Between the coast and the plains

Baltic Coast from Lubeck to Stralsund

Tour Description: Guided

You will start this varied journey in the beautiful historic Old Town of Lübeck, Queen of the Hanseatic League. Many names will follow that you will reach by ship or bike, including Travemünde, Hanseatic city of Wismar, which definitely counts to one of the most beautiful of Mecklenburg, Vorpommern, the artists‘ colony Ahrenshoop and the "Vorpommerische Boddenlandschaft" Nature Park. 

Visit the four-masted barque "Passat" (year of construction 1911) on the way, stroll along the Warnow, where old fishing boats and big yachts land and observe without ruffle cranes and grey geese. You will do this and more as you cycling along Germany's Baltic Coast. 

Tour Description: Self-guided

You will start this varied journey in the beautiful historic Old Town of Lübeck, Queen of the Hanseatic League. Many names will follow that you will reach by ship or bike, including Travemünde, Hanseatic city of Wismar, which definitely counts to one of the most beautiful of Mecklenburg, Vorpommern, the artists‘ colony Ahrenshoop and the "Vorpommerische Boddenlandschaft" Nature Park. 

Visit the four-masted barque "Passat" (year of construction 1911) on the way, stroll along the Warnow, where old fishing boats and big yachts land and observe without ruffle cranes and grey geese. You will do this and more as you cycling along Germany's Baltic Coast. 

Highlights: Guided

• Hanseatic City and old town of Lübeck
• Steep coast and bays
• Hanseatic city of Wismar
• Fishing villages
• Artist colony of Ahrenshoop
• Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park

Highlights: Self-guided

• Hanseatic City and old town of Lübeck
• Steep coast and bays
• Hanseatic city of Wismar
• Fishing villages
• Artist colony of Ahrenshoop
• Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park

Daily Program: Guided

Daily Program: Self-guided

Day 1: Arrival at Lübeck
As you stroll through the Old Town, you will find a jewel of a city with a beautiful waterfront, ponds, numerous shops and quaint locals.
Overnight in Lübeck.

Day 2: Lübeck - Wismar (37-49 miles/59-79 km)
Cycle to Travemünde, where the Baltic Sea cycling trails begin. Take the ferry to Priwall and on through Klützer Winkel and Boltenhagen. Continue along Wismar Bay to Wismar. Wismar is one of the most beautiful Hanseatic cities in Mecklenburg-Pomerania. The magnificent architecture mirrors the strength of the once mighty Hanseatic League.
Overnight in Wismar.

Day 3: Wismar - Kühlungsborn (26 miles/42 km)
Wismar’s Old Town suffered minor damage during World War II. A stroll through town would be worth your while. Cycle through the landscape called ‘die Kühlung’, formed in the last glacial period, then on to Kühlungsborn.
Overnight in Kühlungsborn.

Day 4: Kühlungsborn - Warnemünde/Rostock (22 miles/35 km)
Your destination today is Warnemünde, a resort town near Rostock. Cycle along the coast. If you like, you can take the train called “Molli” to Bad Doberan, through backcountry and cycle on from there to Warnemünde/Rostock.
Overnight in Warnemünde.

Day 5: Warnemuende/Rostock - Fischland Darss (22-34 miles/35-55 km)
Warnemünde is where the Warnow flows into the Baltic. Enjoy a stroll along the river where fishing boats and sailing yachts dock. Continue on the trail to Wustrow and the artist colony of Ahrenshoop. Spend the night on the Fischland Peninsula.
Overnight on the Fischland Peninsula.

Day 6: Darss - Barth (26 miles/40 km)
Cycle through the forest on Darss to Prerow. Plan some time for an excursion to the beach. It’s quite romantic! After your break, continue on to the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park, migration grounds for common cranes and grey geese.
Overnight in Barth.

Day 7: Barth - Stralsund (28 miles/45 km)
Today you will head towards Stralsund along the Barth Bay. Still a good distance away from the city, you will be able to see its three famous towers. Your tour ends in Stralsund.
Overnight in Stralsund.

Day 8: Stralsund
You return your bicycles after breakfast. The return journey home or to Lübeck is to be carried out by yourself. You may reserve a transfer shuttle back to Lübeck at the time of booking. Trains run to Hamburg and Berlin.

