Last exit Gebardshagen. Salzgitter, please do not take offence. I have almost been to every part of the town this summer. Today Gebardshagen was my last try to make peace with the cycle paths around the conglomerate of different towns. Well, I cannot transcend this feeling. I can truley recommend the Heerter See for a visit, that does not hold true for most of the many SZ-towns. Moreover most of the cycle paths are alongside at the street or are even on it. That is neither nice to see nor nice to drive. And today\u2019s trip to Gebardshagen was one of the more attractive ones. <\/p>\n
At the Heerter See<\/strong> From Timmerlah I cycle via SZ-Thiede to SZ-Dr\u00fctte and SZ-Immendorf. The trail is most of the time a country road, so that I do not have to drive on the street. From SZ-Immendorf I take the \u201eB\u00f6rde-Radweg\u201c to SZ-Heerte, I want to visit the lake over there. Having reach the parking lot a the lake I have to carry my bike up a couple of steep stairs. On top I am in for a surprise. The lake is not an ordinary swimming lake but a protected landscape. <\/p>\n Along the waterside I cylce to the lookout. A really nice place, quiet, close to nature, laid-back.<\/p>\n Die Wasserburg von Gebardshagen<\/strong> Return path via Oderwald and Wolfenb\u00fcttel<\/strong> The path from WF-Linde to the city centre of Wolfenb\u00fcttel is the only one that is signposted. From Wolfenb\u00fcttel I go to St\u00f6ckheim and the S\u00fcdsee back to my neighbourhood. Even though the way to SZ-Gebardshagen is quite okay, I do not think that I will miss Salzgitter too much in the next couple of weeks.<\/p>\n
\nI start at the Westpark in Braunschweig and follow the signposting to SZ-Thiede which leads me to Timmerlah. There is discover a sign on a house saying that this building used to be a \u201ePosth\u00fclfstelle\u201c (kind of post office). At this place drugs were being sold in the former days. However, we are not really talking about drugs here but rather a drugstore which is not quite the same.<\/p>\n
\nOnly 3.7 kilometres from SZ-Heerte is Gebardshagen. The town itself is dull, alone the moated castle is worth a visit. There is not much to see however. There are a couple of buildings and a kids-playground for knights belongs to the place. From the castle you can enjoy a nice view on the town. The most fascinating thing of Gebardshagen is however a picture on a wall belonging to a bar showing James Dean: Well, I think to myself, living here you must be a dreamer.<\/p>\n
\nI am on my way back. At SZ-Heerte I take a picture of the closed tavern \u201eZum T\u00f6nnchen\u201c. The name makes me smile. I wonder if the landlord became a \u201eT\u00f6nnchen\u201c by eating to much and thus does not fit through the door anymore? Who knows? From SZ-Heerte I cycle via SZ-Barum to WF-Linde. There I take a right turn into the Oderwald. <\/p>\n