Northern Germany

Chuns

Chuns

Joined
Jun 19, 2014
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Wimborne
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Adria Coral+ 670SL
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My wife spent her early childhood near Flensburg, right on the Danish border, and has expressed a desire to “go back and have a look' (after seventy years!). Smashin', I'll plan a trip around that.

Starting at Calais, any thoughts on places to visit or things to see roughly on the way? Amsterdam is an obvious choice, there will be much more I'm sure.

Thanks for any insights.
 
Never been up that way myself yet, but I’m sure you will have a good trip. I’ve heard Luneburg, Schwerin, Lübeck, Kiel and even Hamburg are places not to be missed.👍
 
Keep going North, to Billund and visit Legoland!

When I was a kid, that was the family route into Scandinavia.

"Growing old is compulsory,
Growing up is optional"
- Bob Monkhouse
 
Funnily enough that's the area I'm considering for 2025. What are Holland and Denmark like for casual FLT camping(subject to the usual courtesies of course)?

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There is a Stellp[latz at Cloppenburg outdoor museum, I seem to remember a fair bit of agricultural machinery (including the biggest plough ever built and hauled by massive steam engines) but the web site doesn't show it, https://museumsdorf.de/en/9246-2/

Bremerhaven is worth a visit if you fancy a look around a German U boat, likewise Bremen is OK and a Stellplatz on the island.

Hamburg is a nice town and has a Stellplatz within easy walking distance of the centre.

Eckernforde on the Baltic Coast was nice and we got a train to see the Keil Canal, there is a Stellplatz at Keil but I think 7m max ;)

If you want to avoid driving through Hamburg the ferry over the Elbe was interesting, it goes between Wischaffen and Gluckstadt.
 
You may find this link worth looking at. We wandered into Denmark whilst exploring northern Germany and had no problem finding places to park overnight, there are plenty very large lay-byes and some have basic toilets. The Danish people are very welcoming.

germanyfootsteps.com

10 Jaw-Dropping Places You MUST Visit In Northern Germany 😍 - Germany Footsteps

Looking for the best places to visit in Northern Germany? Click here for our list of amazing places to visit in North Germany that you won't want to miss
germanyfootsteps.com germanyfootsteps.com
 
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We've gone most years with the car from the Hook to Hirtshals in north Jylland and gone various routes to avoid the chaos around Hamburg, and as said above usually via the Wieschafen to Gluckstadt ferry across the Elbe north of Hamburg . From Rotterdam north past Amsterdam on the A7 and across the manmade Afluitsdijk still on the A7/E22, very scenic and a rest stop and viewpoints along the way. Once across, south of there or more directly, using the A6 east from Amsterdam, is the very scenic Gierthoorn, another Venice of the North. We have been in the motorhome but heading to Norway so didn't spend long sightseeing en route but again as mentioned Cloppenburg and Bremerhaven are worth stopovers and further west I remember Blankenberge was our first stop in the van with a busy town and good beach.

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Brilliant! Thank you. A lot to research to do already. Thanks for the links, and I shall read your blog, Riverbankannie.
 
To get a feel for the north German coast you could do worse than reading The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. It's a little out of date having been published in 1903 but it's a cracking adventure story. :)
 
DBK said:
To get a feel for the north German coast you could do worse than reading The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. It's a little out of date having been published in 1903 but it's a cracking adventure story. :)
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In the same sort of vein (but for non readers of books) Nordic Murders on 4OD is actually quite good. Subtitles if you arent fluent in German
 
suavecarve said:
In the same sort of vein (but for non readers of books) Nordic Murders on 4OD is actually quite good. Subtitles if you arent fluent in German
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Is that the series with the interfering mother who always gets involved in the investigation? I read she was some sort of victim support liaison in the latest series. We stopped watching it because of her.

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We are looking to do the same from the Hook of Holland leaving on 21st. April. First stop will be Keukenhof for the tulip festival. Then up through Holland, Baltic Sea coast and drop down to Berlin. So will keep an eye on this.
 
Fockbeck and book a tour of the Hobby factory, the Stelplatz is also very good , Prora, Hitlers 2km long hotel and the singing sands and Mecklenburg area German lake District worth a visit
 
Mecklenburg area best seen from a boat IMHO, Schwerwin worth a visit ... and the old and new shiplifts on the Oder-Havel canal at Niederfinow are worth seeing, if engineering floats your boat.
It did ours .... ..

