The best traffic-free bike rides in Forst Hohe Meile

Indeed, despite my grandparents' house in the Bay of Lübeck, I have only now "discovered" this nature reserve. Great. In summer, besides many animals, you will also find plenty of plants like wild thyme – partly in large quantities. It smells fantastic.

This area here is truly a beautiful, untouched, and peaceful place. It's almost a shame to cycle there, as you're almost too fast to truly enjoy the beauty. Yes, you can cycle, but my tip: Go on foot. Walking along the Trave and observing the flora and fauna can almost only be done on foot. For me, the path along there is unfortunately also associated with the memory that on the other side of the Trave, "German soldiers" of the border troops had to watch "German citizens" to prevent them from "escaping" to Germany. The only good thing about it is that nature could develop completely without hustle and bustle because of it.

Such stone monuments were primarily erected for someone who died at the site, either by family members or by the perpetrator of the murder, who had been obligated to do so by arbitration as part of a reconciliation agreement. Commonly, they are therefore also known as expiation stones or murder memorials. This stele, with its horseshoe-shaped headpiece made of Gotlandic limestone, was erected on the medieval trade route between Dassow and Lübeck. It is dedicated to Marquard Börzöw; little is known about the circumstances of his death here. On the front, the headpiece depicts a crucifix standing on a rise, beneath which kneels a male figure with a money pouch at his belt—presumably the person to whom this stone is dedicated. Above his hands is the prayer formula "miserere mei deus" (Miserable love for my God). The minuscule inscription translates as: "Pray to God for Marquard Börzöw, who died in the year 1398 on the feast day of Saint Clement (November 23)." tardkreis

It was actually a hiking trail, but it was also possible by bike. However,

NSG Dummersdorfer Ufer

The Stülper Huk rises approximately 16 meters above the Trave River and is believed to have once served as a strategic location for Count Adolf II's castle to oversee shipping and trade on the Trave. A stone commemorates the site where this old Travemünde once stood. At that time, the complex was protected by ditches and ramparts, the remains of which can still be seen today. Explore the Stülper Huk on five hiking trails and climb the viewing platform for a fantastic view!

Around the Stülper Huk, a peninsula jutting into the Trave River opposite the Pötenitzer Wiek, you can still find extensive dry grasslands that provide a niche for rare plant species. Thyme, heather pinks, and gentian, for example, have specialized in nutrient-poor, sunny soils. Sheep must regularly graze the dry grasslands to ensure that the delicate, colorful "specialists" don't lose their light to faster-growing plant competitors. The Landscape Conservation Association keeps two flocks of sheep and a few goats specifically for this purpose, which, with a bit of luck, you might spot on the Dummersdorfer shore. A narrow strip of beach stretches along the steep bank.

The rolling hills were formed during the ice ages, when glaciers moved across the land and then melted again. As the Baltic Sea level rose, saltwater penetrated the meltwater channel of the Trave River, creating the high banks that still exist today. The steep banks are largely characterized by scrub forests, which farmers used for firewood for centuries.