Cycle touring through Mecklenburg-Vorpormmern: Day 7 & 8- Duvendiek to Bergen auf Rügen to Binz

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I head out from Duvendiek to catch the train to Rügen from a nearby town, but realize I will miss it, and start heading to Stralsund. I approach the next town just as another train pulls in, and miss it as well, doh! Rather than wait an hour or two, I opt to cycle along the motorway on the dedicated path to Stralsund. The path is fast but unpicturesque. From there I get the train to Lietzow, which is the closest town to Kap Arkona along the train network. Kap Arkona the northernmost point of Rügen, and my destination for the day. From Lietzow the hilly path winds through a beautiful beech forest and then dips down to the coast, before turning slightly more inland through beautiful pastures and meadows towards Glowe. The path changed from smooth paved to bumpy cobblestone to compacted dirt. Near Glowe the path crosses a bridge and the view opens up to water on both sides with dark green reeds along the coast. The water is dotted with birds relaxedly floating in the sun, and some are diving for food. There is something magical about this spot, and most travelers linger. From Glowe the route travels beside the main thoroughfare alongside forests towards Juliusruh. From the map the route is near the coast but there are no vistas. From Juliusruh the path goes west towards Breege and then gets confusing. Somehow I zig-zag in the right direction and was on a beautiful coastal path towards Kap Arkona. There are some cut outs in the grass to allow for cliff viewing, and a rectangular stone formation with a beautiful tree at one end. The Saxons settled in this area, and perhaps this was a relic. I stop for lunch at a place with a park bench and beautiful views, accessed through a fenced pasture across from a holiday rental.

Finally one approaches Vitt where there is a Saxon hut, and the lighthouses are in view. The viewing station along the east of the cape is closed pending review of the safety. Beautiful wooden carvings celebrate the Saxon settlement. I continue along towards the artist hut, where there are colourful wooden fish and a big wooden strawberry. There is a long stairwell down towards sea level which I run down, and pant up. One can also go to the top of the lighthouse for a price, and there is a bunker but I skip these things because I have to retrace my steps and get to Bergen before too late to check into our hotel. The way back is just as beautiful and unexpectedly I take different paths. At the magical spot at the bridge near Glowe there is a guitarist playing the blues, and I linger again. Past Lietzow I cross over the isthmus towards Bergen and the massive hills begin: up and down, besides the highway. Bergen is true to name. the center of town is on top of a hill, and I must cycle on a narrow cracked sidewalk beside a cobblestone road into the market square. I check in, relax and get cleaned up, and look for dinner options while I wait for T to arrive by train. We opt for a charming restaurant with an open kitchen till 11 pm.

Our last day, we catch the 8:30 train to Sassnitz to see the white cliffs of Jasmund Park. This is cliff country, and the streets in the town also wind up and down. We finally reach the southernmost entrance of the park, and from the other side of the parking lot starts the bike trail. We are immediately thrust in the midst of a beautiful deep dark beech forest with high high canopies. We twist and turn through the trees towards Wildhalle on a sometimes cobblestone road, where one coastal lookout midway up the park stands. We savor the breathtaking views of the white cliffs while fueling up with bread and cheese. Then back to the cobblestones, we wind through the hills on the horrendously bumpy track. We finally emerge to the Königsstuhl center, to find a very developed exhibition park complete with movie and 7.50 EUR entrance fee. We opt to view the cliff from the free and nearby Viktoria-sicht lookout to the south. Mission accomplished, we speed down the narrow two-lane motorway back to Sassnitz and beyond to Binz. The path from Sassnitz south sped mostly downhill. I relished the easy speed, and hoped it never climbed back uphill, which it didn't for once. It was relaxed bike paths most of the way down the strait. Binz was very tourist oriented, with many high-rise resort complexes, and long promenade along the strand where we found lunch. We were told the south eastern forests were very scenic and less frequented, but our tired legs begged otherwise, and we took the next train back home. After the fact I realized I had sped past and missed the gargantuan and empty Nazi holiday complex at Prora! Gah! Next time.

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