Sternberg is a small town of about five thousand in the Mecklenburg lake country, east of Schwerin, on a lake of the same name in a landscape of low hills, reedbeds and rolling farm fields. The Sternberger Seenlandschaft is a patchwork of water left behind by the last ice age, and the lakes here are quiet, clear and good for swimming in summer, with small public beaches and shady shoreline spots. Wismar, the old Hanseatic port on the Baltic, lies to the north, and Gägelow, the other village on the list, is one of its suburbs.
The town has a long history that includes some dark episodes. In 1492 it was the site of a trial in which Jews were accused of desecrating the host, and a number were burned, a persecution that left a lasting stain; the medieval parish church still stands in the middle of town, a big brick building typical of the region. Like much of Mecklenburg, the area is dotted with brick Gothic churches, manor houses and estates, and the Baltic coast and its cities, Wismar and Rostock, lie within reach.
For a rider the pleasure is calm. Roads here are long, flat and straight, with old avenues of lime and chestnut trees, quiet villages, and a surface that varies between smooth new asphalt and cobbles or patchwork in places. The corners are few, and the draw is the swimming and the light: ride in the morning, swim at midday, and wander on in the evening when the air cools. Wind comes off the Baltic and can be steady, and thunderstorms in summer are sudden. Watch for deer and wild boar at dusk, and for farm traffic.
Fuel is available in Sternberg, though small stations close early, and in the larger towns nearby, such as Schwerin to the west and Wismar to the north. Eat smoked fish, fried herring, and in late summer plum cake and sweet cherries from the roadside stalls. Cranes gather on the fields in autumn, and their calls carry a long way. The water warms up by midsummer, and shallow swimming places suit a quick stop.