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| So flat, you might be able to see the earth's curvature |
There's one good reason why the Weser Cycle Route is one of the
most popular in Germany. It's flat.
- So flat you could easily cover the 500-odd kilometres with a
single gear fixed wheel.
- So flat you feel as if you can see the curvature of the earth.
Are those distant trees really so stunted?
- So flat, that after a glance at the altitude, you hope there
won't be a descent. You are already below sea level.
- So flat, that in 80km, you will record no more than 35m of
altitude difference
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| Pedalling among huge wheatfields |
However being flat, it also has other qualities. It can be a bit boring in parts.
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| Riding at this altitude, you don't want any descents |
Starting out from Hann.Munden where the rivers Werra and Fulda
merge to form the Weser, there are indeed a couple of minor hills. After that,
drop into a cruising gear and forget about changing for a few days.
Heading north, the towns and villages along the way feature
wonky, ancient timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets like something out of
a fairy tale. And indeed they might be, as the brothers Grimm came from here
and the Weser Is plagued by nasty witches, hungry wolves and cats in boots.
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| Hann. Munden - something out of a fairy tale |
The river writhes it's way along the flat valley floor and on
each side there are distant tree-covered hills. It is very pretty in a pastoral
way that Constable would have been happy to paint.
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| The upper Weser is gently pastoral |
Your pedalling rhythm need only be interrupted by a ferry
crossing in one of a series of historic-looking craft that increase in size as
the river widens.
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| Waiting for the ferry at Polle |
Once past Porta Westfalia and Minden, it's not only flat, it's
extremely flat. The architecture changes to brooding, low-walled red brick
homes with huge, low-hanging roofs. The meadows and wheat fields become vast
expanses of sugar beet. There is a fair chance that the prevailing offshore
winds, uninterrupted by the terrain will be slowing you down.
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| Bremen |
Bremen's ancient centre and the major port of Bremerhaven are
welcome breaks in the rural idyll before the final bid for the North Sea at
Cuxhaven.
The route could hardly be better signposted - you could follow it
without a map. There's a wonderful variety of surfaces from the silky new
asphalt trails, to evil, screw-loosening cobbles and lots of brick paving (why do they go to all that trouble?).
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| Excellent signposting, if you are alert, you can't get lost |
A few questions remain:
- Is it better to start in the north with a tailwind and head
towards the pretty bits?
- Why do at least half the cyclists along a totally flat trail,
ride e-bikes?
- Why is everyone going the other way saying "moin"? (It
turns out this is a local greeting to be used at any time of day).
- Why grow so much sugar beet? (Apparently an area 4m x 4m provides
the average annual sugar consumption per head).
- And why is this route so popular? There are prettier rides by
far.
Whatever, it's a good, gentle warm up to the summer touring
season.
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| There are plenty of villages and towns with lovely old buildings |
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| Bremerhaven - and the museum ship |
