Elbe cycle path - Page 6

Hamburg - Glückstadt (70 km)

In the morning we were allowed to cycle through the city once more. Again passing the Elbphilharmonie we took the old Elbe Tunnel to Steinwerder. The tunnel with the elevators is definitely worth a visit. However, I had planned totally wrong, from there one did not come further to Finkenwerder to the cycle track on the other side. We drove up and down the streets on the Elbe island for an hour, but I found nothing to cross. Somewhat under time pressure, since we had planned a reunion with a pilgrim from the Jerusalem Way today, we had to go through the Elbtunnel back and take one of the ferries to Finkenwerder.

Close to the banks of the Elbe, we cycled past fields and orchards through the Alte Land. Through the old town of Jork, then further along the asphalt road to the Lühe jetty. In the meantime, we had changed back to Niedersachsen. Here we met our pilgrim friend Sigrid and first enjoyed an hour together. There was much to tell. Huge pots came up the Elbe. It was hot today. The common way to Stade was entertaining, past the sandy beach in Bassenfleth to the old trading town of Stade. After a visit to the beer garden, Sigrid led us through the beautiful old town. Unfortunately we had to go on, it was still far to Glücksstadt and we were still dependent on a ferry. After Bützfleth the cycle track led again relaxed along the dike, at Krautsand we had to go through the inland, we did not know whether a barrage on the way to the ferry Wischhafen was open. At some point we reached the ferry, in the evening sun we enjoyed the crossing. On the other shore it was no longer far into the beautiful city center and a place in the pretty full beer gardens was then also soon free 🙂.

Glückstadt - Cuxhaven (81 km)

In the morning we had to go back by ferry to the left side of the Elbe. It was cloudy today, sporadically raining. The landscape was extensive, mostly the route ran on the dam, but also along long dirt roads. After the Ostesperrwerk we made near Otterndorf in a beer garden the last stop before the finish. Continuing on the causeway, we reached Cuxhaven. In the old fishing harbor we sat down in a bar with sandy beach and thought about the further procedure on the last day. So we first explored the area in the old harbor, walked to the Alte Liebe, a former pier, which is now a viewing platform and past the lighthouse.

We walked across the beach of the Grimmershörn Bay to the district of Döse, to check into the accommodation. It was too cold to swim, and the tide was low. In the late afternoon we walked along the beautiful sandy beach of the Duhner Watt to the Kugelbake, the final destination of the Elbe cycle path. We walked up and down here and enjoyed the play of colors of the landscape and the sea air until the sunset. Then we toasted in one of the many restaurants behind the Kurpark, on a successful bike tour 🙂.