P1070219-Edit.webp
P1070103.webp
 
Bailey58 said:
Is that the series with the interfering mother who always gets involved in the investigation? I read she was some sort of victim support liaison in the latest series. We stopped watching it because of her.
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It is an interfering convicted murderer who, prior to killing her old man, was the equivalent of the DA. I dont think she was victim support in the last series.
 
Make certain you visit Hamburg for the worlds largest model train display in the old warehouse on the docks. The display includes an airport of Hamburg with flying planes and the model towns include vehicles moving on the roads.
A trip on the river, lakes and rivers is also very good.
The Art gallery is also excellent. Once I had booked to stay on the campsite in the city but as it closed at 8pm and as we were held up by a huge traffic jam we found a quiet place to park next to a river near the centre. My wife is from Hamburg and we often go to stay with family there.
The Baltic coast and food is great, the isle of Rugen has kept its character as it was communist occupied East Germany. The Baltic in summer can be very warm for swimming.

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First thing I'd do is start from Harwich/Hook of Holland!
It will save you a day on the way out, and another day on the way back!
 
Thanks again everybody, already half the trip planned thanks to you all.

I'm a bit of a Victor Meldrew when it comes to UK roads, Brains - I even begrudge the 12 miles from the Poole ferry to home, cursing them all the way. As I don't mind driving on the roads in near Europe, and I enjoy the Aires system, I'm giving serious thought to starting in Caen, le Havre, or even Cherbourg, we have plenty of time. (and I also swore I'd never use Stena again - I had to sue them through the Small Claims court). But thanks for the thought.
 
Chuns said:
Thanks again everybody, already half the trip planned thanks to you all.

I'm a bit of a Victor Meldrew when it comes to UK roads, Brains - I even begrudge the 12 miles from the Poole ferry to home, cursing them all the way. As I don't mind driving on the roads in near Europe, and I enjoy the Aires system, I'm giving serious thought to starting in Caen, le Havre, or even Cherbourg, we have plenty of time. (and I also swore I'd never use Stena again - I had to sue them through the Small Claims court). But thanks for the thought.
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Wimborne --> Harwich, 200 miles/3h 30m
Hoek of Holland --> Bremen 259miles/4h 30m

Wimborne --> Dover, 180 miles/3h 15m
Calais --> Bremen, 400 miles/7hrs

To save 15 minutes in the UK will cost you 150 miles and 3 hrs on the other side.

Get the night crossing with a cabin and you will Bremen in time for lunch
or
Take the Dover route and if you flog it, you might make it in time for a late supper in Bremen.

mmmmm, even for 3rd world roads .....
 
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We have been up that way several times.

Texel island (Den Helder) Great place to unwind and ride a bike, interesting history
The maritime museum in Den Helder is worth a visit.
Driving across the Ijsselmeer dyke.
Groningen (The worlds most cycle friendly city)
Crossing the Weser and Elbe on the car ferries
Sylt island (no vehicles)
Lubeck
Wismar
Schwerin lake and castle (and a good campsite)
Stralsund
Rugen, we have been twice, both times "just for a couple of days" both time stayed a couple of weeks.
A lot to see and do. (Loved Hiddensee island)
Peenemunde, the V2 museum.
The old seaside towns like heringsdorf, Lubmin etc
 
Brains said:
Wimborne --> Harwich, 200 miles/3h 30m
Hoek of Holland --> Bremen 259miles/4h 30m

Wimborne --> Dover, 180 miles/3h 15m
Calais --> Bremen, 400 miles/7hrs

To save 15 minutes in the UK will cost you 150 miles and 3 hrs on the other side.
Click to expand...
Harwich is a seven hour crossing compared to an hour and a half at Dover unless you split the difference and go via Newhaven/Dieppe

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To save 15 minutes in the UK will cost you 150 miles and 3 hrs on the other side.

You are quite right in that, Brains and your observation about how quickly I could get to Bremen. However if I wanted to get somewhere quickly I'd be taking a plane. I enjoy pootling along for two/three hours a day, food shopping, a pleasant aire, maybe a beer before dinner. The miles don’t matter, nor the time, which would be spent doing what we like. For us, that's what Motorhoming represents.

Thanks for the list, another place added to the itinerary.
 

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