Northern Germany is less known for altitude, but for water; the Orbit360 Venus Valley however has more than enough of both to offer.

From the Elbe-Lübeck Canal in the north of the Orbit, the route first leads past the lakes in Mölln and then through the Hellbach Valley and along the Kolonnenweg, the former inner-German border, towards the Elbe river. Along the Elbe levee the route easily rolls to Geesthach, until you find yourself in front of a giant sandbox, the Besenhorster Sandberge. Here, pushing your bike is the only option!

Not far from here are the Elbsandwiesen and, right in the middle, the ruins of the Pulverfabrik Düneberg; until the end of 1945, powder for weapons and rockets were produced there. After that, the route continues through the Elbmarsch along the Norderelbe to Hamburg, the western point of the course.

Time to head north again! Now it gets greener: Through the green district of Bergedorf, which calls itself the “Garden of Hamburg”, we head towards Sachsenwald and the Hahnheide nature reserve. Here, in 1938, an armament factory was almost established – but fortunately, the municipality won the battle, and now the area is under nature protection. Pure monocultures were converted piece by piece into near-natural forests, which makes it now one of the highlights of the tour.

Just before the end of your Orbit is the Hevenbruch. Copper beeches, oaks and ash trees are home here. They live a peaceful life here – but they are fine with some Orbiters passing by.

Incidentally, your Orbit’s namesakes are a residential district in the Indian city of Jalandhar, a beauty salon in Dubai, and a trotting mare from Austria. Our Orbit is similarly dazzling, sprinkled with a great deal of fun. And sometimes, you stumble across history.