Hohwacht Bay is a wide curve of the Baltic coast in eastern Holstein, with a long, sandy beach, low dunes and shallow, gentle water that warms quickly in summer. The land here is flat and green, with the sea on one side and the rolling hills of Holstein Switzerland on the other, and the light has that clear, northern quality that painters love.
For swimmers, this is one of the more pleasant stretches of the German Baltic. The beach is sandy and the water is shallow, so it warms up in July and August, and families flock to it. There are cafes and ice-cream stands, and in the evening the sun sinks into the sea, turning the sky orange and pink. Out of season the beach is almost empty, and the gulls and wind are the only company. The air carries the smell of salt and seaweed, and the waves leave long lines of amber-coloured weed.
The roads around the bay are quiet and pleasant, running between fields of rapeseed and wheat, with old brick farms and small villages. Bends are gentle, and the surface is generally good, with the occasional rough patch. In summer the traffic near the beaches can be heavy, with cars and caravans queuing for the car parks, so go early or late. A cycle path follows the coast, and cyclists are common, so give them room.
Lütjenburg, six kilometres away, has fuel, a supermarket and a pleasant old centre with a market square. Close by is Panker, a manor estate with a distinctive yellow house, known for its horses and a hill with a viewing tower called Hessenstein, from where you can see the Baltic and the hills. The country is full of manor houses, many of them still working farms, and the local cheese and smoked fish are excellent. Fuel is easy to find in Lütjenburg, and the best advice is to bring a towel and an appetite.