Rerik lies on the Salzhaff, a sheltered lagoon on the Mecklenburg Baltic coast, separated from the open sea by a long narrow peninsula called Wustrow, and the viewpoint looks across a landscape of water, reeds and low hills. It is a place of birds: in spring and autumn migrating geese, cranes and waders fill the lagoon, and the quiet shore draws birdwatchers with binoculars. The air smells of salt, seaweed and grass, and the light is wide and pale.
The town is a small seaside place with a harbour, a promenade and a number of old fishermen's houses, now mixed with holiday villas. It has a fine church tower that can be seen from far out on the water. Local lore holds that a Slavic trading place called Reric stood somewhere on this coast over a thousand years ago, and while scholars debate the exact site, the claim gives the town a pleasant air of antiquity. The coast here was long a border zone between Slavic and German peoples, and the layers of that history are everywhere in the village names.
The riding is the usual Mecklenburg pleasure: flat or gently rolling, with avenues of old trees, fields of rapeseed and barley, and distant glimpses of the sea. The road along the coast offers long views, and the surface is mostly good, with patches of repair. Wind is the main factor. Gusts from the sea can be strong, and a headwind on the open stretches can slow progress, so a relaxed pace is the way.
Neubukow, a few kilometres inland, is the nearest town with a few services, though fuel is best taken at Kühlungsborn, about eleven kilometres to the east, where the stations and supermarkets are plentiful. Rerik has small shops and cafes, serving fish, cake and coffee at tables facing the water.
Summer evenings are lovely, with the light lingering long over the lagoon, and the sunsets across the water are among the best on this coast. Spring and autumn are quieter and have their own charm.