The coast of the Bay of Lübeck is the closest thing northern Germany has to a riviera, and the road that links Travemünde, Niendorf, Timmendorfer Strand, Scharbeutz and Haffkrug is its promenade. It runs a little inland from the sea, through a string of resort towns that merge into one another, with villas, hotels and shops on either side, and gaps between them that show the beach, the sea and the long wooden piers. This is a landscape of holiday, and it has been since the late nineteenth century, when the first bathing guests arrived by train from Lübeck and Hamburg.
The beaches are the draw. Long, wide stretches of fine pale sand slope gently into shallow water, backed by dunes, and in summer they are packed with striped wicker beach chairs, which are a local institution. The Baltic is calm and brackish, and warms quickly, and families come for weeks at a time. Timmendorfer Strand has the broadest promenade, with a pier and a smart, slightly showy air, while Niendorf has a small fishing harbour and a more relaxed character. A walk along the shore at the end of the day, with the sun going down behind the sand, is one of the pleasures of the coast.
For riders the road is not about corners. It is a series of stop-and-go stretches through resort traffic, with speed limits and crossings, and in July and August it can be slow and crowded. The best way to enjoy it is to come outside peak season, in May, June or September, when the beaches are still warm enough for a paddle and the roads are manageable. Early morning is the quiet hour, with the light soft and the first walkers on the sand. Watch for pedestrians stepping out between parked cars.
Services are everywhere. Timmendorfer Strand has about nine thousand people, which in season swells to many times that, with fuel stations, supermarkets and a hundred places to eat and drink. Fish rolls, ice cream, coffee and cake are all on offer along the promenade. Parking a motorbike near the beach is easy in the off-season and a struggle in July, and some car parks charge a fee. If you want to swim, lifeguarded stretches are marked, and the flags give the conditions. Take a towel, sun cream and a spare layer, because the sea breeze cools quickly after sunset.