Germany: Berlin – Stralsund or Stralsund – Berlin

Individual arrival in Berlin. Embarkation at 4 p.m.. Berlin is always worth a trip. Maybe you’ll have some time and like to take a stroll on the Kurfürstendamm, take a walk through the Nicolai Quarter on Spree Island or take gander at the Brandenburg Gate. The possibilities of Berlin are almost endless.

You are exploring the expansive forests of the Ruppiner Lake District on your first cycling tour by following mysteriously interconnected waterways. The well-developed cycle path leads you northwards and away from the metropolis to Oranienburg. The palace in the heart of the city is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in the country, and the adjacent palace park invites you to linger. Here, you board again and continue to Eberswalde. The Eberswalde city lock in the heart of the city is the oldest operational lock in Germany.

First, you ride along the towpath cycle path by the Finow Canal through beautiful landscapes, passing forests, clearings, and small hills towards Niederfinow with its impressive ship lift – visiting is possible at any time. Then, you return on board to sail to Schwedt. For those who wish, you can continue cycling through the crane resting area of the Auennationalpark from Hohensaaten to Schwedt (approximately 32 km/20 mi.).

Today you will bike through a part of a unique, cross-border protected area “Lower Oder Valley International Park” via the Oder-Neisse Cycle Path. The former estate of Criewen houses the National Park Center of Germany’s only floodplain National Park. Upon reaching Mescherin, you return on board and enjoy the cruise to Szczecin (Stettin). Known as the green metropolis at the mouth of the Oder River, Szczecin is one of the largest ports on the Baltic Sea. Noteworthy is the castle of the Dukes of Pomerania located in the old town.

Today you will spend all day on board. After one last narrow passage, the boat will arrive in the expansive waters of the Bay of Szczecin (Oder Lagoon). After the crossing, you will reach Wolgast, the „Gateway to Usedom Island”. The Medieval historic center with its town hall and the Church of St. Petri are interesting sights in any case. Tip: A guided walking tour through Wolgast (optional, approx. € 10 per Person).

Today, you have three cycling routes to choose from on the Island Usedom: the short route takes you directly to Zecherin and then to Peenemünde, allowing you plenty of time to explore the Historical-Technical Museum in the former power plant. If the weather is nice, you might prefer the slightly longer tour via Karlshagen, with a brief detour to the Baltic Sea, or you can enjoy the extended “beach route” through the Baltic Sea resorts of Zinnowitz and Trassenheide, where you can sunbathe on the fine sandy beach. Around 6.00 p.m., your ship departs from Peenemünde and takes you to Lauterbach in the southeast of the island of Rügen (arrival around 9.00 p.m.).

Today you should not miss a visit to the nearby city of Putbus (about 2 km) with its well-known circus. Classical buildings line this circular “square”, where all the streets converge. Your bike tour on this day will take you through Putbus, Garz, Groß Schoritz, the birthplace of Ernst Moritz Arndt, Poseritz and Gustow with its well-known village church over the Rügen Dam to Stralsund, where the boat will meet you. As a city with an important past, a stroll through the historic center, which is situated on an island, will take you past numerous exceptional sights.

After breakfast, disembarkation at 9.00 a.m. and end of your journey.