Dates: Guided

Dates: Self-guided

Daily: May 1- Sep 30, 2012

Route Map: Guided

Route Map: Self-guided

Packages and Prices: Guided

Packages and Prices: Self-guided

Category A
Primarily 3-and 4-star hotels.
Per person, double occupancy €689 Single room supplement (1 person/1 room) €240 High season supplement (Jun 1-Aug 31, 2012) €30 Return transfer from Stralsund to Lubeck (per person) €50 Bike rentals Hybrid touring bike, 7-speed with hub gears €55 Hybrid touring bike, 24-speed €55 Electrically assisted bike, 8-speed women's €130 Children's bike €55 Equipment included free with all rentals €0 Group discounts (Apr 28-May 31; Sep 1-30, 2012) Tour package, 5-6 people €662 Tour package, 7-8 people €648 Tour package, 9 or more people €634 Tour package, children and third person in room Third person 16 and older sharing room with two adults €620 Children 5-15 sharing double room with two adults €345 Two children 5-15 sharing room (with two paying adults) €586 Children 5-15 sharing room with one adult €586 Children 4 and under €0

Category B
Primarily 2- and 3-star hotels.
Per person, double occupancy €539 Single room supplement (1 person/1 room) €150 High season supplement (Jun 1-Aug 31, 2012) €30 Return transfer from Stralsund to Lubeck (per person) €50 Bike rentals Hybrid touring bike, 7-speed with hub gears €55 Hybrid touring bike, 24-speed €55 Electrically assisted bike, 8-speed women's €150 Children's bike €55 Equipment included free with all rentals €0 Group discounts (Apr 28-May 31; Sep 1-30, 2012) Tour package, 5-6 people €518 Tour package, 7-8 people €507 Tour package, 9 or more people €496 Tour package, children and third person in room Third person 16 and older sharing room with two adults €485 Children 5-15 sharing double room with two adults €270 Two children 5-15 sharing room (with two paying adults) €459 Children 5-15 sharing room with one adult €459 Children under 4 €0

Included Services: Guided

Included Services: Self-guided

• Accommodation for 7 nights (all rooms with shower/toilet or bath/toilet)
• Breakfast
• Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
• On-site tour presentation
• 7-day Service Hotline available in case of problems or questions
• One tour information packet per booked room 

Hotels: Guided

Category A: primarily 3- and 4-star hotels

Day 1: Scandic Hotel, Lubeck
www.scandic-hotels.com
Scandic Hotel in Lubeck features a pool and gym, all under a mile from Lubeck's medival attractions. 

Day 2: Phonix Seeblick, Wismar
www.hotel-seeblick-wismar.de 
Hotel Seeblick offers 40 rooms providing every comfort, along with a restaurant with international gourmet meals and fine wines.  

Day 3: Polar-Stern, Kuhlungsborn
www.polar-stern.com
Polar-Stern is a lovely hotel situated in Kuhlungsborn's exhilarating natural environment.  

Day 4: Warnemunder Hof, Rostock-Warnemunde
www.warnemuender-hof.de
Nestled in the green landscape on the outskirsts of Rostock, is the Warnemunder Hof just a short walk from the beach. 

Day 5: Dorint Strandhotel, Wustrow
www.dorint.com/wustrow
The 4-star Dorint Strandhotel is situated near miles of sandy beaches anc characteristic coastal lagoon landscapes. 

Day 6: Speicher Barth, Barth
www.speicher-barth.de
Located directly on Barth marina, the 4-star Speicher Barth welcomes guests to its new modern design and comfortable, casual atmosphere.  

Day 7: Hotel Baltic, Straslund
www.baltic.arcona.de
Only a few steps away from the historic center and port of Stralsund, is the 4-star Hotel Baltic.  

Category B: primarily 2- and 3- star hotels

Day 1: Hotel Aquamarin, Lubeck
www.hotel-aquamarin.com
The beautiful Best Western Hotel Aquamarin is conviently located in the district of Luebeck-St. Lawrence. 

Day 2: Hotel am alten Hafen, Wismar
www.hotel-am-alten-hafen.de
Relax and stay in the cozy atmosphere in the Hotel am Alten Hafen in Wismar on the picturesque Old Port. 

Day 3: Hotel Rosenhof, Kuhlungsborn 
www.hotel-rosenhof-kuehlungsborn.de

Day 4: Hotel InterCity, Rostock
www.intercityhotel.com
The InterCityHotel in Rostock offers guests a comfortable hotel in close proximity to Central Station and the city center.  

Day 5: Hotel Am Moor, Ostseebad Dierhagen
www.hotel-am-moor.m-vp.de
Hotel Am Mor is situated at the beginning of the Fischland-Zingst Peninsula near a fine and wide beach, meadows and forests. 

Day 6: Hotel Pommernhotel, Barth
www.pommernhotel.de
Hotel Pommernhotel features comfortable rooms and an a la carte restaurant with a club room and garden terrace.  

Day 7: Hotel am Jungfernstieg, Stralsund
www.hotel-am-jungfernstieg.de
The family-run Hotel am Jungernstieg is located only a few minutes walk to the historic center of the old Hanseatic city. 

Hotels: Self-guided

Category A: primarily 3- and 4-star hotels

Day 1: Scandic Hotel, Lubeck
www.scandic-hotels.com
Scandic Hotel in Lubeck features a pool and gym, all under a mile from Lubeck's medival attractions. 

Day 2: Phonix Seeblick, Wismar
www.hotel-seeblick-wismar.de 
Hotel Seeblick offers 40 rooms providing every comfort, along with a restaurant with international gourmet meals and fine wines.  

