MTCE Autumn Meeting 2017: Weser Hills / Germany

According to the legend, giants lived on the earth, who liked to play together, just as children do today. But unlike the children who build sandcastles nowadays, they dumped high mountains and valleys, and ran rivers and streams through pits. The giants also built the Harz mountains with its peak mountain, the legendary Brocken (chunk). For this they brought building blocks, sand, earth, and gravel from the North Sea with a wheelbarrow. The floor of the wheelbarrow was apparently not very dense and so they lost gravel, sand, and earth on their way. When they had finished the Brocken and the Harz, the Weser Hills had been created by the lost gravel.

True or not, the area was always a perfect source for legends and fairy tails. When you ride through the uncounted valleys and dense woods you will get an idea why. You will come trough medieval little towns that suffered more in the Thirty Years' War than in any other later age. The legends of that time still become reality when when you walk through the tiny alleyways. But the boom years were in the Renaissance what is testified by uncounted houses in a style whose name expresses the uniqueness: Weser-Renaissance.

The area had fallen asleep like Sleeping Beauty until bikers spotted its potential. They handled it as an insiders' tip for a long time since the area lies a little bit apart from the main routes. Meanwhile the locals managed to merchandise their unpolished diamond to bikers, bicyclists, hikers, and other active tourists. Hence all the fine roads through the beautiful landscape are paired all the amenities you need - optimum conditions for cruising on twisty roads through the hilly land with splendid view on the river Weser and the surrounding hills.

Our camp was the Gasthaus Johanning in Escherhausen. This tavern is well known for its hospitality and its delicious food for nearly 150 years and it already hosted a lot of biker groups, many of them repeatedly. It is perfectly located in the southern part of the Weser Hills near Uslar, a small town with beautiful half-timbered buildings next to Europe's biggest Gold Wing dealer.

Agenda:

Monday September 11^th, 2017:

 Arrival and relaxing

Tuesday September 12^th, 2017:   Hills, bends, and fairy tales

 A tour through the heart of the Weser Hills. Twisty roads to get dizzy.

Wednesday September 13^th, 2017:   Scarves of the division of Europe

 A tour to the former inner German border including a visit of a frontier museum at a former checkpoint.

Thursday September 14^th, 2017:   Having a bit on the side

 We are touring to the Brocken at the nearby Harz, enjoy the view from the summit, and might have a ride with the steam train.

Friday September 15^th, 2017:   Big waters and sunken settlements

 This tour will go to some dams with the chance to see some of the sunken villages (depending of the actual water level).

Saturday September 16^th, 2017:   Beer and technique

 Just a short trip to Einbeck, the town that is famous for its bock beer. Visit of the PS.Speicher (HP storage), the unique interactive museum for mobility on wheels.

Sunday September 17^th, 2017:

 Departure

For meeting photos refer to the forum meeting page.