Of Baroque, stud work and the Weser cycle path
The first bicycle tour of the year is always something special. There is the spring-like breezing in our face on the one hand. On the other hand we enjoy the early bloomer and the delicate green around us. The feeling of freedom, the first warm sun beams on our face and just to enjoy life as it is: flowing like water, just like the river next to us: the Weser. This feeling is unbeatable to me. Here comes my plea: don’t mess too much with the news. Release yourself from the daily worries, get on your bike and ride it alongside the river Weser.
First day: Between Holzminden and Bad Karlshafen
On our first day we drive by car with our bikes and luggage to our cosy accommodation, the „Landhaus Sollingshöhe“. I take a look onto the menu because we booked half-board. I cannot trust my eyes when I see that they offer my favourite dish: dumplings with mushroom sauce! What a start!
After our check-in we drive by car to Holzminden. From here we want to cycle towards Hannoversch Münden. It is still quite chilly on the bike but after a while we get out of our clothes, it is going to be a really nice spring day. And right in front of us we come across the first highlight: the cloister of Corvey.
Cloister Corvey
This is our first stopp. The former Benedictine cloistr is located at the gates of Höxter. Unfortunately the church, the actual highlight, is closed for today. That’s a pitty but gives us more time on the bike. We move on to Höxter. Meanwhile we left Lower Saxony and arrived at North Rhine-Westpahlia. Regrettably Höxter with its half-timbered houses is crowded on this Saturday. Therefore we decide to move on. We are looking for a coffee stop, prefered close to the water and in a cosy surrounding.
The beautiful port of Bad Karlshafen
Shortly before Beverungen we leave the Weser cycle path and ride towards the Landhotel Weserblick that offers a terrace. This is our beer, coffee and french fries stop. After the break we move on to Beverungen and from there to Bad Karlshafen. The harbour is worth a visit.
Marina border triangle
At Bad Karlshafen we choose the bridge crossing the Weser and reach the marina border triangle. It’s amazing: we started in Lower Saxony this morning, drove to North Rhine Westphalia and have reached Hessen at Bad Karlshafen and now we are back in Lower Saxony. What a journey! This experience needs another drink. We stop at the „Gasthaus Eulenkrug“. On a meadow we spot a donkey. The animal known as stubborn draws our attention to it because of its confidingness. The fenced area is close to one of the guest tables. It’s only logical that the donkey peers again and again onto the plates.
Owl luck
We get a table directly in the sun with a view onto the water. Awesome. To mark the occasion I order a Aperol Spritz. Lying on a wooden bench I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. Simply wonderful. Unfortunately we are running out of time, it will be dark quite soon.
Back on our bikes we are on our return path. With a last ounce of strength and the last daylight we reach our car. We drive back to Silberborn where a perfect three course menu awaits us. The icing on the cake at the end of the day.
Second day: Between Polle and Bodenwerder
The second day starts the same as the first one: with bright sunshine. That makes it much easier for us to get up quite early. Moreover, breakfast is calling for us! While enjoying our goodies the sky gets overcast. No problem. Quickly we change our plans and drive at first to Fürstenberg and visit the namesake Fürstenberger porcelain factory.
We move enthusiastically between the high-quality coffee- and dinnerware. Time passes by quickly this way and suddenly the sun comes out again. Now then we drive to the waterside and rush into the next adventure. This time we start at Polle. The idea is to go by ferry boat to the other side of the river. However the ferry does not run yet. Therefore we have to cross the hills around us to reach Bodenwerder.
Locals tell us that the way through the hills is steep and stressful. We ask what they mean by „stressful“. They estimated the difference in altitude by 250 which is practicable to us.
High above the Rühler Schweiz
From Polle we cycle to Bevörde. That’s an easy ride. We go on to Grave, this is where the hilly part starts. Right behind the city limits there is a quite steep ascend to the highland. We drive towards Ottenstein and then turn right via the Mühlenberg, passing by a former stone mill and the „Senator Meyer memorial“ until we reach Rühle.
Visiting the baron of Münchhausen
We hit the Weser cycle path again and ride to Bodenwerder. Right at the outskirts of town we come across a familiar face, the guy with the white pony tale sitting on a flying cannonball. Whom we are talking about? Well you know, its Baron Münchhausen. He is supposed to be born in this place.
We take a good look around the place and come across something that really fits the current situation in the Ukraine: a memorial by the Moscovite foundation „Dialogue of cultures – common world“. Sounds meanwhile like mockery due to the horrible occurances in the Ukraine. But still the monument seems to remind us that a different and peaceful way is possible.
Directly at the Weser we sit down for some coffee and food. Afterwards we cycle towards Hehlen. We intend to take the next bridge over the Weser to cycle back alongside the other side of the river.
Return at castle Hehlen
At Hehlen we discover the namesake castle. The really nice compound with its spacious park is in private hands. Joe Six-Pack can sit at the „Schloss Wirtschaft“ and take advantage of the wonderful terrace with a view onto the Weser. It is a wonderful place but unfortunately we just had our lunchbreak. Tough luck. Therefore we move on and start our return path via Bevern back to Holzminden. Back at our accommodiation we spoil ourselves with another perfect meal.