Day 3: Polar-Stern, Kuhlungsborn
www.polar-stern.com
Polar-Stern is a lovely hotel situated in Kuhlungsborn's exhilarating natural environment.  

Day 4: Warnemunder Hof, Rostock-Warnemunde
www.warnemuender-hof.de
Nestled in the green landscape on the outskirsts of Rostock, is the Warnemunder Hof just a short walk from the beach. 

Day 5: Dorint Strandhotel, Wustrow
www.dorint.com/wustrow
The 4-star Dorint Strandhotel is situated near miles of sandy beaches anc characteristic coastal lagoon landscapes. 

Day 6: Speicher Barth, Barth
www.speicher-barth.de
Located directly on Barth marina, the 4-star Speicher Barth welcomes guests to its new modern design and comfortable, casual atmosphere.  

Day 7: Hotel Baltic, Straslund
www.baltic.arcona.de
Only a few steps away from the historic center and port of Stralsund, is the 4-star Hotel Baltic.  

Category B: primarily 2- and 3- star hotels

Day 1: Hotel Aquamarin, Lubeck
www.hotel-aquamarin.com
The beautiful Best Western Hotel Aquamarin is conviently located in the district of Luebeck-St. Lawrence. 

Day 2: Hotel am alten Hafen, Wismar
www.hotel-am-alten-hafen.de
Relax and stay in the cozy atmosphere in the Hotel am Alten Hafen in Wismar on the picturesque Old Port. 

Day 3: Hotel Rosenhof, Kuhlungsborn 
www.hotel-rosenhof-kuehlungsborn.de

Day 4: Hotel InterCity, Rostock
www.intercityhotel.com
The InterCityHotel in Rostock offers guests a comfortable hotel in close proximity to Central Station and the city center.  

Day 5: Hotel Am Moor, Ostseebad Dierhagen
www.hotel-am-moor.m-vp.de
Hotel Am Mor is situated at the beginning of the Fischland-Zingst Peninsula near a fine and wide beach, meadows and forests. 

Day 6: Hotel Pommernhotel, Barth
www.pommernhotel.de
Hotel Pommernhotel features comfortable rooms and an a la carte restaurant with a club room and garden terrace.  

Day 7: Hotel am Jungfernstieg, Stralsund
www.hotel-am-jungfernstieg.de
The family-run Hotel am Jungernstieg is located only a few minutes walk to the historic center of the old Hanseatic city. 

Bike Rentals: Guided

The bikes available on this tour are 7-speed bikes with hub gears (in men's and women's frame sizes) and 24-speed bikes with derailleur gears (in men's and unisex frame sizes). Alternate options include a 8-speed women's electro0bikes with hub gears and freewheel. Children's bikes are also available. 

Bikes are equipped with a cycling bag, repair kit, lock key and air pump. Available upon request for no charge is a handlebar bag including map pouch, tachometer, basket, child trailer, child seat and trailer bike. Upon request for an additional charge are additional bicycle bags and dog trailers. 

Bike Rentals: Self-guided

The bikes available on this tour are 7-speed bikes with hub gears (in men's and women's frame sizes) and 24-speed bikes with derailleur gears (in men's and unisex frame sizes). Alternate options include a 8-speed women's electro0bikes with hub gears and freewheel. Children's bikes are also available. 

Bikes are equipped with a cycling bag, repair kit, lock key and air pump. Available upon request for no charge is a handlebar bag including map pouch, tachometer, basket, child trailer, child seat and trailer bike. Upon request for an additional charge are additional bicycle bags and dog trailers. 

Surface and Terrain: Guided

The terrain on this tour is flat with occasional hills. 

This tour is rated Leisure and is for cyclists in average physical condition. 

Surface and Terrain: Self-guided

The terrain on this tour is flat with occasional hills. 

This tour is rated Leisure and is for cyclists in average physical condition. 

How To Get There: Guided

Tour Start
Nearest airport: Berlin or Hamburg, Germany
Nearest train station: Lübeck, Germany

Tour End 
Nearest airport: Berlin or Hamburg, Germany
Nearest train station: Stralsund, Germany

A transfer from Stralsund to Lübeck at the end of the tour, costs €50 per person including bicycle. Reservations are required. 

How To Get There: Self-guided

Tour Start
Nearest airport: Berlin or Hamburg, Germany
Nearest train station: Lübeck, Germany

Tour End 
Nearest airport: Berlin or Hamburg, Germany
Nearest train station: Stralsund, Germany

A transfer from Stralsund to Lübeck at the end of the tour, costs €50 per person including bicycle. Reservations are required. 

Articles: Guided

The following article about the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region was written by BikeToursDirect president Jim Johnson and published in 1999. Much of the information--other than prices and currency--remain true today.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern attracts more tourists than any German province other than Bavaria. Oddly enough, however, barely one percent of these visitors is American. Indeed, few Americans have even heard of this province in the new Germany’s northeast corner.

