Travel report: On the Baltic Sea cycle path from Lübeck to Stralsund

Day 1: Arrival in Lübeck

I've barely left the station when it starts to rain. As the rain gets heavier and heavier, I take shelter under the canopy of a shop window. Fortunately, it is only a short shower. So I can soon continue my walk to the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. I receive a warm welcome there. The room is very nice. My bike is already waiting for me in the underground garage. After checking in, I can cycle into town and take a stroll. Lübeck is very beautiful and there are some lovely little stores. Unfortunately, the Buddenbrookhaus is currently being renovated. What a pity! But it's worth cycling along the Trave and enjoying the views of the city center. Cycling in the city itself is not so pleasant. You either have to slalom around the pedestrians, who push their way through the pedestrian zone in large numbers, or you are pushed to the side of the road by the cars, which is no fun on the very bumpy cobblestones. It is therefore advisable to park your bike at a central point and walk through the city center. Lübeck's city center still has some catching up to do in terms of bicycle friendliness and traffic turnaround.

Day 2: From Lübeck to Boltenhagen

The breakfast at the hotel is great and the view from the roof terrace is a dream. The weather is less fantastic this morning. I start the day in a light drizzle. The cycle path towards Boltenhagen is in very good condition and not to be missed. There are no gaps in the signposting, the only time I need a little help is when there is a detour from the actual cycle path through a residential area due to roadworks, but I quickly find my way back to the route. Unfortunately, this leads along a main road for quite a while. After the toll station for the Travetunnel, I immediately reach the bus shuttle as described. The bus actually arrives after a short wait, even though there are only two cyclists on board. There are two signposted routes to Travemünde on the other side of the Trave. I take the route through the forest recommended by the maps, which is really very beautiful. After a short, hilly section under trees, the route continues through meadows and fields until just before Travemünde. There you cycle through the pretty little town and follow the signs to the port. The ferry ride goes smoothly. The rain has now stopped and the sun occasionally breaks through the clouds. On the other side of the Trave, you can reach the Baltic Sea beach for the first time. Shortly after Travemünde, on the edge of the nature reserve, the beach is practically deserted due to the poor weather. Great!

The route continues through a hilly meadow landscape, sometimes with more and sometimes with less distance from the Baltic Sea. If you're expecting flat cycle paths, you'll have to adjust. It's a good thing I've booked a pedelec. This saves me from having to do what many other cyclists do along the way in the strong wind: push! After passing Groß Schwansee, I keep coming across beautiful rest areas with sea views. I have a picnic lunch at one of them. Shortly before Boltenhagen, there's another great view on the slope of the cliffs. I reach Boltenhagen in the afternoon. As the town is very crowded, I first drive to my accommodation, the old Redewisch manor house. I move into my room there and immediately realize that I will definitely not have any traffic noise this night. It is in a very idyllic location outside Boltenhagen, surrounded by meadows with cows and a few scattered houses. The house itself is furnished with old-fashioned charm and takes you back in time. The bicycle storage room is large and secure. After checking in, I go back into the town and explore Boltenhagen partly on foot, partly by bike and finally on the Carolinchen, a cute little tourist train that runs through the town at a leisurely pace and tells you a bit about Boltenhagen.

Day 3: From Boltenhagen to Wismar

Unfortunately, breakfast doesn't start until comparatively late, so I have to hurry a bit to get on the tour. In a gale-force wind, I cycle over the heights to Wohlenberg. The views of the Baltic Sea are fantastic, as the wind provides a clear view and the cloud formations are very photogenic. There is a lovely beach near Wohlenberg, but the weather is definitely not suitable for swimming. Instead, I plan a trip to the island of Poel for the same day. So I cycle straight to the harbor in Wismar, where I join a long queue for the ferry crossing. While waiting, I meet two other cyclists who are also traveling with Radweg-Reisen. You recognize each other immediately from their bikes. We get chatting and the one-hour ferry ride is very entertaining. We go our separate ways again on Poel. I cycle in the direction of Timmendorf. The beach there is very crowded and the small town is also packed with tourists. I have lunch in a small beach bar and then cycle on immediately. Unfortunately, the path towards Kaltenhof is very sandy and not recommended. I take a turn-off and cross the island to visit the show garden in Malchow. It is very small, hardly worthwhile and cannot be compared with the usual botanical gardens.

