Travel report on the Oder-Neisse cycle path from Frankfurt/Oder to Usedom

After cycling the Zittau - Frankfurt/Oder route last year, I didn't want to miss out on exploring the second part of the Oder-Neisse Cycle Path to the sunny island of Usedom this year. I set off in the first week of May ...

After a good breakfast, we set off on our first section towards the nature paradise of the Oderbruch. The riverside promenade in Frankfurt is sometimes difficult to cycle on due to the cobblestones, but it's worth taking it slowly. Sound installations, works of art and information boards providing information about the Oder Valley line the route. Did you know that 111 people lost their lives in the Oder flood of 1997? Since then, flood protection on the Oder has been a top priority.

As far as Küstrin-Kietz, we cycle on and alongside the dyke, through allotments, on roadside cycle paths, mostly with a view of the Oder or its branches. We have stocked up on provisions in Frankfurt and have a picnic just before Küstrin-Kietz at one of the many rest areas. Here, too, we get more information about the Oder Valley and its flora and fauna. In Küstrin-Kietz, you have the opportunity to take a detour to the fortress, which is located just a few metres on the other side of the Oder. If you would rather enjoy a warm meal, you can stop for a bite to eat at the "Fischereihof" or the "Wagenrad" just after Küstrin-Kietz on the cycle path.

With a strong tailwind, we make good progress over the next few kilometres and reach Kienitz, where we choose the route through the village instead of cycling past it on the dyke. A tank on a plinth in the centre of the village commemorates the liberation of the village by the Russian army in 1970. A few metres further on in the Café Himmel & Erde, which is located in the open nave of the cycle path church, you can treat yourself to coffee and cake. Other than that, it is rather quiet in this little village.

Just four kilometres further on in Groß Neuendorf, a district of Letschin, things are quite busy. On public holiday weekends, young and old are out and about. By the river there is the "Theater im Bahnwaggon" (theatre in the railway carriage), which invites you to a performance. We still have a good 10 kilometres to go and make our way inland. A kilometre-long avenue leads us to Altlewin and the Alter Fritz. In the stylish country guesthouse belonging to the estate, we look forward to our evening meal before going to bed, tired after so much fresh air and exercise.

We don't want to miss anything on our cycle tour along the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route, so we cycle back to Groß Neuendorf to continue the tour there. Another option is to take the country road to Neulewin and return to the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route via Karlsbiese. A strong headwind along the avenue makes progress difficult, but back on the dyke we can benefit from the tailwind again. The kilometres fly by. The river landscape is marvellous. We can watch storks, herons, swans and many small birds on the marshy meadow. We stop in Zollbrücke. There are performances all day in the "Theater am Rand" (theatre on the edge), and the café/restaurant next door invites us to take a breather. As we are well on time, we make a detour to Neulietzegöricke, which was featured in Kessler's Expedition on WDR - a popular German television programme. It is considered to be the oldest colonist village in the Oderbruch and shines with its finely renovated half-timbered houses.

The easy cycling is over at Hohenwutzen. The Oder bends in a north-easterly direction and we are suddenly slowed down by a headwind. The cycle path no longer runs along the main stream of the Oder but along the parallel Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthal waterway, which guarantees a waterway connection between Berlin and Szczecin regardless of high and low water. In the meantime, the sky has become cloudy and we hope for a dry arrival in Schwedt. From the cycle path, we can see the Stolper Turm, also known as the "Grützpott", towering over the town on the left and soon the water tower of Schwedt.

Before we start our third section, we stock up on food again. Shortly after Schwedt, the cycle path is currently closed due to dyke construction works. There are two options: either through the neighbouring villages along roadside cycle paths or on the alternative route along a gravel path through the marshland of the Oderbruch. We decide in favour of nature and don't regret it. The landscape, the animals and the peace and quiet are simply marvellous. You can't get lost, because there is only one path. We are back on the dyke in Gatow. We mentally prepare ourselves for another diversion described in the Bikeline, but it doesn't actually happen. No sign of the construction works planned from 2015 to 2019. We cycle via Gartz to Mescherin.

The signposting is still very good, the landscape is unique, only the sky is a little overcast again. There are a few sections of cycle path along the road. However, these hardly seem to be used by cars. Shortly after Staffelde, a Polish and a German border post stand right next to each other - a lovely sight.

We take a late lunch break in Penkun am See. The wind is blowing cold in our faces. We still have around 26 kilometres to go to our destination. Penkun is surrounded by numerous lakes and ponds. The castle and museum are right in the centre. We cycle across the castle courtyard into the park behind it and continue our tour. Through seemingly endless fields and meadows, the route leads us up and down to Löcknitz. Before entering the town, we turn left towards Lake Löcknitz, pass a 1000-year-old oak tree and reach our accommodation which is located directly on the lake. Just as we move into our room, it starts to rain - good timing.

Today we're off to the sea, or rather to the Szczecin Lagoon. We can't wait for it. But first we get our packed lunch from the supermarket, as there are few if any places to stop for refreshments on this route. Heading out of town, we see various patrol cars. Because of the nearby border, you should definitely have your ID at hand here. We reach Hintersee via small villages such as Plöwen and Blankensee. We almost miss turning right to continue cycling through the forest along the railway embankment of the former Randower Kleinbahn.

In the next village, Ludwigsdorf, we see a signpost pointing to a viewpoint - an ideal spot for a picnic in the middle of the Szczecin Lagoon Nature Park. Strengthened, we get closer to the sea. We particularly like the brick Gothic style in Rieth and therefore take a lap of honour through what is supposedly the most romantic place on the Szczecin Lagoon.

In Bellin we can already smell the sea for the first time. Ueckermünde is not far away. And then finally the longed-for picture of the sandy beach and water - photo stop! If it wasn't so terribly windy, we would stay here longer. We now make our way along the promenade to the centre of the seaside resort. Our hotel is located directly on the market square. Although we could also have dinner here in the hotel's brewery, we decide to go out again to explore. The sun is shining. We opt for fish tonight and have made the right choice with the "Backbord" restaurant. The ferry landing stage to Usedom is right opposite.

It rained during the night and there is no trace of yesterday's sunshine. We can literally feel how it will probably start raining soon. Unfortunately, we can't spontaneously extend our stay in Ueckermünde. So we pack our things and put on our rain gear straight away. One way to get to Usedom is to take the ferry to Kamminke, whose landing stage we had already seen the day before. Another ferry is in Kamp-Karnin, about 25 kilometres from Ueckermünde. Despite the scary skies, we decide in favour of the second option. After the first few kilometres, the rain sets in, first drizzling, then heavier, then with a gusty headwind. We can't really enjoy the marvellous water and marshland landscape through the urban peat bog. At this moment, we are only eager to arrive.

We reach the ferry in pouring rain. After a quick phone call, the ferryman is immediately on hand to take us to the other side of the Szczecin Lagoon - to the sunny island of Usedom. If only the sun would shine! Of course, the rain hasn't stopped, but continues to pelt down on us. After cycling through such a beautiful landscape on the mainland, the connecting route from Karnin is rather bad. The road surface is patched in many places and rainwater pools in the holes. We decide to take public transport for the last stretch from Usedom. Far from it. Unfortunately, there is no way to transport the bikes, as we learn at the tourist information centre. So we get back on the saddle and cycle another 25 kilometres to Ahlbeck. Although it is only drizzling slightly, we decide to take the Usedom Bäderbahn railway at the station, which will take us to our destination in Ückeritz. Today we have proved that we are not fair-weather cyclists and have well and truly earned a pint.