            Despite its high tourism ranking, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-East Pomerania) is by no means overrun by tourists. In fact, much of the province is pristine, protected wilderness. Most tourists congregate in a handful of coastal “resorts” and sleepy fishing villages along the Baltic. And, since towns are spread sparsely along the coastline, most of the beaches beyond the outskirts offer total refuge and privacy.

            Just inland from the Baltic, the moors, heaths and woodlands of the coastal plain build gradually toward a distinctly rural landscape of rolling hills, meadows, farmland and dense forest. Farther south, the fields and forests are broken up by the 1,750 lakes of the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau, Germany’s most sparsely populated region.

            Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is perhaps the country’s least changed province, a backwater mostly untouched by war, the DDR times or commercialism. The cities are small, and the few towns and villages that break up the countryside seem like snapshots from the 1930s. Many are destinations unto themselves with architectural, cultural and culinary delights and with views both into centuries of history and into decades under Soviet control.

            Visitors will find that prices are generally quite lower than elsewhere in Germany. The region’s hotels and restaurants can accommodate most tastes and all price ranges. Overnight options range from rented fishermen’s cabins and rooms in seaside cottages to upscale hotels and converted castles.

            The geographic and tourist center of activity is Rostock or, more specifically, Warnemünde, once its own town but since 1323 part of Rostock.

            Although they’re the same city, they couldn’t be more different. Rostock is all business, just as it was as a hanseatic city. Commercialism abounds, traffic fills the streets, and many bombed-out areas were replaced with the functional architecture popular during post-war times.

            Warnemünde, on the other hand, is just plain fun. This fishing village has lost little of its charm, despite its rise to seaside resort.

            Still, Rostock is well worth a visit—perhaps for several days. Important examples of medieval and renaissance architecture are plentiful in the Altstadt. There’s the 1490 Hausbaumhaus, one of the few wooden structures remaining in the city. The Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), from the same period, continues to cast a dramatic shadow, although the 117-meter/355-foot steeple of the Petrikirche tops the skyline (climb the 196 steps or take the half-minute elevator ride). Adjacent to the Marienkirche stands the 13^th-century Rathaus, with its 18^th-century baroque makeover. Traditional gabled patrician houses line Wokrenterstraβe.

            Some of the original city wall still remains, especially along the parklike Wallstraße. Beyond the wall, villas and residence were built in the 1850s for an expanding middle class.

            Rostock is quite alive. The Kröpelinerstraße in the pedestrian zone is usually bustling with window-shoppers and friends chatting at sidewalk cafes. At its mid-way point, the Universitätsplatz (with its Fountain of Happiness) is a magnet for students and other young people. Fine restaurants abound.

            Rostock also remains a vibrant seaport on the Warnow River. Along its piers, modern equipment shares space with historic granaries. It’s also where boats leave every half-hour (from 10:30am-4:30pm; 8 DM/$3.75 round-trip) for the 45-minute trip to Warnemünde (trains leave every 15 minutes from the main rail station for a 20-minute ride; 10 DM/$4.70 round-trip).

            Water is the best route to Warnemünde, a town so tied to the sea. The boat follows the Warnow to its wide mouth at the Baltic. Huge Scandline ferries bound for Copenhagen and Helsinki dwarf yachts and fishing boats. At the pier, the ocean liner Crown Princess looms over the town, having discharged its nearly 1,600 passengers most of whom will simply board buses for a day-trip to Berlin.

            It takes barely three minutes to walk from the boat landing, under the railway station, to the town center. This means crossing the Alter Strom—the old channel used for nearly 500 years but closed off in 1903 when the new channel was widened. On the near side of the Alter Strom, fishing boats lie tied to cleats as their crews sell from tables heaped with fish. Several men stay on board and repair nets. Some fish are placed in large metal smokers, where vendors write the estimated ready time in chalk: “Butterfish 11:30.” “Flounder 12.” Every now and then, after a quick check inside, the vendor wipes away the time and chalks a new one in its place. Smoke wafts over the crowds, as seagulls dive for leftovers.

            Crossing the footbridge over the Alter Strom, most tourists turn right toward the shops and beach. Turn left instead, and be rewarded with a walk through narrow alleys lined with centuries-old gabled fishermen’s houses. An occasional glimpse into a backyard reveals tiny courtyards with proudly tended flowers. Few crowds come this way, and the quiet inner streets seem little changed from earlier times. There’s no glitz here, just genuine charm.

            Back to the right of the bridge, boutiques, cafes and galleries face the channel, on this side lined with boats converted to take-out restaurants selling everything fish: herring, salmon, squid, mackerel, pickled fish, smoked fish, fish sandwiches, fish-kabobs, fish cakes. For 5-6 DM/$2.35-2.80 for a typical serving, it’s hard to go wrong.

