The Danish Wohld is a rolling peninsula of farmland and beech woods between Kiel Fjord and the Bay of Eckernforde, an unassuming corner of Schleswig-Holstein that rewards a motorcyclist with exactly what a short evening ride should offer: quiet lanes, long views and the smell of the sea on the breeze. The name is old, with Wohld meaning forest, and it recalls the days when this land formed a border region between the Danish and German worlds. The ride starts in the lanes near Osdorf, a village of a couple of thousand people, with Felm a little farther on, and Kiel's busy fuel stations and cafes a short ride behind you.
The roads here are narrow and flowing, running between the hedgerow banks known as Knicks, which divide the fields and give the landscape a tidy, patchwork look. The surface is generally good, though farm vehicles, mud from tractors and sudden blind bends need attention, and in harvest season dust and straw collect on the corners. The land rolls in gentle waves, with just enough ups and downs to keep things interesting. Late afternoon and early evening are the best times, when the light turns golden and the farm traffic fades, and May, when the rapeseed blooms bright yellow, is especially lovely. Coastal lanes along the bay add sea views, with sailing boats and wind-bent trees.
Gettorf, the main village on the route, is a quiet place of old brick houses and a stately church, and nearby are manor houses, such as Gut Knoop, that recall the days of the great estates, when noble families owned most of the land and farm labourers lived in rows of tied cottages. The Baltic coast here was a theatre of Danish and German conflict in the nineteenth century, with the region changing hands after the war of 1864. Today it is peaceful farming country, with cows, wheat and fields of maize.
The nature is soft and cultivated. Hedgerows shelter hares, partridges and songbirds, and the beech woods are carpeted with wood anemones in spring. On the coast, reeds and meadows give way to pebble beaches, where seabirds gather, and the air smells of salt, manure and cut hay. The wind off the Baltic is a constant companion, and in autumn the light is low and golden.
Bring a light jacket for the evening, and watch for deer at dusk, which are common on these lanes. Fuel is easy to find in Kiel and Gettorf. Take your time.