The land around Lütjenburg is what geologists call young moraine, which means the last ice sheet only left about fifteen thousand years ago, and the ground still looks freshly rumpled. Instead of the flat plains of the west or the old, rounded hills of the south, this corner of Holstein is a patchwork of small hills, hollows and ponds, with farmland cut into fields by hedges and lines of trees. The old roads here follow the grain of the land, dipping into valleys, crossing little streams and climbing again, with none of the dead-straight grid of the modern bypasses.
That is why the older road is worth taking. It runs through hamlets with names ending in dorf and hagen, past brick farms, tall barns and the occasional red-roofed manor house, and the bends are tight enough to keep you awake without being a worry. The surface varies from smooth tarmac to patched, sandy sections, and there are blind crests where tractors loom suddenly out of sight. Slow down at the crests, watch for gravel at field entrances, and keep an eye on the wind, which blows steadily from the west and brings sudden showers.
Lütjenburg, on its low rise, is the natural place for a reset. The market square has a small fountain, a few cafés and a bakery or two, and the church stands over it with a solid, plain tower. It is a town of about six thousand people, large enough for fuel stations, supermarkets and a pharmacy, and small enough that you can see all of the centre in ten minutes. Park on or near the square and take your time over a coffee and cake. Franzbrötchen, a cinnamon pastry pressed flat, is a northern German snack that deserves more fame than it gets.
The Baltic is a few kilometres north, and in summer many riders head there for a swim, so the road toward Hohwacht can be busy with cars and bicycles on weekends. Inland, the roads toward Plön and the lakes are quieter, with fewer cars and more trees, and the light on a clear evening there is a joy. Spring is the best time, when the rape flowers and the beeches are in new leaf, and September is a close second.