Monastery Route: Old Land on the Elbe River Cycling Tour

A successful mix of cultural history and diverse landscapeOver 1,000 years ago, counts resided in Harsefeld and the town became a regional spiritual center through the Benedictine monastery. Excavations in the monastery park and finds in the Harsefeld Museum tell stories from that time. Through Bargstedt, one reaches the floodplains and the Frankenmoor. In Reith, an exhibition in the museum barn showcases many things about potatoes and rural life in the first half of the 20th century - visits by appointment only. A short section of the tour leads through the neighboring district of Rotenburg and runs from Kakerbeck on the old long-distance hiking trail Napoleonsweg. The Napoleon stone near Ottendorf shows the significance of the route, which pilgrims used on their way to Rome. Through Wangersen and Ahrenswohlde, the route continues to Ahlerstedt, passing by the regions typical brick church from 1865. Just beyond Ahlerstedt lies the very old forest area of Braken, which has been under the protection of the European flora-fauna-habitat directive since the year 2000 and through which the monastery route leads back to Harsefeld.Tip: Bring enough provisions for a picnic break during the tour.