After the Netherlands, we crossed to Germany without even realising it. Nowadays it’s difficult to distinguish when you are in one or other country in central Europe. There are just potato and corn fields everywhere!
There are some curious aspects we saw in our week’s cycling in Germany and the resources we used to navigate through before we entered Denmark
Camping and overnighting
As wild camping is also illegal in Germany, we decided to continue being creative and we asked a family of farmers if we could kindly camp in their farmland. They were happy for us to do so, and we could even use the shower! It is at these times when you appreciate the small gestures, as they are now big and fulfilling! There is nothing like being humble and vulnerable nowadays, as you can appreciate and accept more humanity from people, which feel so good.
The rest of the time we would just sleep in campsites. It was a bit challenging as sometimes we would find that a particular site was closed due to CoVid-19 and we had to cycle further, putting some extra distance when we already were exhausted, but it is all part of the adventure.
We found that Stealth Camping was more difficult in Germany than in the rest of the European countries. This is because most of the land is privately owned, which implies that you will have to ask for the owner´s permission to overnight there. Normally the people is quite good with that, and we haven´t encountered any problems when asking.
Alternatives to camping
As an alternative for camping, we also used Warmshowers, an app where you can find people who might be willing to accommodate you at their house or garden. We found some difficulties in Germany because of CoVid-19. People sometimes were more reluctant to offer accommodation.
In Germany is also worth looking at this platform: Bett+Bike. It is a good alternative to Warmshowers, where you can contact a host to spend the night. Also, you can search over 5,800 hotels, hostels, guesthouses, campsites, or holiday apartments all over Germany and Europe to find the right place. Sometimes a nice treat is needed!
The roads and their “cyclability”
Germany is generally known for its extensive network of cycle routes and we were happy to test it. Our incursion in the country started around the area of Loningen and then went north-east to Bremen, then north to Hamburg, where we spent our 4th wedding anniversary romanticly, and then to Flensburg, where we crossed into Denmark from.
The distance was covered using a lot of cycle paths where bikes were segregated and also by non-segregated routes, where the traffic wasn’t something significant. We didn’t encounter any difficulty with local drivers during our route.
Sometimes even the route would turn into an off-road track, especially on forests, which added so much fun to the journey.
I remember a day passed Bremen when we have turned away on a campsite because it was closed due to Covid-19, and we had to cycle another 10 km when we were already exhausted. I was not happy at the moment, but what was initially a negative response and a daunting moment, turned into a positive experience as the route to the next campsite was going through a forest, with some off-road trails that made me forget about the pain and tiredness and truly enjoy the moment…
When life gives you lemons, make juice!
Orientation and cycling in Germany
In order to navigate we mainly used a route previously traced with Komoot, a route planning app and website that helps you piece together roads, trails and everything in between two or more destinations to connect multiple points in the most entertaining possible way. Or the most efficient. Using surface type, elevation, and other factors to create a ride that other mapping systems would be hard-pressed to do.
We found a nice resource for maps and GPX tracks on esterbauer.com. It´s a very complete site, where you can purchase various paper maps and download free GPX tracks.
In order to have a general idea for the planning, we were using Eurovelo route maps. EuroVelo is a network of 17 long-distance cycle routes connecting and uniting the whole European continent. The routes can be used by cycle tourists as well as by local people making daily journeys. EuroVelo currently comprises 17 routes totalling over 90,000km of cycling itineraries.
We chose the Eurovelo 3 for our journey through Germany towards the north, which was going through Bremen, Hamburg and Flensburg. There is another route to the north going from Hamburg through the occidental coast, which continues all through the Danish coastline.
Another great resource where to get a great deal of information regarding the routes and where to go through is Radkompass.de, where you can check the short or long-distance routes for inspiration and download GPX tracks. An interesting network of trails has been developing since 2002, which leads bike tourers through Germany over twelve long-distance cycle routes and is unparalleled. The routes are very well signed posted and categorised in different themes.
The cities under a bicycle perspective
On our route towards the north, we went through 3 mayor towns: Bremen, Hamburg and Flensburg. Although the last one can’t compare in size with the other two, sorry Flensburg, it has a nice feeling of coastal fjord town.