            Where the old and new channels meet, the 100 meter-/92-foot-high Warnemünde Lighthouse has spread its protective beacon since 1897. In more recent years, it has become a tourist attraction as well, offering one of the best views of the sea, harbor and town (3 DM/$1.40). Past the lighthouse, the Westmole, a 530-meter/1600-foot breakwater topped with a wide cement walkway, extends into the Baltic and provides the best vantage point for watching ships make their way to sea. At a right angle to the breakwater, a promenade runs from the lighthouse, along the beach and out of sight.

            For some visitors, the beach—as wide as a football field is long—is the prime attraction. Boardwalks cross the dunes at frequent intervals, each marked with a number and a classification. Some parts of the beach are “FKK”—literally “Freie Körperkultur” or “free body culture” (a/k/a nude). Others are “Textil.” Some mark sections that welcome pets or are wheelchair-accessible. Parts of the beach are also set aside for sports such as windsurfing, parasailing and sea-kayaking. General rule: If there’s no sign, the default designation is “nude.”

            Many visitors come to Warnemünde and other Baltic resorts for their spa offerings. Area hotels offer wide-ranging treatments: sea peeling, algae packing, mud packing, ice (!) packing, massage, acupressure, facials, goat butter baths, and “gymnastics for problem zones.”

            Despite the considerable beach and spa activity in Warnemünde, however, the first German beach resorts lie just to the west in Kühlungsborn and Heiligendamm. Both, combined with the charming town of Bad Doberan are worth a day-trip or more.

            Kühlungsborn became a major seaside resort more than 100 years ago when its first hotel was built. Many other hotels soon followed, and today they form a mile-long stretch of elegant structures centered along five miles of beach. A wide strip of trees runs between the hotels and the beach, creating a quieting buffer between relaxing guests and more energetic groups strolling the rebuilt promenade. Woodlands starting behind the hotels give an even greater sense of peace and solitude.

            Although the beach beckons, an afternoon walk through town reveals hotels and villas built in an amalgam of styles. Following a good season, owners would add on, each trying to outdo the others. In the evening, time seems to stand still on the promenade as people watch the sunset—and applaud. Time starts again, and the promenade empties. Soon, strolling couples return as they head to their hotels or to dinner. Small crowds form around groups of teens singing and playing for the joy of song, not tips. Music, laughter and light conversation fill the air, all stress apparently banished.

            In the early morning, however, peace is absolute. The promenade is empty except for a few early-risers watching the sunrise. (Due to the convex east-west shoreline, both sunset and sunrise are visible.) As the day grows brighter and warmer, a small trickle of people starts making its way from the hotels, through the wooded strip, across the promenade, to the many boardwalks that stretch over the dunes to the beach. Many have reserved large wicker “Standkörber,” semi-enclosed chairs that protect beachgoers from wind and sun.

            Another day has begun.

            If you find the beaches too crowded (unlikely), consider a 20-minute ride east in the narrow-gauge railway “Molli” (12.50 DM/$5.90 round-trip; 13 trips a day) to Heiligendamm, Germany’s first seaside resort.

            If Kühlungsborn is a resort reborn, Heiligendamm is early in its gestation period. Germany’s first seaside resort is today a massive work in progress, part of a 900 million DM/$420 million project to bring Heiligendamm back to life. From the outside, the buildings are still much as they were 100 years ago, and visitors come not to swim but to walk around what has become a massive open-air museum.

            In 1793, Duke Friedrich Franz I had chosen the site “for its healing powers.” By 1816, a large spa building had been built, with swimming pools, ballrooms and a casino. Over the next 80 years, more structures were added, creating a double crescent of white classical buildings facing the sea. Lawn tennis, golf and yachting followed. By the early 1900s, Heiligendamm was well established as the elegant summer spot for nobility and high society.

            Like many properties, the buildings of Heiligendamm became hospitals and clinics during World War II and apartments during the DDR period; the last tenants moved out in 1999. Still, the buildings are in remarkably good shape.

            Using the original plans, developers are restoring the buildings’ interiors in their original styles but with modern conveniences. The exteriors are being refurbished and secured. By 2003 (if plans stay on schedule), Heiligendamm will be a 21^st-century resort with a Grand Hotel, shops, condos and golf courses.

            To the east of Rostock, it’s about 45 minutes by car or an hour by train and bus to the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. Bounded by the Baltic to the north and the Bodden (a series of calm bays, harbors and inlets) to the south, it’s the setting for active farming communities and fishing villages as well as a rich variety of salt marshes, lagoons, chalk cliffs, and pine and beech forests.

            Much of the peninsula falls under the protection of the Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, which also contains a 50-kilometer/33-mile network of cycle and footpaths, some ending with dramatic views of the coast. The primary destination within the park is the 35-meter/107-foot-high Darßer Ort Lighthouse, with its 360-degree view of the Darß forest to the south and the rugged Weststrand coastline to the north and west. To the east, reed-filled salt flats fade into yellow-sand dunes, their height and width varying with the weather, currents and erosion. (Those who prefer a less strenuous trip to the lighthouse can take horse drawn carriages from several nearby villages.)

