chriswoody
Legendary Member
- Location
- Northern Germany
So Friday afternoon after he returned from school, on the spur of the moment, I asked my son if he fancied another bike trip. So Saturday morning after hastily packing we cycled down to the train station and took the Train to Uelzen to start a route I'd had in my mind for a little while now.
The train station itself is a relatively small provisional station, however, in 2000 it was renovated by the celebrated Austrian Architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hundertwasser deplored straight lines and the resultant station is an amazing work of art as well as a tourist attraction in it's own right. Sadly 20 years on it's looking a little shabby and in need of a spruce up.
After lingering for a while, we set forth through town and into a forest on the edge of town. Stopping at a bench to eat some lunch we noticed a series of cages and pens all around. Investigating we discovered a mini wildlife park open to all, containing Owls, Wild Boar and deer amongst others. We finally tore ourselves away and set forth on our adventure.
The trails through the forest were firm and fast flowing and we made good progress under the early Autumn sun, chatting and riding along. Several kilometres later the forest trails give way to small country roads bordered by small villages then back out into the open country side.
Fields are full of workers and tractors bringing in the Autumn harvest and a few times we are passed by large machinery.
For the most part we had been riding on good forest tracks, but from time to time the route turned wilder and the trail under our wheels much rougher, this proved hard work for my son, who laboured on tired legs not used to the effort involved. We rested often and took long snack breaks, often taking time to take it all in and enjoy the peace and solitude together.
The sheer variety of the route also helped stave off any frustrations, it was challenging, but interesting. One time we took a junction in the forest to suddenly arrive onto some elevated boards traversing over a small river and wetland. A challenging and enjoyable section of ride, we paused yet again to enjoy the small shelter and play around on the bridge.
All the while our route had been taking us steadily North, instead of Southwest and there was a deliberate reason for that. Bisecting our route was a large tract of land, strictly off-limits, a military ordnance testing ground. Understandably the exact boundaries of this had been a little hard to ascertain, so I'd been playing it safe and trying to head up and over it's Northern Boundary. I was stopped though by a large gate and sign that read: Explosives! Danger to life! Walking Forbidden!
Reading the many signs festooned around I soon determined that whilst the gates were open, it was permitted to cross the range on this track, just don't step off it, especially if you value your life! Certainly adds some variety to the ride. We crossed into the range and rode through forest at first, before emerging onto open Heathland where large concrete bunkers like giant Daleks peppered the landscape. It wasn't long before we were crossing through the boundary gates on the other side and back onto more welcoming public land. We were well and truly onto open heathland now and as the afternoon wore on we we grew more tired.
My son still didn't call for the magic bungee to be deployed though, and plodded stoically on, as early evening approached we crossed into the campsite that would be our home for the night. A couple of lone families were staying in the Holiday houses at the edge of the camp, but we were strangely the only ones actually camping on the site itself. We picked a spot next to the lake and popped our tent up, before enjoying a lovely meal on the stove as the sun went down on a lovely days adventure.
Overall 33.1 km and 186 metres of height gain.
The train station itself is a relatively small provisional station, however, in 2000 it was renovated by the celebrated Austrian Architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hundertwasser deplored straight lines and the resultant station is an amazing work of art as well as a tourist attraction in it's own right. Sadly 20 years on it's looking a little shabby and in need of a spruce up.
After lingering for a while, we set forth through town and into a forest on the edge of town. Stopping at a bench to eat some lunch we noticed a series of cages and pens all around. Investigating we discovered a mini wildlife park open to all, containing Owls, Wild Boar and deer amongst others. We finally tore ourselves away and set forth on our adventure.
The trails through the forest were firm and fast flowing and we made good progress under the early Autumn sun, chatting and riding along. Several kilometres later the forest trails give way to small country roads bordered by small villages then back out into the open country side.
Fields are full of workers and tractors bringing in the Autumn harvest and a few times we are passed by large machinery.
For the most part we had been riding on good forest tracks, but from time to time the route turned wilder and the trail under our wheels much rougher, this proved hard work for my son, who laboured on tired legs not used to the effort involved. We rested often and took long snack breaks, often taking time to take it all in and enjoy the peace and solitude together.
The sheer variety of the route also helped stave off any frustrations, it was challenging, but interesting. One time we took a junction in the forest to suddenly arrive onto some elevated boards traversing over a small river and wetland. A challenging and enjoyable section of ride, we paused yet again to enjoy the small shelter and play around on the bridge.
All the while our route had been taking us steadily North, instead of Southwest and there was a deliberate reason for that. Bisecting our route was a large tract of land, strictly off-limits, a military ordnance testing ground. Understandably the exact boundaries of this had been a little hard to ascertain, so I'd been playing it safe and trying to head up and over it's Northern Boundary. I was stopped though by a large gate and sign that read: Explosives! Danger to life! Walking Forbidden!
Reading the many signs festooned around I soon determined that whilst the gates were open, it was permitted to cross the range on this track, just don't step off it, especially if you value your life! Certainly adds some variety to the ride. We crossed into the range and rode through forest at first, before emerging onto open Heathland where large concrete bunkers like giant Daleks peppered the landscape. It wasn't long before we were crossing through the boundary gates on the other side and back onto more welcoming public land. We were well and truly onto open heathland now and as the afternoon wore on we we grew more tired.
My son still didn't call for the magic bungee to be deployed though, and plodded stoically on, as early evening approached we crossed into the campsite that would be our home for the night. A couple of lone families were staying in the Holiday houses at the edge of the camp, but we were strangely the only ones actually camping on the site itself. We picked a spot next to the lake and popped our tent up, before enjoying a lovely meal on the stove as the sun went down on a lovely days adventure.
Overall 33.1 km and 186 metres of height gain.
