North Germany and Baltic States - Devon trf,help needed please.

Mr. Wapping, I’m endlessly impressed and inspired by you calm and alway helpful contributions on this site. A refreshing change from some of the snarky types that you sometimes meet here. Chapeau!
 
In post #8 I suggested that bicyclists often take ‘small’ roads. I Googled, ‘Baltic tour by bicycle’, which - if nothing else - goes to show the possible value in a bit of imaginative surfing around.

http://bicyclegermany.com/baltic_coast.html

Reading about, ‘The bikeline guidebook claims the length is 511 miles’, but the blurb not having an active link, I Googled, ‘Bikeline guides’, which gave me:

https://www.esterbauer.com/international.html

No doubt the suggested routes in the books might follow some dedicated bicycle only tracks but I doubt very much if they do all the way. Even so, you could look where they go and no doubt find some roads that run close by or parallel, which is where a good map willl come in handy. Buy one of the books and see what you think. If it’s no good, sell it on EBay.

Now comes the possibly interesting bit. The same Google search threw up:

https://en.eurovelo.com/ev10

A quick tap around the website on my iPad threw up maps, which you can zoom in on for each dedicated section. In these you can see where the route possibly takes dedicated cycle paths but you can also see where you could (if the cycle routes are closed to motorbikes) take a road that runs close by. Here is an example:

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A tiny bit more surfing around, found me this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yEfkIePaA-4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Can you ride it all on a motorbike? I have no idea but is little bit of work might give you the answer.

A little bit more surfing around, threw up:

https://www.motourismo.com/en/listings/2648-by-motorcycle-around-the-baltic-sea

Scrolling down the webpage and looking at a map gave me a pretty good idea of where the tour routes probably go and I got some ideas of the some ideas for things to maybe do, too:

Tour character:

You ride along the Baltic Sea coast - about 2,600 km through six countries. A royal tour, where a comfortable motorcycle does not hurt. Mostly secondary routes are chosen, but it is not always possible to avoid busy road sections, especially around the big cities. There are four longer daily stages to master, but all of them are easy to ride. If you have some time, you can book extensions for Saaremaa or Gotland. Both islands offer great routes.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival

Individual journey to Kiel, embarkation and departure (approx. 21.00 hrs) in the direction of the Baltic States. Overnight stay on board.

Day 2: Klaipeda

Arrival in Klaipeda (approx. 18.00 hrs) and opportunity to discover the old Memel on a walking tour. The Simon Dach Fountain with the Annie of Tharau on the Theaterplatz and the small half-timbered houses are worth a visit. Overnight stay in Klaipeda.

Day 3: Curonian Spit (approx. 100 km)

Day trip to the Curonian Spit - through sparse forests, over gently undulating dune tops and always with a view of the lagoon, you will reach Nida (Nida). In Nida, the Thomas Mann House on the Mother-in-law Hill and the old spa cemetery around the small church are worth seeing. Cafés and restaurants invite you to stop for a bite to eat. Maybe you will take a walk to the Parnid Dune before you ride back to Klaipeda. Overnight stay in Klaipeda.

Day 4 : Klaipeda - Palanga - Kuldiga - Riga (about 350 km)

You ride via Palanga and Kuldiga to Riga. The route takes you for a part along the beautiful Lithuanian-Latvian coast. Riga: A contrasting programme, coming straight from the spit! Riga is the largest city in the Baltic States, lively, modern and at the same time historical. Overnight stay in Riga.

Day 5: Riga - Gauja National Park - Pärnu (about 250 km)

Ride to the Gauja National Park, whose landscape is determined by the course of the Gauja River. The castle Turaida (Treyden) near Sigulda could be a stopover for sightseeing. Through the Latvian province you ride to Pärnu. The "summer capital" of Estonia invites with beautiful wooden villas, extensive parks and a beautiful beach. Overnight stay in Pärnu.

Day 6: Pärnu - Haapsalu - Tallinn (about 220 and 260 km)

Next stop is Haapsalu. The health resort was extremely popular even in the time of the tsars. A quiet side road will take you to Tallinn. The townscape is characterised by winding cobblestone alleys and pointed gabled merchants' houses - as befits an old Hanseatic town. Overnight stay in Tallinn.

Day 7 : Tallinn - Lahemaa National Park - Toila (about 190 km)

You will ride to the Lahemaa National Park. Dreamy fishing villages, estates, long beaches, moors, deep forests and gigantic erratic blocks form a contemplative mosaic. If you can spare a little time, take a detour through the fishing villages of Käsmu or Altja. Overnight stay in Toila.

Day 8: Toila - St. Petersburg (about 200 km)

You are heading for Russia, at Narva you cross the EU external border. On the Narva River stands the impressive Hermann's Fortress, opposite which stands the Russian fortress of Ivangorod. Overnight stay in St. Petersburg.

