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Travel report: North Sea feeling on two wheels
From our guests Gaby and Bernhard
Sheep on the North Sea cycle path
Our guests Gaby and Bernhard were out and about on the North Sea coast in early summer 2022. Their 10-day tour took them from Esbjerg in Denmark to the Hanseatic city of Hamburg on the Elbe, with plenty of headwinds, countless sheep on and around the dykes and the odd culinary treat.
Show more Show lessOur daughter took us on our bikes in sunny weather to Esbjerg, where she wanted to spend her vacation in the area. We received a very warm welcome at Hotel Britannia, the hotel is very central, the long shopping street starts around the corner, and there are also numerous cafés and restaurants.
As we arrived on a public holiday and the stores were closed, we visited the beach, where the sculpture "Man by the Sea" can be found above. These nine-meter-high figures are a must-see if you are in Esbjerg.
Sculpture group "Man by the Sea", Esbjerg
The next morning, despite the very gusty wind and forecast rain, we took the ferry to Fanø and became "beach sailors" on our bikes: with a strong tailwind, we whizzed down the island at 25 km/h over the hard sandy beach without having to pedal, just holding on to the steering wheel and off we went.
After a long section, we then turned off into the interior of the island along the panoramic cycle path, where we explored the beautiful island through the forest and dunes, sheltered from the wind; the last section back up along the Wadden Sea side then had to be tackled with a headwind.
On the beach on the island of Fanø
In Nordby, we enjoyed the flair of the pretty little town before taking the ferry back.
After a heavy shower, we headed along the dyke to Ribe, the oldest town in Denmark, sheltered from the wind. A great town with a very quaint, old hotel (Hotel Dagmar), where everything is just askew. When you walk through the hotel, you think you're drunk, everything is so crooked. Unfortunately it was very chilly due to the wind, otherwise you can sit outside around the cathedral square when the weather is nice.
In Ribe
We continued along the dyke sheltered from the wind in very windy weather, but then came the horror: in a 100% strong headwind over the nine-kilometer-long causeway to Rømø, a tough and not entirely safe ride alongside the cars despite the e-bikes.
In Lakolk, after a little shopping spree, we treated ourselves to the world's best crab sandwich I've ever eaten, which probably only the Danes can make. It was too cold for us to try the fantastic ice cream variations, but I would recommend it to others who have better weather. We know it from other Denmark vacations. The rest of the afternoon and the drive to our hotel in Havneby was unfortunately spoiled by rain. You couldn't ride your bike right up to the water's edge on the beach in the strong wind, otherwise you'd get sandblasted. What a shame! At our Hotel Havneby Kro, we were given an entire apartment for the night, where we made ourselves comfortable after a very tasty dinner.
In Lakolk, island of Rømø
Port of Husum
On the island of Sylt
Westerheversand lighthouse
The next morning we took the ferry to Sylt with a lot of wind. However, the sun shone all day and, protected by the dunes, it was a lovely ride from List to Westerland. There we decided to rent a beach chair and enjoy the sun there, sheltered from the wind, before taking the Sylt Shuttle over to Niebüll in the late afternoon to a very new and nice hotel (Hotel Landhafen).
The next day was cloudy again, but finally not so windy! The route led via Dagebüll, the gateway to the islands of Amrum and Föhr, on to the Hamburg Hallig. It feels like you're at the end of the world there. There is even a café at this end and I was surprised at how crowded it was. Then we took a detour via Nordstrand to Husum, always accompanied by about a million sheep and great views of the Wadden Sea. You literally melt into this world heritage site. At some point, you give up trying to avoid all the sheep poo. In Husum, the sun was shining again and we were able to eat outside for the first time, albeit with a jacket, and enjoy the ambiance at the harbor.
Day five took us along the North Sea and the sheep in very nice weather to Westerhever, where we made a short stop at the famous lighthouse. Visits there are only possible with a guide. We drove on to St. Peter-Ording and spent a wonderful and sometimes warmer afternoon on the beautiful beach, just enjoying it! Totally super! In the evening we took the train to Tönning, a pretty little town with a picturesque harbor, also well worth seeing. This day was one of the best for us.
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Beach of St. Peter-Ording
From Tönning, we went past the Eidersperrwerk to Büsum, a very lively, pretty town. However, the grassy beach there was not to our taste after the beautiful beaches of Sylt and St. Peter-Ording. You had to pay a lot for the Büsum crab sandwich. We continued along the last stretch of the North Sea, turning inland at Meldorf harbor. You continue to Meldorf, also a nice town with a cathedral, which we used for a coffee break on the cathedral square. The day's destination is St. Michaelisdonn, where the dog is buried. You can eat quite well in the hotel, otherwise there's really nothing else! A full fridge awaits you in your room, quite good in this wasteland. Tip: Stay in Büsum for as long as you like, checking in in St. Michaelisdonn in the evening is perfectly sufficient and is possible digitally around the clock. The hotel is very modern in this respect, I tried opening the hotel and room door with my smartphone for the first time. Works great! Excellent breakfast buffet!
We went to Brunsbüttel to the Kiel Canal in cold and wet weather. As it was so uncomfortable, we booked a guided tour of the locks, as the sun was due to come out later. I can only strongly advise against the guided tour of the locks, you are taken into a room and given a PowerPoint presentation, we had imagined a guided tour to be different! I can recommend the fish cart near the tourist information office, where we ate super tasty and fresh fish sandwiches. The sun came out and we took a leisurely drive along the Elbe to beautiful Glückstadt. Shortly before, there is a sign for a café behind the dyke, highly recommended, really pretty and cozy! In Glückstadt, we spent the night in another old hotel (Hotel Anno 1617), a feel-good hotel with great attention to detail on a market square where you can sit outside. The harbor is a great place to stroll in the evening.
Show more Show lessOur last stage along the Elbe towards Hamburg takes us past Elbe beaches and, of course, lots of sheep all the way to the center of Hamburg. It is a great experience to cycle past the harbor, Landungsbrücken and Elbphilharmonie concert hall into the beautiful city.
We spent another night in Hamburg and explored the Hanseatic city on foot the next day. Unfortunately, we had a hotel in Wilhelmsburg, which we didn't really like. Previously we had only had nice accommodation. But you could get into the city quickly with the S-Bahn and the nice weather and the beautiful city made up for everything.
The journey home by train with our bikes and suitcases still ended reasonably punctually, typical of Deutsche Bahn (compartment clearance due to faulty air conditioning, delay).
Port in Glückstadt
Conclusion:
It was our first bike trip with an e-bike, we had previously cycled other cycle routes using muscle power. Without the e-bike, the tour would have been a challenge in places due to the wind. However, everything was easy to manage and we saw a lot on the 534 kilometers.
The tour was well organized, the luggage transfer went smoothly and the hotels were excellent. It was helpful to download the tour data beforehand, so we were guided perfectly from hotel to hotel. Unfortunately, it was very cold and windy up on the islands, but overall we had lots of sunshine. The cycle tour is very varied with islands, the North Sea coast and beautiful places and a great North Sea experience.
At the port of Hamburg
