We took such a long time deciding where to go - North? South? Foreign? Domestic? Inland? Seaside? So many options and so much to consider, but in the end, weather was a deciding factor - though of course that didn't matter at all in the end!!
We'd had such random super hot spells here in our Germany that the seacoast was very appealing and later in the summer when most of the school holidays are over is a way better choice, so: Baltic Sea coast and late August.
On balance it was a good choice. Warmer would have been nicer, but it was pleasant enough and it wasn't HOT. That would have been UNpleasant!
The day before we left was a bit hectic since the book club was meeting here and Werner had to leave for a few hours because the Deutsche Bahn had cancelled a train or two and we needed seats re-booked (!!), but it all worked out. We got our usual croissant and coffee at the main station in Bremen and the new connections were problem-free: Bremen - Hannover - Berlin - Anklam, all on ICE trains. There was plenty of time to change trains in Berlin so we could once again admire the main station. It's really cool. The trip took about 6 hours, about what we'd have needed to drive.
Anklam is also a Hansestadt like Bremen! Our hotel was just at the edge of the old shopping district, and has an interesting history. It is a former "Warmbad," a place for the locals to go and get a warm bath - soap and water to get cleaned up or a medical treatment for rheumatism and such! It operated from about 1890 to 1960.
We got our bikes but had to find a shop for some final adjustments, then made ourselves ready for the next day...
Day 1 Anklam to Karlshagen (58.7K, avg 15,7/hour, 3:43 ride time)
Before leaving Anklam we visited the local church, St. Marien. Quite impressive for a rather small town! It was founded in 1296 and lived through several catastrophes including fires and bombings.
This is the sole remaining city gate from 1250 in the brick Gothic style.
A quick stop at the bakery for lunch sandwiches and off we go.
A topless windmill on the way out of town.
It's Germany, but this is the former eastern states (GDR), the ones that were affiliated with and run by the Soviet Union after the war, and the infrastructure is still quite different than in the former DDR. But I forget, to my dismay. Much of the way today is teeth-rattling - asphalt that is nothing but patches, concrete plates laid directly on the dirt with lots of holes in them so the rain water can run through and you bounce A LOT and have to concentrate. Sometimes there are worn paths beside the bumply roads, but that navigation is a bit tricky, too.
Also, still lots of buildings outside of the cities (inside, too, actually) that have never been painted. It used to be entirely gray/brown/beige here, and there are reminders everywhere.
But we're near the Sea and it is always, always great to be near bodies of water. Our first glimpse of what I thought was the Baltic, but then it didn't seem right and we looked more carefully at the map and found we'd missed a turn. Not the first, not the last! It was a 6K error!
OK. Lunch time. We got to Wolgast, our target for a lunch break. Somehow, benches are hard to come by, but you can always depend on finding one at a church. And we did. Isn't it lovely?
And behind us, part of the original wall around the city. Really, the Danes, the Swedes, the Russians were forever invading and taking over! Walls didn't really help so much, I guess.
But they had an exhibit of local artists as well and a table of hand-made goodies for sale. And I found a treasure!! Hand spun wool made into hand-knitted warm winter socks! Before we headed off, a little ice cream and coffee polished off the lunch break.
We crossed the River Peene to the island of Usedom over the drawbridge called the "Blaue Wunder" (Blue Wonder) in part because it is just so BIG.
We found our hotel, cleaned up, ate in house (it's just easy and we're tired!) and got ready for the next day...
Day 2 Karlshagen to Heringsdorf (yes, that means herring village)
33.7K, average 13.8, 2:26 ride time
First stop - beach!! sand!! We walked a bit in the water (cold!!)
It was a pretty day, partly cloudy. Not many people were in the water and you have to go a long, long way out to get above your ankles.
Germans are known to love their fences and hedges and such - even at the beach. Here's a couple setting up their "space" in all that open space. Weird.
At almost all beaches in Germany, you have to pay a "Kur" tax - a fee to go on the beach at all. Every day. We used to always get them at the hotel; now there are little machines at the boardwalk. Easy!
The old hotels and homes are pretty for sure....
And you never know what kind of entertainment you'll run across.
Some of the coast line is quite cliff-y.
I didn't take pictures of the camping places, but they are everywhere! It is so popular all over Europe - camping. There are little trailers and RV's (no monsters like in the US - there's just no room!) and lots and lots of tents of all sizes, families with little kids and young people travelling together.
The wooded areas are really interesting - so close to the beach but not beachy. They're managed, and you run across stacks of timber ageing as well as lots of heather and blueberry shrubs.
Our hotel was well away from the fancy places on the beach promenade, kinda shabby but comfy and friendly.
Day 3: Herringsdorf - Bansin - Ahlbeck - Swinemünde (Świnoujście, Poland)
19K , average 12.2, 1:33 ride time.
