The Bosau road runs out onto a narrow peninsula in the Great Plön Lake, the largest lake in Schleswig-Holstein, and it is the sort of road where the surface of the water appears on both sides at once. This is the Holstein Switzerland, a name that exaggerates the hills but not the beauty: a landscape left behind by the glaciers of the last ice age, with rounded hills, hollows filled by lakes, and woods of beech that come down to the shore. The lake has islands, reedy bays and swans.
Bosau itself is a village with an old church, Saint Peter's, standing on a rise by the water. It is one of the oldest in the region, built in the twelfth century on the site of an earlier mission church, and it was the home of the priest and chronicler Helmold of Bosau, who wrote a history of the Slavs and of the Christianisation of the lands east of the Elbe. His chronicle is one of the main sources for the period. The church, with its plain brick walls and simple interior, is a quiet, atmospheric place.
The riding is relaxed and gentle, with long straight sections, mild bends and plenty of glimpses of water through the trees. The surface is mostly good, traffic is light in the morning and busier on fine weekends, when families head to the lake. Cyclists are frequent. The lanes in the area, lined with old trees, are among the nicest in the north, and the combination of lake, wood and farm creates a pastoral, unhurried feel.
The town of Plön, about seven kilometres away, has a castle on a hill overlooking the lake and is the nearest place with a full range of services, including fuel. Bosau has a few thousand people and cafes by the water, where you can eat smoked fish and cake while watching the boats. In summer there is swimming, sailing and kayaking, and ferries run on the lake.
Early morning on the water is the best time, with mist and a golden light. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, and the evening air is quiet.