Day 4: From Wismar to Kühlungsborn

The wind has died down a little this morning. Early in the morning, I stroll through the quiet town center before the hustle and bustle begins. Then I have a delicious breakfast and I'm back in the saddle. The avenues offer wonderful views of the Baltic Sea. There are always branches on the cycle path from the storm the day before and I have to ride carefully. The route is very beautiful and I reach Kühlungsborn in the late morning. However, I am shocked to see so many tourists there. I take flight and cycle on to Heiligendamm. The cycle path along the coast could be a dream, but the amount of people means you have to cycle almost at walking pace, so unfortunately it's more of a nightmare. In Heiligendamm, the Molli railway is just arriving. That's a nice change of pace, of course. I turn off and take the cycle path to Bad Doberan. I cycle along the beautiful Lindenallee, which belongs to the cars, on an almost empty cycle path. Bad Doberan is delightful. Once again I come across the Molli, which simply runs through the middle of the town on the street like a streetcar elsewhere. Very charming. I have a delicious lunch in the white pavilion in the park. Afterwards, I visit the monastery church. That too is definitely worthwhile. I cycle back to Kühlungsborn along Lindenallee, but turn off before Heiligendamm and take a route through small villages and fields so that I can avoid the crowded cycle path along the beach. The room in the hotel is very nice, I even have a small terrace. You are greeted with a glass of sparkling wine or orange juice at reception. The only downside is that the annexe doesn't have its own bike storage area, so I have to lug my luggage from the main building a little way along the beach promenade. In the evening, I go to the pier for sunset. It's really busy there and everyone wants to take souvenir photos. But the evening atmosphere really is a dream.

Day 5: From Kühlungsborn to Dierhagen

I'm on the beach before breakfast, which is only two minutes from the hotel. It's absolutely quiet. I only share it with a few seagulls and I can really enjoy the morning atmosphere. Afterwards, I have a delicious breakfast at the hotel. As always, I'm back on the route very quickly afterwards. This early in the morning, the cycle path to Heiligendamm, which was completely overcrowded yesterday, is practically deserted and therefore great to ride. Sun and clouds alternate, and there's even a brief shower at one point, but it's already over before I decide to take off my rain trousers. It's very windy today too, almost stormy. Behind Heiligendamm there is a great cliff with one or two opportunities to climb down a flight of steps. The sea is whipped up this morning and the sky is full of ragged clouds. I turn off in Börgerende towards Rethwisch, as the map suggests, but you could just as easily continue parallel to the coast. Then you automatically come to the ghost forest. I had to turn left off the road before Nienhagen so as not to miss this very worthwhile detour, and unfortunately I didn't find the forest well signposted. Without an app on my phone, I probably wouldn't have found it, and that would have been a shame! It was very impressive and really spooky, especially in the stormy weather. I can only advise everyone to make this detour!

Day 6: From Dierhagen to Barth

I meet the two cyclists I met on the ferry in Wismar again at breakfast. Although I've already finished breakfast when they arrive, I sit down with them for a while and we share our travel experiences. Unfortunately, we almost realize that we have different accommodation for the last two days and will therefore probably not meet again. What a pity. As they don't want to start until later, I set off on my own and cycle along the quiet morning paths over the dam to Wustrow, where I stock up on provisions for the next few days, and on to Ahrenshoop. Unfortunately, the boatmen's church is closed. I continue to Born, which I think is the prettiest place on the peninsula. Here I can take a look inside the fishermen's church, which smells of old wood and looks a little gloomy and musty. The route through the nature reserve to Wieck is beautiful, but not too long. I continue to Prerow, where the cycle path is unfortunately poorly signposted and I have to search a bit. The car traffic in Prerow is also off-putting, so I decide not to stop for lunch and prefer to have a picnic somewhere on the beach. I drive past Zingst when I see that this town is also full of tourists. I prefer to cycle through the forest and back to the mainland. From Prachten onwards, the route is unfortunately not very pretty. Barth is not particularly worth seeing either. The church, which might have been worth a visit, is closed this afternoon. At least there is a very tasty ice cream in the ice cream parlor at the harbour. The hotel in the old warehouse is also really great and the staff here are exceptionally friendly and courteous. I have a delicious dinner there with a view of the harbor and from my room window I can also look directly down to the harbor and take great photos of the sunset and the lights on the harbor.