Options today were a 30K inland tour or a restful relaxing day along the beaches. Well, what to do, what to do?? OK, beach.
We bought postcards and sent them off, walked out on the pier in Ahlbeck, found the piper again, had ice cream for lunch, walked in the sand some more, watched little kids dig holes and castles. We had a vacay from our vacay.
Then, to Poland. It is a different country! The earlier border is now called the "Green Border " - just an open space that used to be "no-mans land." It is amazing that it changes immediately when you cross that imaginary line....
We got to Swinemünde and decided that Sunday must be the day everyone is required or compelled to walk along the Promenade and buy food from stands and balloons and generally, well, promenade around. Poland is in the EU but has not joined the monetary union, so if the vendors don't take bank cards, you need Zlotys. We were careful to ask before ordering!
Our hotel is a HUGE complex of hotel. spa, rehab center, private apartments and public venues. Very cool. And we get TWO nights here! So great to sleep in tomorrow.
Dinner tonight is the buffet - simple but ample. Needless to say, there were plenty of sausages.
Day 4 - Świnoujście to Międzyzdroje and back
33.9K, 13 avg, 2:36 ride time
Breakfast was quite a spread that even included Griebenschmalz, one of those traditional foods that give you a heart attack if you look at it (lard with bits of crispy pork rind). Then off to the free ferry and cross the river to bike through the forest to Międzyzdroje, another beach resort, There was an option for a longer tour, but... well, you know. Again, the trails were trials - sand, horrid gravel, sand, horrid concrete plates with thousands of holes to bounce into and out of. Really, you can hardly appreciate what is around you because if you take your eyes off the road, you're going to end up ON the road! But the heather was blooming and the sun was shining and I was really surprised at the number of bikers on the trail!
Unexpectedly, we got to a rather large intersection where there were some cars parked and even a bus (!) that drove by! What! Well, there's a little museum there, an old underground bunker complex you can visit. Underground. One hour guided tour. Underground. Thanks, but no thanks. Just standing in the entrance to the bunker made me sweat.
Approaching Międzyzdroje, we were again right next to the coastline with lovely views.
In Międzyzdroje there were more charming holiday homes and hotels, lots of tacky beach booths, food, drinks, and music.
We had a lunch break and then girded our loins for the ride back over the same terrain. Actually, it wasn't as awful since in wasn't a surprise, but nevertheless, a challenge getting back. And a bit of bad luck: rain started just as we were approaching the ferry landing and we went immediately to where other bikers were huddled under a canopy. We thought they were waiting for the ferry, so we joined them. Big boo-boo. They were waiting for the rain to stop so they could continue their trips. Meanwhile the ferry was at another slip and left us just as we figured out what was going on! Oh well, a 30-mminute delay getting back.
We've had several nice encounters with others underway. Our little ferry trip put us with a man (Polish, who spoke excellent German) who was also on a bike tour. He'd made some of the same longer tours in Germany that we had, and gave us some tips on tours we'd not made. High on the list: the Netherlands!! Great riding trails, he said. We'll remember that!!
Day 5: Świnoujście to Anklam
50K, 15.6 avg, 3:11 ride time
Just 5K after leaving the hotel, we are back in Germany, crossing a non-descript little bridge with only poles on either side in the national colors.
At first the day is sunny and noticeably cooler with easy riding on good roads, but it soon falls into the nasty concrete plates. Ouch and ow. We're both wearing our rain jackets over our fleece!
We seem to have to check the maps a lot today, though it also seems we're getting a sense of when the path seems not quite right.
There's a Schloss ("castle," but this is really just a glorified manor house) along the way and, lucky us, we arrive just in time to rush into the restaurant before the skies open up! It was a little more fancy than we'd thought, but we weren't the only bikers in there, sitting on the plush purple chairs with white linen on the tables. We had soup and a sample of local specialties which just hit the spot.
Off again, through the woods and again - a downpour!! Yow!! And more luck - we were right at a covered picnic table to get some shelter. Another biker joined us very quickly and we commiserated with each other till the rain slacked off.
Windy, windy, windy!! Gusts that were gale-like and again, concentration was essential.
There was a last ferry to take, and the way took us by the collapsed bridge that the ferry has replaced - but only foot and bike traffic!
Back to our original hotel for the last night and naturally, a cobblestone path so we wouldn't forget how much we have had our teeth rattled on this trip.
We were done with restaurants so went to the local grocery in Anklam and bought a big salad and some bread and called it dinner.
The End.
TOTAL: 195.3K A rather shorter tour compared to all the others. We are NOT interested in doing it again, though of course we had a great time!!
All the trains back were on time and comfy and we were home for a cozy dinner. Already thinking about the next trip.... Someone suggested the Netherlands have the most amazing comfortable bike routes....