Day 9: St. Petersburg

The "Venice of the North" invites you to a sightseeing tour! Russia's second largest city captivates with its magnificent buildings, palaces, castles and bridges. Explore St. Petersburg and see the Peter and Paul Fortress, Winter Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Resurrection Cathedral and Alexander Nevsky Monastery, among others. Overnight stay in St. Petersburg.

Day 10: St. Petersburg - Vyborg - Hamina (approx. 290 km)

It's going to Finland. During a stop in Vyborg you can enjoy the view of the small town from the castle, which is well worth seeing. Your route follows the King's Road. The old trade route originated in the Middle Ages and led from Bergen in Norway to St. Petersburg. The day's destination is the pretty town of Hamina. Overnight stay in Hamina.

Day 11: Hamina - Helsinki - Turku (about 310 km)

Continuing along Königsstraße you will reach Helsinki. Worth seeing are the harbour, the Senate Square with the Cathedral Church, the central Mannerheim Street, the Parliament Building, the Finlandia Hall and the Sibelius Monument as well as the famous Rock Church. Afterwards ride to Turku and embarkation for the crossing to Stockholm. Overnight stay on board.

Day 12: Stockholm

In the morning arrival in Stockholm. You can visit the royal castle, take a walk through the old town Gamla Stan or visit one of the numerous museums. Overnight stay in Stockholm.

Day 13: Stockholm - Oskarshamn (about 340 km)

Your route leads along the beautiful Baltic Sea coast, again and again there are Swedish red cottages and farms embedded in the landscape. Your day's destination is Oskarshamn, whose port connects the Swedish mainland with the island of Gotland. Take a stroll through the Fnyket district with its picturesque wooden cottages by the harbour. Overnight stay in Oskarshamn.

Day 14: Oskarshamn - Kalmar - Ystad (approx. 340 km)

You ride to Kalmar with its numerous old town streets. Here it is worth visiting the cathedral church and the castle. Via Karlshamn we ride to Kristianstad with its well-preserved old town centre and the Holy Trinity Church which is well worth seeing. The day's destination is Ystad, where crime fans follow in the footsteps of Mankell's detective superintendent Wallander. All the others are strolling around the pretty city centre. Overnight stay in Ystad.

Day 15: Departure

Early in the morning ride to Trelleborg harbour, embarkation and departure (approx. 9.30 am). In the evening (approx. 19.15 o'clock) arrival in Lübeck-Travemünde (optionally also Rostock).

You can supplement this trip with city tours and excursions. You will find more details in the price section of the trip and in our "Excursions" section.

Additional package Saaremaa Island (2 nights):

The island of Saaremaa (Ösel) awaits its visitors with idyllic scenery: stone walls made of erratic blocks, reed-roofed houses and trestle windmills characterise the appearance. The little frequented roads are a great area for motorcycle tours. The extension package is bookable from/to Tallinn.

Want something on the Polish coast? Pull some bits out of this company’s tour, which they charge for:

https://poland-incoming.com/travel/346,around-the-baltic-sea-on-the-amber-route.html


Then I watched a bit of this video. If a bod can hire a motorbike and find his way around, I guess anyone can:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xmy_7GXHEXk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Get imaginative; it’s the future.
 
Looking at the map in the post above, you don’t need to be too much of an imaginative genius to guess that the white bordered roads are probably smaller than the yellow roads.

You could therefore consider not following the roads that the bicyclists take but head a bit inland instead. You’ll see less of the sea, obviously but Trevor TRF wants small roads.....

69a03d6e22ba8341546cffb7b6d86a03.plist


It shows the value of getting a decent map and then thinking about what the map tells you. It also tells you that you’ll go through lots of villages. Maybe great if you want to stop for a coffee or see how other bods live..... but maybe it slows you down too much.... and you’ll not get to the Baltic States from Kiel and back again, within the (unknown) time allocated.
 
From the bloke imself...

Thanks again Mike.

It is my wife and I going, she has a Honda SLR 650 and I am taking an old Harley Sportster. We have about 3 ish weeks and I intend to try and produce a film/ blog.

Only time will tell if we are allowed to do it,but here's hoping.

Trev
 
How are Trevor TRF’s plans coming along?

It would be interesting to see what he’s put together, assuming that is he’s going.
 
How are Trevor TRF’s plans coming along?

It would be interesting to see what he’s put together, assuming that is he’s going.

I don't know Richard,
I will enquire as to if he is,

But given the current situation I doubt it will be this year,as European jabs are way behind us brits ...
 
Thank you.

I hope he can make his jaunt at some point and shares his routes / story with us.
 


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