            The area’s villages have been catering to tourists since the first beach-goers started renting rooms from farmers and fishermen early last century. As in Warnemünde, there’s sailing, windsurfing, boating and endless beaches. Visitors can also take trips in Zeesenboote, a traditional wind-driven fishing boat, or on ferries that ply the Bodden. Unlike Warnemünde, however, the villages have few hotels and little commercialism.

            Most villages have changed little since 1900. Ahrenshoop, for example, has been an artists colony for nearly a century, inspiring countless painters, sculptors and writers with the isolated, idyllic landscape. Today, the latest generation of artists lives in these well-tended homes, often opening their studios to passersby.

            The winding roads (more often muddy paths) and houses are typical for the area. The older homes, built by local fishermen, have clay walls topped with thick thatched roofs. Captains and sailors showed their relative wealth by building brick houses with hard, gabled roofs. The captains’ homes were larger and painted white, the sailors’ painted blue. Many seamen carved and painted colorful doors while at sea, and they can be seen on many homes.

            For the most peaceful experience, visit the peninsula on weekdays. By most standards, tourism is light even on weekends. However, weekdays offer an even slower pace and a greater sense of “getting away from it all.” In any case, avoid leaving on Sundays, when traffic on the narrow peninsula can back up for hours.

            With so much land and water under permanent protection, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is likely to remain a paradise for generations to come. The province also has sufficient infrastructure to support consistent double-digit tourism growth. Over time, more buildings will be restored—or torn down. Rural villages will try
to enter the 21^st century (or at least the 20^th). Prices will inch upward. For those who want to see the region in its pure, current and affordable form, now’s the time to be a pioneer.

            This article orginally appeared in Gemutlichkeit Travel Newsletter about travel to Germany, Switzerland and Austria

Articles: Self-guided

The following article about the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region was written by BikeToursDirect president Jim Johnson and published in 1999. Much of the information--other than prices and currency--remain true today.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern attracts more tourists than any German province other than Bavaria. Oddly enough, however, barely one percent of these visitors is American. Indeed, few Americans have even heard of this province in the new Germany’s northeast corner.

            Despite its high tourism ranking, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-East Pomerania) is by no means overrun by tourists. In fact, much of the province is pristine, protected wilderness. Most tourists congregate in a handful of coastal “resorts” and sleepy fishing villages along the Baltic. And, since towns are spread sparsely along the coastline, most of the beaches beyond the outskirts offer total refuge and privacy.

            Just inland from the Baltic, the moors, heaths and woodlands of the coastal plain build gradually toward a distinctly rural landscape of rolling hills, meadows, farmland and dense forest. Farther south, the fields and forests are broken up by the 1,750 lakes of the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau, Germany’s most sparsely populated region.

            Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is perhaps the country’s least changed province, a backwater mostly untouched by war, the DDR times or commercialism. The cities are small, and the few towns and villages that break up the countryside seem like snapshots from the 1930s. Many are destinations unto themselves with architectural, cultural and culinary delights and with views both into centuries of history and into decades under Soviet control.

            Visitors will find that prices are generally quite lower than elsewhere in Germany. The region’s hotels and restaurants can accommodate most tastes and all price ranges. Overnight options range from rented fishermen’s cabins and rooms in seaside cottages to upscale hotels and converted castles.

            The geographic and tourist center of activity is Rostock or, more specifically, Warnemünde, once its own town but since 1323 part of Rostock.

            Although they’re the same city, they couldn’t be more different. Rostock is all business, just as it was as a hanseatic city. Commercialism abounds, traffic fills the streets, and many bombed-out areas were replaced with the functional architecture popular during post-war times.

            Warnemünde, on the other hand, is just plain fun. This fishing village has lost little of its charm, despite its rise to seaside resort.

            Still, Rostock is well worth a visit—perhaps for several days. Important examples of medieval and renaissance architecture are plentiful in the Altstadt. There’s the 1490 Hausbaumhaus, one of the few wooden structures remaining in the city. The Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), from the same period, continues to cast a dramatic shadow, although the 117-meter/355-foot steeple of the Petrikirche tops the skyline (climb the 196 steps or take the half-minute elevator ride). Adjacent to the Marienkirche stands the 13^th-century Rathaus, with its 18^th-century baroque makeover. Traditional gabled patrician houses line Wokrenterstraβe.

            Some of the original city wall still remains, especially along the parklike Wallstraße. Beyond the wall, villas and residence were built in the 1850s for an expanding middle class.

            Rostock is quite alive. The Kröpelinerstraße in the pedestrian zone is usually bustling with window-shoppers and friends chatting at sidewalk cafes. At its mid-way point, the Universitätsplatz (with its Fountain of Happiness) is a magnet for students and other young people. Fine restaurants abound.

