Kühlungsborn is the largest seaside resort on the German Baltic coast, and from the top of the sea road you see why. A promenade runs for several kilometres along the beach, backed by rows of white villas in the old seaside style, with turrets, balconies and carved woodwork, many of them built in the decades before the First World War, when this was a fashionable resort for the Mecklenburg court and for visitors from Berlin. The beach is wide, pale and fine-grained, and the sea beyond is calm and shallow.
The word Kühlung in the name comes from the hills behind the town, a forested ridge that rises a little above the coast and catches the sea breeze. They are not high by Alpine standards, but in this flat land they give shelter and views, and the road that runs along the foot of the hills is a pleasant ride, with beech woods, small valleys and glimpses of the sea. The town has a long pier and a yacht harbour, as well as a tradition of spa treatments.
A narrow-gauge steam railway known as Molli, a railway that has run for well over a century, links Kühlungsborn with Bad Doberan and Heiligendamm. The little train puffs along the street and through the fields, with a whistle and a plume of smoke, and the sight is a delight for children and adults alike. Nearby Heiligendamm is Germany's oldest seaside resort, founded in the late eighteenth century, with a row of white classical buildings along the shore.
Swimming is a pleasure in summer. The Baltic is less salty than the North Sea and is shallow and gentle, though it stays cool until July, and lifeguards patrol the main beaches in season. A bathing break after a ride in leathers is a treat. The town has about seven and a half thousand people, with fuel, shops and plenty of restaurants serving smoked fish and cake.
Summer weekends bring heavy traffic and full car parks, so go early or visit in late spring or autumn, when the promenade is quiet and the air is clear.