Ostsee - De groote Tour

It was a sunny and another perfect day to embark on the second hike of what I like to call the "Triple Crown of Schleswig Holstein". The triple crown officially refers to a title you earn when you finish all three long distance hikes in the US. The Pacific Crest Trail, The Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Of course our triple crown only takes three days, while the original last roughly 15 months, but I still think it's a fun little motivation of getting at least one triple crown in my life. So after a longer car ride, we arrived at our new destination. Pelzerhaken.

Pelzerhaken is a beautiful little beach town that is loved by campers and surfers throughout Germany. With only one tiny supermarket but several restaurants and a few little shops, you can enjoy your day relaxing on the beach or walking along the promenade. If you like kite surfing, windsurfing or paddleboarding, this is your place. You can find a couple of surf schools near the beach where you can learn and rent gear for a more adventurous approach to your holiday. 

Our walk started at the tourist information centre, where we got our first stamp. We started really early. Firstly for protection of Sierras paws and also because it is wayyyy less busy. Trying to hike the promenade is one thing. Hiking it on a public holiday with temperatures up in the 20th is another. As Germans tend to still eat breakfast in the hours of 8 am - 9 am, we were able to enjoy our walk without the hustle of other people, dogs, bikes and other distractions. A little tip from my side: The lifeguard building offers free toilets, if you do want to get rid of your first coffee before starting your walk. But don't worry you will pass another 2 toilet blocks within the next hour, also free of charge and really clean, both located at the two surf schools. You can't miss them. The first one even has a warm fresh water free shower, if you want to use the first stretch of your hike to go for a swim in the ocean, which I highly recommend. The next couple of hours were simply stunning. We followed right alongside the ocean, past camping grounds and fields with rolling sandy paths that provide you with some amazing views of the coastline. Be careful to not get too close to the edge, as the cliffs have been known to collapse at times. Weakened through previous storms, wind and high water. So don't try any funny business.

After a while, we reached the end of our little coast walk. A nice little forest section called the "Ruheforst". This is not an ordinary forest. We found ourselves in a funeral forest. Being respectful while walking through it comes without saying. So turn off any loud music and leash your dogs to not disturbed people visiting their loved ones. After a few minutes, we came across a little ceremonial clearing. A big wooden cross and a few benches are placed in a small clearing to the right, overlooking the ocean, and gives space for small funeral services. If you have a good look around, while walking through the forest, you can see little metal plates on trees with the names and dates of the humans who are laid to rest here. We continued following the path through the shady protection of the trees before we reached a small car park and entered the first of many fields we would walk though. We were amazed how stunning this section was. Yellow flowers as far as the eye can see. We were surrounded and could not get enough of the beauty of mother nature.

We now started our walk inland. Away from the ocean and towards "Gut Brodau" where we got our second stamp. You better get your camera ready, as this is a beautiful location to quickly explore before moving on. It is also a great place to use the shade for a quick break with the horses. After a small walk alongside the road, the path led us left towards the fields. We walked a straight dirt path for quite some time past "Hof Eichwerder and through the little town of "Schashagen". Where we found stamp number three. We did only miss it, so keep an eye out at the first junction. If you have reached the fire station, you have gone too far. 

If you want to take a nice break before heading into the forest, feel free to use the same hidden bank we used just before the forest entry. But you better be mentally prepared for the amount of mosquitos that you find. In my personal opinion, those are not normal mosquitos. They seem to be free-range and happy ones. And because these little vampires are so happy, they are at least three time the size of normal mosquitos. So take a last good breath and best don't talk while walking through this next section. The warmth and wet ground is the perfect breeding ground for them and if you were to talk a deep breath in, you might have reached your protein intake for the day. We walked this section in silence, with our mouths closed and occasionally slapping mozzies away. If you stop, you loose. Keep moving and make it through as fast as possible. 

Soon we reached the little town of "Logeberg" where we had a little break for Sierra to cool down near the war memorial before moving forward. The next stretch was a bit boring for us as it just follows the road before reaching the next community of "Merkendorf". On the left-hand side you find a big stable with a lot of horses, chickens if you are lucky, and the last box. After collecting our final stamp, we made our way back to a nice path filled with puddles that Sierra used right away to cool down and get her mud coat on. A few minutes after her mud zoomies we then followed the path leading all the way back to the coast. After our last little break, we had the last annoying section of this hike before us. It was time again to follow the road for a few kilometres. I am personally not a big fan of road walking, as it hurts my knee, is boring and depending on the weather too hot for Sierras paws. But we knew it was only a short stretch before we were back on gravel roads. And after a few minutes we had made it. It was now time to cut through the path past fields to get back to our original starting point in Pelzerhaken. If you are now sweaty, tired and exhausted, there is only one thing to do. 

Make it back to the tourist information, get yourself an ice cream and go to the beach to relax and cool your feet in the ocean - just jump in and go for a swim. Toilets and showers are available. You are only here once, make it count. 

The route