At the northern edge of the city, in the district around Stockelsdorf, the road leads to the Baltic coast, and the ride begins here, heading north-east through the forests and fields of Ostholstein towards Travemünde, Timmendorfer Strand and the sea.
The city's cathedral, begun by Henry the Lion in 1173, stands at the southern end of the old town, and the Burgtor gate is on the north side, just before the road leaves the town. The brick Gothic of Lübeck's churches, especially St Mary's, which served as a model for many churches around the Baltic, is the first sight of a style that you will see again and again on the coast, in Wismar, Stralsund and as far as Tallinn. The Salzspeicher, the old salt warehouses beside the river, are a reminder of how the city grew rich.
The Baltic coast road, which the Germans call the Ostseestraße, is a mixed pleasure. The first stretch is a flat road through farmland, with the sea hidden behind the dunes, and the resort towns along the coast are crowded in summer. But the roads inland, among the hedges and rolling fields, are much quieter and more pleasant. The best time to ride is in the evening or early morning, when the light is soft and the roads are empty.
Travemünde, at the mouth of the Trave, is the seaside district of Lübeck, with a long beach, a casino and the four-masted barque Passat, which is moored there as a museum ship. Ferries to Scandinavia and the Baltic states leave from the harbour, and the ships coming and going are a fine sight. A walk on the beach promenade, with an ice cream and the sea breeze, makes a good way to start the day.