Müden (Örtze) is a small heath village in Lower Saxony, set where the Wietze and Örtze rivers meet on the southern edge of the Lüneburg Heath. It is quiet, old-fashioned, and best approached as a walking base rather than a town of big sights.
The village has enough substance to reward a spare day if you like gentle landscapes. St. Laurentius Church gives the centre a medieval anchor, Wietzer Berg opens into heathland and views over the Örtze valley, and the local wildlife park is an easy family stop in the woods.
Müden is at its best from late summer into early autumn, when the heath is in bloom and the light is low over the sandy paths. It is not dramatic country, but it is very northern German: brick, timber, birch, heather, sheep, and water moving slowly through the village.