Day 32 – Hannover to Wolfhagen Im Harz

50 miles (81 km) – Total so far: 1,895 miles (3,050 km)

I’m still not sure coming into Hannover was a good idea… In its favour was that the city is quiet in the summer months, seeing one big German city, and staying at a good hotel. Regarding the latter, there really isn’t that much difference to me, my evening clothes are beginning to show signs of wear, the same things each evening now for 33 days, and this limits the sort of place I can go without too many people staring. Against Hannover was the dreadful ride in, okay once in the city centre, but not fun in the wide outskirts, and city behaviour and crowds. To counter the ride out I got the train 20 kilometres. I was very near the station anyway, and it was cheap and very easy.

So I began riding today at Hildeshiem. The weather seems to have turned a corner and it was largely sunny all day, a real bonus. The other significant difference is that the riding is so much more entertaining in hills at least, even if not mountains. From Hildeshiem it’s a steady uphill without really noticing it, but at Bad Harzburg the elevation is 300 metres – the first time back at this height since just north of Kongsberg, 10 days ago. Bad Harzburg as the name suggests is a German spa town and full of mainly old tourists, lots of quaint cafes and restaurants and hotels with spa treatments and pools. I had plenty of time today, so took a leisurely lunch in one of the cafes. Unfortunately the traffic is heavy, as its busy tourist season, and the weather has improved. From here I rode that 15 kilometres or so to Goslar. The town is over a thousand years old and that history and the traditional square bring many tourists all year round. I headed out of town and found the Eurovelo 1, or Radweg as the Germans refer to cycle paths, and followed this. By mistake I climbed up to a dam and an artificial lake and was suddenly in the mountains and away from people. I spoke with a guy who had been running and he directed me through a series of mountain biking tracks to the direction I was headed. It was superb riding, even with my tyres and loaded bike. The track descended into Wolfhagen and I am currently sat outside a very pleasant Pension with a Dunkel beer and a room, in fact a suite of rooms with kitchen and living room, at 30 euros for the night.

Distance 50.3 miles Time left 11:00 am Time arrived 6:05 pm Time riding 4 hours 36 minutes Height gained 657 metres

Hotel in Hannover – great location in the city, and relatively quiet at this time of year

Shrewd move – by train out of the city

Lunch at Bad Harzburg – a spa town busy with elderly tourists, so I fitted in very well..

Unfavourable riding conditions in Goslar

For a while now on the main Eurovelo route 1

Up 100 metres just outside of Goslar to some great riding tracks

Back In The High Life Again – and enjoying it

Even a bit of single track

Down into Wolfhagen – a great afternoon, and a great place to stay

Note the witch on the roof. They have a big witch festival here to celebrate, or probably commemorate would be a better word, the Wurzburg witch trials in the first half of the 1600s. A strange thing to commemorate. 257 (mainly women and children) were found by the court to be witches and burnt at the stake having been beheaded first. At the time this was happening all over Germany, and especially in this area. Now the children dress up as witches in a type of pageant. I’m not sure though they are told the history or they probably wouldn’t sleep for many nights.