Nice weather again this weekend \u2013 it\u2019s almost getting a bit boring \ud83d\ude42 Joking aside, I\u2019m back at my \u201ccountry seat\u201d in Lengde. A very good starting point to stretch our legs before dinner in the Harz. Today our path leads to a hiking parking lot near the Radau Waterfall, the hiking parking lot at Taternbruch. Our hike should take us to the Eckertal Dam. On the way back we\u2019ll go via the Molkenhaus and past the Winterberg Cliff to the waterfall.<\/p>\n
From the hiking parking lot we walk toward Radau and pass a sulfur spring. Then we cross a bridge, and it gets steep. We take a very nice but quite steep path uphill. Because of the warm outside temperatures, we start to sweat buckets. After quite a while, big swigs of water and deep breaths, we finally reach an asphalt road that leads us to the Luisenbank. From there we continue to Eckertal Dam and are surprised. I haven\u2019t been here in a while, and I must say the scenery has changed quite a bit. It almost looks like vacation homes, though they\u2019re probably not. Maybe association houses? We cross Eckertal Dam once and take a short rest on the other side.<\/p>\n
From cliff to cliff<\/strong> With the MTB on the Seesen Village Circuit The Nette Source near Herrhausen<\/strong> Through the Lower Saxony Tuscany<\/strong> To the Peace Wish in Ildehausen<\/strong> Burguine Wohlenstein and Obelisk Monument<\/strong> We hope a bit that the ascent to the castle ruin was the last challenge. Well, not quite. First we go to Max and Moritz, i.e., to the memorials around the poet Wilhelm Busch. In Mechtshausen the stamp location is right in front of the Wilhelm Busch Museum. It\u2019s just as well that we don\u2019t yet know what trick the next stretch of the route has in store for us. I can only say that the streets of San Francisco (which I only know from the eponymous crime series) have nothing on these roads \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Rh\u00fcden and Bornhausen<\/strong>
\nOn the return trip we pass a beautiful old waterworks that is truly idyllic. From there we descend into the Cold Valley and walk along the Braunschweiger Way (a meadow) finally to the Molkenhaus. There we would have liked to have another drink, but unfortunately the inn had just opened its doors three minutes earlier:-(. So we take the return route via the Winterberg, past the Rudolfs- and Winterberg cliffs back to the parking lot. In switchbacks the cliffs are fairly steep to return. And then we\u2019re back at the lovely Radau \u2013 a really nice after-work round!<\/p>\n
\nSaturday morning, best weather: clear air, max 27 degrees. What shall we do today? I consult the internet and find Seesen. Our choice falls on the \u201cSeesen Village Circuit.\u201d Even the title already piques our interest. Then I also read that we can collect stamps along the way. As a die-hard stamp collector, I\u2019m of course instantly hooked \ud83d\ude42 So we mount our steel horses and race to the tour\u2019s starting point on Poststra\u00dfe in Seesen.<\/p>\n
\nAlong farm tracks (partly asphalted) we ascend fairly steep to the first stamp location: the \u201cnice source\u201d (Nettequelle) near Herrhausen. I must admit, we\u2019re really surprised by what a beautiful spot this is. What a great start to this about 50 km mountain bike tour. By the way, the description says the tour is also suitable for other bicycle models. I would personally advise against that, as many paths are gravel; wide tires and a sturdy bike are very helpful \ud83d\ude42 We stay on pleasant forest and woodland paths and head for the Pendelbach Hut near M\u00fcnchehof. Here we already collect our second stamp and quickly snap a photo with our mascot Luigi.<\/p>\n
\nAt the shelter at the Pendelbach we discover a sign pointing to the monks\u2019 water crafts. 200 meters further there should be something to see. We take the small detour, but quickly realize that apart from an information panel there\u2019s nothing to discover. We continue toward Kirchberg, our next destination. We pass through the so-called \u201cLower Saxony Tuscany,\u201d and yes, it\u2019s really beautiful here. It feels a bit like vacation. This quiet, wonderful. The village of Kirchberg itself also enchants us a little with its beautiful dairy pond and the former manor. A woman with two small children feeds the ducks on the pond and thus completes our picture of the perfect idyll. Not at all easy to pull away.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA little peace, a little dreaming,\u201d we recall the Eurovision hit by Nicole and yes, a little peace is something we could all use right now. So, off to Ildehausen, where the next stamp awaits at \u201cZum Friedenswunsch.\u201d Here we only make a short stop and dash on to Engelade. Here we come across a historic monument, the former Rosenliebsche factory with an interesting story. The former industrial complex is a historic spinning mill and weaving mill as well as a local monument. On the grounds stood in the medieval and earlier Copper Hut \u201cCasa Cichencove,\u201d before Wilhelm Roselieb founded the operation in 1869. And today, yes today the imposing building is a stamp location.<\/p>\n
\nWe continue to the next village: Bilderlahe. Bilderlahe is mainly known to us for the good restaurant \u201cZur Linde.\u201d The stamp location \u201cThree Limes\u201d hadn\u2019t actually caught my attention before. After the village center, it\u2019s again strenuous. We do the detour to the Wohlenstein Castle ruin. We pass the Obelisk Monument and then it gets really steep. That is, the smallest gear on the MTB and full assist. At the top we treat ourselves to a short rest and a drink. There isn\u2019t much left to see of the castle. Only something like a former tower rises into the sky.<\/p>\n
\nThe stamp locations in Rh\u00fcden and Bornhausen are our last stops. We learn that the stamp site in Rh\u00fcden lies on the Ambergau Cycle Route. And that\u2019s crazy\u2014it\u2019s a cycling route between Wolfshagen and Rh\u00fcden, where there are six more stamps to collect. Amazing, that\u2019s a lot to look forward to. Well, but we\u2019ll do that another time. We start the final leg and head for Bornhausen. There we collect the last stamp before returning to Seesen. I must say we really enjoyed the round. We were very surprised by how much there was to see along the way and how beautiful the Seesen area is. Highly recommended!<\/p>\n