From a bike perspective, these cities are dynamic. As soon as you arrive closer to the centres you start noticing the rush and buzz from the bicycles, which you see everywhere
Bremen is quite famous for being quite a walkable and well-connected city, with lots of cycle paths that can take you literally about anywhere. We enjoyed the town dynamism, being surrounded by dozens of other cyclist minding their businesses and looking -don’t know if enviously or with some sort of relieving -, to our overladen bicycles, getting lost in our intention to cross the city and finding a great number of big parks with lots of cycle-friendly lanes…
Hamburg is being for many years the capital city of the north. Cycling in Hamburg is great when compared with just about the rest of the world. Just a few exceptions, such as Copenhagen, Berlin or Munich, which would rank even higher on cyclability. Cargo and retro bikes dominate the scene, giving some sort of hipster personality to some parts of the city, which continuously reinvent itself.
Hamburg is being for many years the capital city of the north. Cycling in Hamburg is great when compared with just about the rest of the world. Just a few exceptions, such as Copenhagen, Berlin or Munich, which would rank even higher on cyclability. Cargo and retro bikes dominate the scene, giving some sort of hipster personality to some parts of the city, which continuously reinvent itself.
Eating around in Germany
Breakfast
Frühstück commonly consists of bread, toast, and/or bread rolls (the term for which varies a lot by region) with jam (Marmelade or Konfitüre) or honey, eggs, and strong coffee or tea (milk, cocoa or juice for children). Deli meats, such as ham, salted meats and salami, are also commonly eaten on bread in the morning, as are various cheeses. A variety of meat-based spreads such as Leberwurst (literally “liver-sausage”) can be found during breakfast as well. Muesli (Müsli) and cereals such as cornflakes are also popular.
Lunch
Traditionally, the main meal of the day has been lunch (Mittagessen), eaten around noon. Vegetables are often eaten in stews or vegetable soups, but can also be served as a side dish. Carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans, and many types of cabbage are very common. Noodles are usually thicker than Italian pasta and often contain egg yolk. Especially in the south-western part of the country, the predominant variety of noodles is Spätzle which contain a very large amount of yolk. Besides noodles, potatoes and dumplings (Klöße or Knödel) are very common, especially in the south.
Dinner
Abendessen or Abendbrot is usually a smaller meal, often consisting only of a variety of bread and meats, similar to breakfast, or possibly sandwiches. However, in Germany, as in other parts of Europe, dining habits have changed over the last 50 years. Today, many people eat only a small meal in the middle of the working day and enjoy a hot dinner in the evening at home with the whole family. Nevertheless, the traditional way is still rather common, especially in rural areas.
Snacks and Lunch along the way
Most cafes and restaurants will offer daily specials, which commonly come with a side dish such as a salad or similar. If you are interested in something lighter, most bakeries (Bäckerei) and oftentimes butcher shops (Metzgerei) offer prepared sandwiches. Last but not least grocery stores are a good option; you can get bread, cheese and cured meats and prepare your sandwiches. That´s how we were moving
Groceries, butcher shops and bakeries are commonly open from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Some smaller shops might take a break between noon and 3 p.m. Lunches are commonly served from 11.30 a.m. till 1 p.m. and dinners starting at about 6 p.m. as late as 9 p.m., depending on the type of restaurant and whether you are in a smaller town or village or a major city.
Things to account for in Germany before you visit:
Garden Gnomes are a thing, and they are everywhere!
Standing by toadstool, sitting in a wee chair or even reclining like a bearded odalisque, garden gnomes in Germany (Gartenzwerge) are a thing and they are not ironic (Germans cannot be). There are somewhere around 25 million living in gardens around the country and while most people don’t think they are cool, the primary function of a gnome is not as some sort of wink inside a joke. There is a whole history behind them, as it is then much of a cultural thing as their Wieners or Lidl.
Supermarkets close on Sundays and Bank holidays
Something we had some difficulty with was getting used to the fact that Supermarkets are not opened on Sundays and public holidays. This is probably because workers at supermarkets have families too and why should they be expected to leave them and scan our Stroopwafels? (Yes, I know they are Dutch, and they are delicious, but Germans also store them, live with it!) Even though this happens every week and most supermarkets in town are open until at least 10 pm, everybody shop like they will have to survive at least seven days! Maybe is due to Corona times, who knows…
Sites that might interest you
In your research and planning, you might find these links helpful:
Travel Destination Germany, an extensive website with great information and tools to research by activity.
Hamburg CARD includes access to public transportation and discounts at attractions
Bettundbike.de to look for accommodation
Radkompass.de to look for maps, destinations and accommodation
