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Your tips for Baltic region?

I'm likely arriving in Europe next Summer ten(ish) days before my family flies into Frankfurt. Of course to ride my bicycle from place to place!

I've spent a lot of time in the south and along major river routes, but haven't been to areas north of Berlin, and don't know much about it.

What are the place one might want to visit in the far north of Germany? Towns, cities, sea coasts, islands, forests, lake areas, river and canal rides, agricultural areas, major and minor sights, surfing centers? Local foods/drink not to miss? I'm open to a varied itinerary as long as I can safely ride a bicycle from one place to the next.

What is the topography like up there? I'm guessing fairly flat. Windy? What are the people like?

I've spend probably 6 months traveling solo in Germany, and very much like it, but do sometimes wish there was more casual surface friendliness like in France, Netherlands, etc. I totally get this is a me thing, not a them thing (so save the lecture please). But curious if average compared to Bavaria (for instance) the less smiley culture is stronger, weaker, or same up there. Again, not criticizing, just want to know what the culture is generally like in that aspect of affect so I can be mentally prepared to adapt to local culture. I can get lonely riding alone for days and shallow as it might be a cheery French shopkeeper or chatty Italian waiter can lift my spirits more than one might think. But again a me problem not them; just want to know what to expect.

I don't know where I'll arrive yet. Have a bead on a very cheap ff miles flight to Frankfurt, so maybe there then train to wherever. Or maybe fly to Berlin and ride out of Berlin? Or Copenhagen and head south until time runs out? Hamburg and then ride northeast? Which routing in the broad sense might have the most charming and interest riding days, not monotonous topographically and a lot of following freeways and riding through industry? What are those big lakes north of Berlin? They good? What about the Spreeland area? Is that worth a roll through?

So yeah, anyway, my info request is broad and exploratory (my usual forum MO). I learn a lot that I wouldn't pick up from Google and guidebooks from hearing wide and varied responses. So all comers appreciated!

Would like to book a flight pretty soon - many good ones available in the miles ticket world right now, but of course that changes fast.

Vielen dank!

Posted by
570 posts

Hank, i would recommend you check out Insel Rügen and Greifswald which is a bit south. In 2016 I was so wishing I had a bicycle, even a rented one.
Editing to add, after noticing your mention of surfing. I watched the Kite surfers quite often.. There seems to be a fair amount of that in the area.

Posted by
1958 posts

Googled those, both look really cool, thanks!

Posted by
196 posts

With the Bike from Travemünde near Lübeck to Boltenhagen to Wismar 67 km and further on along the Baltic Sea
A wonderful bicycle trail called the Ostseeradweg

Recommendation a stop in Schloss Groß Schwansee on the way 10km from Travemünde

another point:

With "The lakes north of Berlin" you probably mean the Müritz Nationalpark and the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (Lake District)
WE stayed in Plau am See and did a daylong Boattour from one lake to the other to Waren/Müritz and back

Posted by
1958 posts

With the Bike from Travemünde near Lübeck to Boltenhagen to Wismar 67
km and further on along the Baltic Sea A wonderful bicycle trail
called the Ostseeradweg

Recommendation a stop in Schloss Groß Schwansee on the way 10km from
Travemünde

another point:

With "The lakes north of Berlin" you probably mean the Müritz
Nationalpark and the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (Lake District) WE
stayed in Plau am See and did a daylong Boattour from one lake to the
other to Waren/Müritz and back

Thanks very much for this info. Ostseeradweg goes a long way! I'll need to mix in some choice sections.

Posted by
639 posts

Two areas that are stunning are the Elbtalaue and the North Sea coast / Wilster Marsch.

St. Peter-Ording is almost a must. It's REALLY amazing.

The stretch from St. Margarethen to Glückstadt to Hamburg on a bike is a not long, but very pretty and could make a great final stretch before catching a train to meet family, and Glückstadt is a charming town, as is Wedel. Lots of biking along dikes.

Other towns that are fun include Wilster and Wacken / Schenefeld. The town of Schleswig is great, and a visit to Haithabu might be a fun side trip. Or the Plön area down to Scharbeutz or the caves of Bad Segeberg.

The Altes Land area is amazing--Estebrügge, Jork and even over to Stade. Those towns are great, and it's biking country.

