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Schleswig-Holstein: That is the question

Posted on 6 June 20259 July 2025 by Rob Ainsley

After a few days in Denmark, I cycled a few days in Schleswig-Holstein. Why? Ah, that old question. Well, I’m planning a German End to End later this year, and this seemed good preparation.

Why doesn’t everywhere do cycle infra as well as Schleswig-Holstein? Good question.

Northern Germany does good cycling infra. The hundred-plus-mile trip from Flensburg, on the Danish border, through the DK/DE ambiguity of Schleswig-Holstein down to Hamburg, in ‘proper Germany’, was almost all on very good cycle paths separated off from the main or side roads.

You can’t beat steel frames: Flensburg beach

Every small town had a supermarket, and clean, comfy, reasonably-priced accomm was easy to find.

Mountain views… not: Wild swim at Gross Wittensee

As for the scenery, well, words such as ‘spectacular’, ‘thrilling’, ‘alpine’, and ‘not’ come to mind. I didn’t expect frame-filling mountainscapes, and I didn’t get them. It’s all gentle, rolling, farmy and green, though there are some picturesque river crossings with cool ferries.

Green ferry blues: Missunde

(The ferry at Missunde has an unfortunate story. The terrible polluting old diesel ferry was sold off cheap recently and replaced with a super new green solar-powered one. Which, er, soon proved unsteerable because the PV panels acted as sails. The council had to buy back the dirty but reliable old ferry at a premium and get it running again, which is still is.)

Picnic time

I caught up with old friend, Hans, whose family has a farm outside Rendsburg. I wild-swam a few times in lakes. I had picnics at trim village-green benches. I ate delicious fresh food from farm shops. I saw storks. I sang karaoke in Hamburg. It was sunny and warm, and a very satisfactory few days.

Flensburg is, in fairness, a good sort of place. Literally.

I roughly followed the ‘Ox Path’, an ancient livestock way that gives its name to a modern bike route. No bull.

The unmistakable look of a Danish town: Flensburg. Except it’s in Germany.

My last leg into Hamburg was along the A7 main road that now follows the historic royal highway between it and Flensburg. Built in the early 1800s, it was evidently future-proofed with good cycle paths.

Ox tale: Historic milestone on the ancient highway between Flensburg and Hamburg

Period milestones line the route. However, these are Danish miles, which are about 7.5km, ie nearly five British miles.

Fresh farm strawberries: The most delicious I’ve ever eaten. Not joke, just fact.

Here’s a few more pics from the trip. I’m very much looking forward to my German End to End; if it’s anything as good as these last three days, it’ll be a cracking experience.

Monsta the cat and Hans the farmer
Contain your enthusiasm: Towpath trail towards Rendsburg
Lucky dip: Wild swim in Rendsburg
Cross talk: Under-canal tunnel in Rendsburg
Transport of delight, not: Remarkable rail bridge in Rendsburg, with sadly out of service Transporter Bridge
Nest is best: Rural stork
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