            Rostock also remains a vibrant seaport on the Warnow River. Along its piers, modern equipment shares space with historic granaries. It’s also where boats leave every half-hour (from 10:30am-4:30pm; 8 DM/$3.75 round-trip) for the 45-minute trip to Warnemünde (trains leave every 15 minutes from the main rail station for a 20-minute ride; 10 DM/$4.70 round-trip).

            Water is the best route to Warnemünde, a town so tied to the sea. The boat follows the Warnow to its wide mouth at the Baltic. Huge Scandline ferries bound for Copenhagen and Helsinki dwarf yachts and fishing boats. At the pier, the ocean liner Crown Princess looms over the town, having discharged its nearly 1,600 passengers most of whom will simply board buses for a day-trip to Berlin.

            It takes barely three minutes to walk from the boat landing, under the railway station, to the town center. This means crossing the Alter Strom—the old channel used for nearly 500 years but closed off in 1903 when the new channel was widened. On the near side of the Alter Strom, fishing boats lie tied to cleats as their crews sell from tables heaped with fish. Several men stay on board and repair nets. Some fish are placed in large metal smokers, where vendors write the estimated ready time in chalk: “Butterfish 11:30.” “Flounder 12.” Every now and then, after a quick check inside, the vendor wipes away the time and chalks a new one in its place. Smoke wafts over the crowds, as seagulls dive for leftovers.

            Crossing the footbridge over the Alter Strom, most tourists turn right toward the shops and beach. Turn left instead, and be rewarded with a walk through narrow alleys lined with centuries-old gabled fishermen’s houses. An occasional glimpse into a backyard reveals tiny courtyards with proudly tended flowers. Few crowds come this way, and the quiet inner streets seem little changed from earlier times. There’s no glitz here, just genuine charm.

            Back to the right of the bridge, boutiques, cafes and galleries face the channel, on this side lined with boats converted to take-out restaurants selling everything fish: herring, salmon, squid, mackerel, pickled fish, smoked fish, fish sandwiches, fish-kabobs, fish cakes. For 5-6 DM/$2.35-2.80 for a typical serving, it’s hard to go wrong.

            Where the old and new channels meet, the 100 meter-/92-foot-high Warnemünde Lighthouse has spread its protective beacon since 1897. In more recent years, it has become a tourist attraction as well, offering one of the best views of the sea, harbor and town (3 DM/$1.40). Past the lighthouse, the Westmole, a 530-meter/1600-foot breakwater topped with a wide cement walkway, extends into the Baltic and provides the best vantage point for watching ships make their way to sea. At a right angle to the breakwater, a promenade runs from the lighthouse, along the beach and out of sight.

            For some visitors, the beach—as wide as a football field is long—is the prime attraction. Boardwalks cross the dunes at frequent intervals, each marked with a number and a classification. Some parts of the beach are “FKK”—literally “Freie Körperkultur” or “free body culture” (a/k/a nude). Others are “Textil.” Some mark sections that welcome pets or are wheelchair-accessible. Parts of the beach are also set aside for sports such as windsurfing, parasailing and sea-kayaking. General rule: If there’s no sign, the default designation is “nude.”

            Many visitors come to Warnemünde and other Baltic resorts for their spa offerings. Area hotels offer wide-ranging treatments: sea peeling, algae packing, mud packing, ice (!) packing, massage, acupressure, facials, goat butter baths, and “gymnastics for problem zones.”

            Despite the considerable beach and spa activity in Warnemünde, however, the first German beach resorts lie just to the west in Kühlungsborn and Heiligendamm. Both, combined with the charming town of Bad Doberan are worth a day-trip or more.

            Kühlungsborn became a major seaside resort more than 100 years ago when its first hotel was built. Many other hotels soon followed, and today they form a mile-long stretch of elegant structures centered along five miles of beach. A wide strip of trees runs between the hotels and the beach, creating a quieting buffer between relaxing guests and more energetic groups strolling the rebuilt promenade. Woodlands starting behind the hotels give an even greater sense of peace and solitude.

            Although the beach beckons, an afternoon walk through town reveals hotels and villas built in an amalgam of styles. Following a good season, owners would add on, each trying to outdo the others. In the evening, time seems to stand still on the promenade as people watch the sunset—and applaud. Time starts again, and the promenade empties. Soon, strolling couples return as they head to their hotels or to dinner. Small crowds form around groups of teens singing and playing for the joy of song, not tips. Music, laughter and light conversation fill the air, all stress apparently banished.

            In the early morning, however, peace is absolute. The promenade is empty except for a few early-risers watching the sunrise. (Due to the convex east-west shoreline, both sunset and sunrise are visible.) As the day grows brighter and warmer, a small trickle of people starts making its way from the hotels, through the wooded strip, across the promenade, to the many boardwalks that stretch over the dunes to the beach. Many have reserved large wicker “Standkörber,” semi-enclosed chairs that protect beachgoers from wind and sun.

            Another day has begun.

            If you find the beaches too crowded (unlikely), consider a 20-minute ride east in the narrow-gauge railway “Molli” (12.50 DM/$5.90 round-trip; 13 trips a day) to Heiligendamm, Germany’s first seaside resort.