Further east, you can visit the Pilsumer Lighthouse near the town of Aurich, and a personal favourite and absolute undiscovered gem in Greetsiel. You aren't far from Bremen, which is amazing.

Along or near the Baltic are amazing towns--Wismar, Schwerin, Stralsund, Greifswald.

The Lüneburger Heath is beautiful.

The scenery around the Mecklenburgische Elbtalaue is STUNNING--Bleckede to Dannenberg to Lüchow. And it is VERY rural. Those are mostly back road areas (or have those as options). There are sites and castles all over, though not the medieval tower types. Ones nobody has heard of such as Schloss Breitenburg between Itzehoe and Lägerdorf can still be visited (not sure what types of pre-registration is needed as it is still a residence as well).

**That should give you more than one good jumping off point! SO MUCH to see and do here, especially by bike, and it is all beautiful.

You can fly in and out of Berlin or Hamburg as good bases for such a trip. Yes, it's a lot of flat--but not at all monotonous, and you can follow rural roads and back roads through most of it. And yes, especially along the water wind is your constant companion.

People aren't smiley, greet-a-stranger types, but they are highly hospitable if you stop and ask for help or directions or want to get food. And while in the north we are not typically chatty--our greeting is a single syllable because everything else is too long-winded--you can engage people well enough. Especially if you are biking through!

Posted by
1958 posts

HowlinMad this is absolute gold, thank you so much for taking the time! Really, just awesomeness :)

Posted by
196 posts

Yes Lüneburger Heide (heath) is worth a trip also with a bike.

Go for the area around Bispingen and Schneverdingen

We spent a week in a little village called Oberhaverbeck at a farm in a Holiday Home
you an also stop at their Farm Cafe for a cup of coffe and a piece of cake
and another time on our way to the Baltic for a stopover at Hotels like Haverbeckhof and Hof Tütsberg.

You can do daytrip through the heath to a village called Wilsede by bike or horse carriage

Another nice spot we spent time in a Holiday Home is the mentioned Elbtalaue with Elbe Cycle Route here near Dömitz
Good area for biking
Places to stay might be the Hotel Alter Hof am Elbdeich or the Hotel Alte Fischerkate

Would not go there in the next weeks, flooding is expected because of heavy rain in the Czech Republic Wait and see

Another place to stay at the Baltic is definetaly Rügen Island and the Island of Hiddensee off the west coast of Rügen

We stayed a week on Hiddensee and explore the island with the bike and hike at Hotel Godewind in Vitte (good food and nice pub)
but there are many Hotels B+Bs and Holiday Homes on the Island as well as cafes and restaurants
No cars on the Island except the E-Schoolbus and the Firebrigade and Police

Posted by
560 posts

Hank here you will find for sure inspiration :-)

Along the German Baltic Coast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02X2g8_7UeI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wajZjd6QCBI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYo6KV1MLRw

The first 33 minutes are about Fischland-Darß-Zingst, where I love to spend my vacations in the village Ahrenshoop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfpUr0IlgSc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-OdNeLSVXo

I'm not taking photos in all my vacations to Mecklenburg Western Pomerania but maybe you will find inspiration here as well:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calabrones/albums/72157666105580044/

Have a nice trip Hank

Best regards
Mignon

Posted by
8134 posts

I've spend probably 6 months traveling solo in Germany, and very much like it, but do sometimes wish there was more casual surface friendliness like in France, Netherlands, etc..

Just a thought, Hank, but I've been to Germany twice. The first time I felt like you, in that there was not a lot of that "casual surface friendliness" I had found in other countries. But the second time I went (in 2022), I was fairly conversant in German. Not wholly fluent by any means, but I had been studying it for several years and could carry on simple conversations. I found many more Germans willing to talk to me when I was sitting in cafes or just out and about. There could have been other reasons for the shift, of course, but I do think that knowing the language a bit goes a long way.

Posted by
15005 posts

Good to see your post, Mignon.

That "casual friendly, smiley surface friendliness" might not be as evident as one might have a great chance of encountering in the Netherlands.

I like it in the North, my exposure to Germany the very first time took place in the North, and have no problems engaging in conversations if "they" are willing to do so too, be it in Kiel, Lüneburg, etc.

Posted by
1958 posts

Thanks everyone for more feedback, appreciated.