On a 33 degree day, where most people just went to the beach, I started my day early to rent a bike and ride West. From Warnemünde I kept going until I got tired, past Kühlungsborn, all the way to a beach near Kägsdorf. I felt so happy, on top of the world. For a day, I was truly on holiday. I just kept going and even though my legs burned as I biked up a hill against the wind, nothing could stop me. It was the most satisfying day and I saw some beautiful highlights along the Baltic Sea.
The biking path
The bike route I did was mostly part of the E9 biking & walking trail that takes you from Lübeck to Ahlbeck over 400km along the Baltic Sea. Because it’s a popular area for walking and biking, it was easy to find signs for the bike route and the paths were nice to ride on. I really liked that it wasn’t all asphalt, but also some smaller paths out of reach for cars.
The Steilküste
From the bike trail you can’t really see the coast most of the time. Although you are right alongside it, the sea is hidden behind trees and dunes. After the initial few kilometers after Warnemünde and the forest, I rode alongside the Steilküste, an area with brittle cliffs. Although you can’t just walk down to the beach from anywhere, there are several access points with staircases that lead to the often small strips of pebbly beach. It was still early and the sun had yet to drive away the clouds, so there was a moody vibe here when I passed. Up on the cliffs, some bright flowers stood out against the blues and greys.
Kühlungsborn
If Warnemünde had surprised me, Kühlungsborn probably surprised me even more. It’s a very stretched out touristic town, with a long boulevard as I would expect it on the Mediterranean. The entire coast line was dotted with the typical white beach chairs, or Strandkorbe, you see along the Baltic Sea. There was a pier, a marina and many beautiful hotels that were housed in gorgeous mansions. There were souvenir shops and food stalls. Despite the many people I saw, it had a very relaxed vibe. So I parked my bike and took a walk on the boulevard.
Turning back
After Kühlungsborn I still had some energy in me and decided to ride a little further. But here the trail went a bit further away from the coast and started to include some serious hills. My legs were aching and I started to wonder why I was here. I had no clue what was out there, but was determined to at least reach a destination worth a break before heading back. So when I saw a sign with ‘beach’ in the town Kägsdorf, I followed it. Of course the road went downhill, so I enjoyed letting myself gain some speed, but at the same time having the conflicting knowledge that I would have to get back up again eventually. I had a little picnic. It was not too crowded, but the whole parking lot was full of campervans. I wasn’t sure if they were also staying overnight. It certainly felt like it! With some fuel in my belly I made it back over the hills towards the edge of Kühlungsborn, to a beach called Alte Buhnen. It was relatively quiet, so I managed a dip in the water and enjoyed the sun before my ride back.
Gespensterwald Nienhagen
One my way out I missed this beautiful forest, because the official bike route takes you away from the coast, via Rethwisch. Officially, the biking & walking path between Börgerende and Nienhagen is closed due to the unstable coastline. The path here is slightly elevated and there is a risk of land sliding back towards the sea. On my return I noticed pretty much everyone went onto the path anyway, so I followed. And I’m glad I did, as this provided one of the highlights of my day.
The Gespendsterwald, or ghost forest, consists of thin, tall oak and beech trees that give the area a mysterious atmosphere. The branches in the top reach to the sky as if they are long fingers, trying to grab the clouds. Because the trees are quite far apart, light still reaches the ground, which is covered with grass. There are some bike & walking trails in between. The forest is also higher than the beach, so from the edge of the forest you can sit on a bench and look out over the sea and the beach below.
Warnemünde
Warnemünde is a great, although touristy place to base yourself on the Baltic Sea. I stayed at a great and comfortable hostel, made out of shipping containers: Dock Inn. From there I could easily wander into town and towards the beach. The super friendly and relaxed people at Hygge Bike rented the bike to me. I had never considered a beach holiday in Germany, but on that hot day, it was just as great as places in France, Greece or Spain. The town has a nice vibe, with gorgeously renovated fisherman’s houses. Some have turned into hotels or B&Bs, whereas others house shops or restaurants. There are so many restaurants, but for a quick and tasty snack, you can also get something to go from one of the fish boats along Am Strom. Just beware of the evil from the sky. I’m not talking about any god, but the hungry seagulls that have discovered eating human food is much easier than diving for fish.
One day I had just managed to eat a tasty portion of kibbeling (deep fried fish nuggets), carefully protecting my food close to my body, suspiciously looking around for seagulls. I was pretty pleased when I finished it all without problems, although I ate it so fast the birds didn’t have time to swoop in. As dessert I opted for an ice cream from what seemed to be a super popular shop. A seagull was already sitting on the awning, waiting for someone to expose their cone. So again, I walked off, protecting my ice cream like my life depended on it. I walked all the way to the main boulevard, right along the beach. There I got distracted by a panda. Was it like a robot panda? Or was it a street artist in a suit? It was so hard to tell. *Smack!* What the heck just happened? I stood there flabbergasted, looking at my ice cream on the ground. A huge seagull had bitch-slapped me in the face with its wing, while knocking my ice cream cone out of my hand with its beak. After I’d realised what had just happened, I couldn’t move away fast enough. A little boy walked next to me, uttering it had happened to his grandpa as well. I just felt confused, somewhat violated and dirty, and I kept walking away from the scene until I found a bench further along. What the…!
After giving back my rented bike, I had a delicious early dinner. There were some big cruise ships getting ready for departure and many people were visiting the town, so I wanted to beat the dinner crowd. Then I strolled along the boulevard and onto the beach. Satisfied I sat down until the sun disappeared in the clouds on the horizon. The daily ferries were leaving Rostock. The cruise ships departed. People were swimming. Seagulls were scavenging for food. The beach slowly got calmer.
Hohe Düne & Markgrafenheide
The next day the weather was much chillier. There was a strong, fresh wind that sent chills down my spine. I took the little ferry over to Hohe Düne, on the other side of the water. I found it a bit bizarre. There was a fancy harbour, with seemingly brand new buildings, but it was eerily quiet. I walked along the long and windy dam that led to a small lighthouse and passed the seal research center. Then I took a bus to Markgrafenheide, where I passed a camping and crossed a bungalow park to get to the sea. Although the weather wasn’t inviting me for a swim, the area looked gorgeous, with perfect white sandy beaches, blue sky and a few clouds. There was a small path through the dunes, that offered lovely views of the sea, flowers and the beaches. But after a little walk I just got too chilly. It was time for a hot chai latte in Warnemünde, before taking a train back to Berlin.
Biking route on Komoot