Day 7: From Barth to Stralsund

On this day too, I start with a morning walk before breakfast. Barth is still sleepy and the boats bob along in the morning sun at the harbor. The hotel restaurant serves breakfast with a view of the harbor. Super! 
The weather is great and finally a little warmer. The wind has also died down. This morning we cycle for a long time through a nature reserve. I cycle into the morning on very lonely paths and see lots of birds, including cranes. I take a long break on a small natural beach between Dabitz and Nisdorf and enjoy the peace and quiet, the morning sun and the view of the sea, which is completely calm today. The recommended route to the crane observation point near Bisdorf leads through the forest and over many roots and it is better to do it on foot and leave the bike at the entrance to the forest. I was able to see far more birds in other places that morning and didn't find the detour worthwhile. In Parow, you can already see Stralsund ahead of you. Contrary to what the map recommends, I cycle from Parow along the riverside path, which is very pretty and ends directly at Stralsund harbour, taking me straight to my accommodation. The room is already ready, even though it's only midday. So I can leave my luggage at the hotel and explore the city without a care in the world.

The view from the tower of St. Mary's Church is fantastic. However, the stairs and steps are very steep and the climb is not for people who are afraid of heights or not free from giddiness. At the top of the viewing platform, everything is open. This makes for great photos without a window or fence, but may scare some visitors. The view of the city and the harbor is truly unique. You can see how green Stralsund is. Of all the cities on the tour, I liked Stralsund the best. Although the traffic concept could be improved in some places, there are plenty of cycle paths and you can cycle around the city center along the lakes through the green areas. The old town is picturesque and many cafés and restaurants invite you to linger. The ice cream parlor offered huge scoops of ice cream, but compared to Barth or others, Stralsund's ice cream doesn't do so well. In the afternoon, I go on a harbor tour. This is also a great opportunity to experience Stralsund from a different perspective. Finally, I visit the Ozeaneum. Anyone interested in the wildlife of the North and Baltic Seas should not miss this museum. However, you need to plan some time, as it takes quite a long time to see everything on offer here. Just two highlights: Lying in a deckchair under the giant whale models as if you were in the middle of the sea yourself, listening to a calm lecture about the whales that seem to swim above you. Or meet the cute penguins that live above the rooftops of Stralsund. The many aquariums are also sure to fascinate children.

Day 8: Departure

As usual, I'm up very early this morning. I walk to the harbor first and take wonderful photos of the sunrise. I can also take undisturbed photos in the city in the morning. Breakfast - again with a view of the harbor - is delicious. Later, I take a leisurely walk to the train station. Immersed in the beautiful painting in the station concourse, I only notice later that my two cycling friends are also back. Before we board our unfortunately different trains home, we have half an hour together to talk about our tour. The time until the train departs passes quickly.

My conclusion:

A very nice tour with lots of great sections and very good hotels, all of which had secure bike parking except for the hotel in Stralsund. The route is mostly very well signposted and the paths are mostly in good condition. A few short sections were a bit bumpy over concrete slabs or gravel.

I would recommend the tour to anyone, but if you like it a bit quieter like me and don't necessarily want to go swimming, you should definitely avoid the high season. Even at the end of August, it's still pretty crowded in many places. It would certainly be much quieter and more pleasant in September or June.