads. The suburban landscape is flat, tidy and a little anonymous, but after a long day among hills and forests, it is exactly what is needed for a gentle landing.
The ride that finishes here has explored two different ranges. The Ith and Hils are narrow limestone ridges, running north-west to south-east between the Leine and Weser, with beech forests, cliffs and viewpoints, and a number of steep, winding roads that rise in tight bends. The Ith has a long ridge-top track where climbers practise on the limestone crags, and the road beneath it is an enjoyable run through villages. The Leinebergland is a gentle rolling country of woods, valleys and farms, with roads that rise and fall continuously.
The other half of the route lies to the north, in the Harburger Berge and the Lüneburg Heath, an area of sandy hills, pine woods and open heather that glows purple in late August and September. The Harburg hills, just south of Hamburg, are a gentle forested ridge, and the Lüneburg Heath is among the best-known landscapes in northern Germany, with flocks of heather sheep, called Heidschnucken, grazing the moors.
At the edge of Hannover, riding is straightforward but busy. The roads around the airport are wide and fast, there are speed cameras, and traffic is heavy at rush hour. The city's inner streets have tram tracks, and cobbles in the old town can be slippery when wet. A little patience goes a long way.
Fuel and food are very easy, with a wide choice of stations, supermarkets and restaurants in Langenhagen and Isernhagen. Many bakeries open early, and cafes are open late. Hannover is known for its lack of fuss, and a plain meal of Schnitzel or fish, with a glass of the local Herrenhäuser beer, is the right way to end a ride.