            If Kühlungsborn is a resort reborn, Heiligendamm is early in its gestation period. Germany’s first seaside resort is today a massive work in progress, part of a 900 million DM/$420 million project to bring Heiligendamm back to life. From the outside, the buildings are still much as they were 100 years ago, and visitors come not to swim but to walk around what has become a massive open-air museum.

            In 1793, Duke Friedrich Franz I had chosen the site “for its healing powers.” By 1816, a large spa building had been built, with swimming pools, ballrooms and a casino. Over the next 80 years, more structures were added, creating a double crescent of white classical buildings facing the sea. Lawn tennis, golf and yachting followed. By the early 1900s, Heiligendamm was well established as the elegant summer spot for nobility and high society.

            Like many properties, the buildings of Heiligendamm became hospitals and clinics during World War II and apartments during the DDR period; the last tenants moved out in 1999. Still, the buildings are in remarkably good shape.

            Using the original plans, developers are restoring the buildings’ interiors in their original styles but with modern conveniences. The exteriors are being refurbished and secured. By 2003 (if plans stay on schedule), Heiligendamm will be a 21^st-century resort with a Grand Hotel, shops, condos and golf courses.

            To the east of Rostock, it’s about 45 minutes by car or an hour by train and bus to the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. Bounded by the Baltic to the north and the Bodden (a series of calm bays, harbors and inlets) to the south, it’s the setting for active farming communities and fishing villages as well as a rich variety of salt marshes, lagoons, chalk cliffs, and pine and beech forests.

            Much of the peninsula falls under the protection of the Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, which also contains a 50-kilometer/33-mile network of cycle and footpaths, some ending with dramatic views of the coast. The primary destination within the park is the 35-meter/107-foot-high Darßer Ort Lighthouse, with its 360-degree view of the Darß forest to the south and the rugged Weststrand coastline to the north and west. To the east, reed-filled salt flats fade into yellow-sand dunes, their height and width varying with the weather, currents and erosion. (Those who prefer a less strenuous trip to the lighthouse can take horse drawn carriages from several nearby villages.)

            The area’s villages have been catering to tourists since the first beach-goers started renting rooms from farmers and fishermen early last century. As in Warnemünde, there’s sailing, windsurfing, boating and endless beaches. Visitors can also take trips in Zeesenboote, a traditional wind-driven fishing boat, or on ferries that ply the Bodden. Unlike Warnemünde, however, the villages have few hotels and little commercialism.

            Most villages have changed little since 1900. Ahrenshoop, for example, has been an artists colony for nearly a century, inspiring countless painters, sculptors and writers with the isolated, idyllic landscape. Today, the latest generation of artists lives in these well-tended homes, often opening their studios to passersby.

            The winding roads (more often muddy paths) and houses are typical for the area. The older homes, built by local fishermen, have clay walls topped with thick thatched roofs. Captains and sailors showed their relative wealth by building brick houses with hard, gabled roofs. The captains’ homes were larger and painted white, the sailors’ painted blue. Many seamen carved and painted colorful doors while at sea, and they can be seen on many homes.

            For the most peaceful experience, visit the peninsula on weekdays. By most standards, tourism is light even on weekends. However, weekdays offer an even slower pace and a greater sense of “getting away from it all.” In any case, avoid leaving on Sundays, when traffic on the narrow peninsula can back up for hours.

            With so much land and water under permanent protection, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is likely to remain a paradise for generations to come. The province also has sufficient infrastructure to support consistent double-digit tourism growth. Over time, more buildings will be restored—or torn down. Rural villages will try
to enter the 21^st century (or at least the 20^th). Prices will inch upward. For those who want to see the region in its pure, current and affordable form, now’s the time to be a pioneer.

            This article orginally appeared in Gemutlichkeit Travel Newsletter about travel to Germany, Switzerland and Austria

Tour Company Background: Mecklenburger Radtour: Guided

Mecklenburger Radtour is a small and energetic team of cycling and walking professionals. Over 100 of their tours are personally planned. They are out their available programs with yet another over 100 available tours provided through partnerships with reliable travel companies in Germany and other Europeans countries. Located in Stalsund, Germany, Mecklenburg's particular strengths include routes, hotels and equipment that has been carefully selected to best suit the customer's needs. 

Tour Company Background: Mecklenburger Radtour: Self-guided

Mecklenburger Radtour is a small and energetic team of cycling and walking professionals. Over 100 of their tours are personally planned. They are out their available programs with yet another over 100 available tours provided through partnerships with reliable travel companies in Germany and other Europeans countries. Located in Stalsund, Germany, Mecklenburg's particular strengths include routes, hotels and equipment that has been carefully selected to best suit the customer's needs. 

Terms and Conditions: Mecklenburger Radtour: Guided

Terms and Conditions: Mecklenburger Radtour: Self-guided