At the mouth of the Trave, where the river gives up and the Baltic begins, the beach at Travemünde runs in a long, pale curve beneath the promenade. It is a proper town beach, with striped wicker beach chairs, a pier, a casino and a long row of hotels, and in summer it is very busy. The water is shallow and gentle, warming quickly, and the beach slopes so gradually that small children can paddle a long way out. A small lighthouse on the waterfront is claimed to be the oldest in Germany, dating from the sixteenth century, and it is a pleasant landmark to meet at.
The resort has a long history. Travemünde has been a bathing place since the early nineteenth century, when the first visitors came by coach from Lübeck for the sea air, and by the end of the century it was a fashionable resort with a Kurhaus and a casino. The town's connection to Lübeck is old, and for centuries it was the city's port, guarding the river mouth. The brick buildings along the front and the weight of the old ships in the harbour speak of that long maritime history.
Out on the water, the Baltic is busy. Ferries to Sweden, Finland and the Baltic states leave from the terminal on the other side of the river mouth, and their enormous white hulls move past with a slow, stately tread. Sailing yachts and fishing boats weave between them, and on summer evenings the sky above the bay is full of colour. Swimming is pleasant on calm days, though jellyfish can appear in late summer and the lifeguards raise warning flags when the wind is up.
For riders the stop is straightforward. The approach from Lübeck is a fast road across flat farmland, with traffic that builds on summer weekends, and the final stretch through the town is slow and often congested. Parking close to the beach is possible, especially on weekdays, though some car parks charge a fee and the cobbles near the harbour are slippery. Fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés are plentiful, since the town has about fourteen thousand people, and an ice cream on the promenade is practically obligatory. The best moment is the early evening, when the day-trippers have gone and the sea is calm.