Distance: Day one 153km, map; day two 108km, map

Müritz is about 150km north west of Berlin, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The lake is surrounded by sprawling farmland to the west and wet lands, forest and tiny sister lakes to the east. It’s a very beautiful spot and although it’s still pretty flat up there the land is more rolling.

Inspired by Alastair Humphreys and his microadventure revolution we decided to ditch the tents this time and head out with a bivvy bag and a few other bits and bobs strapped to the backs of our bicycles.

Bikes in a row and ready to go

We left on Friday morning, which meant traffic on the way there was a bit busier than it would have been had it been the weekend. We also chose a pretty direct route as we wanted to reach the lake, eat and find a comfy spot to sleep before dark. If you have the time the Berlin-Kopenhagen cycle path takes a more round-about and scenic route to Müritz. We joined it for a while on Saturday afternoon and it was great.

We set off in perfect cycling conditions, and once out of Berlin the roads were straight and fast. So were the cars, but we got into a rhythm quickly and by lunchtime we’d ridden the best part of 100km. After lunch the pace slowed and we started getting distracted by the scenery and by storks; they are common place in northern Germany during the summer months but I still can’t get over them. These are huge, magnificent birds with striking black and white foliage, a red beak and red legs. Storks pay Germany and other northern mainland european countries a short summer visit to breed and and strut about in the fields before heading back to southern Africa and India once autumn sets in. In Germany storks are believed to have human souls and bring good luck to those whose houses they nest upon, and they’re not short of nesting spots, stork sized platforms can be seen everywhere.

… and here’s a photo of some dinosaurs!?

For the first half of the day we passed through many medium sized villages, they all looked much the same, none of them seemed to have much going on and all of them had a very busy out-of-town NETTO.

Rheinsburg was a welcome change, its a pretty little town with its own castle and a vibrant atmosphere. From here on north the villages get more rural as one national park turns into another. Little lakes stretch between copses and tree lined avenues. As we meandered our way north to Mirow the late afternoon sunshine cast long, warm shadows across our path. Here the road splits around the lake. We headed west towards Vipperow were we met the lake side cycle path which we followed north until we were on the banks of the main lake were we starting the search for a good spot to sleep.

After a couple of comfy looking spots turned out to be rocks in camouflage we finally found the perfect field tucked behind a bushy bank with a view out over the lake. After a good dinner, we settled down for the night under a beautifully clear sky and full moon that stayed with us all night.

A good spot for dinner

It was a comfortable night, once all the draw strings had been adjusted to allow just the right amount of air in and, as I found out in the morning, just the right number of mosquitoes.

Getting up

We woke to another beautiful day and over porridge and coffee we discussed the route for the day. Originally we’d planned just to ride back the way we’s come, but this didn’t feel very adventurous so instead we opted to ride up the eastern shore of the lake to Waren before looping south again and meandering through the Müritz national park.

Breakfast of coffee, bananas & porridge

Fresh morning faces

This was a good call, with no real destination in mind we trundled through woods, along dirt paths, past little lakes and through literally hundreds of tiny Dorfs, I loved them all. If you have a thing for traditional architecture and craftsmanship this route (or the second day) will provide constant awe. From tiny agricultural barns with the most beautiful intricate brick detailing to enormous industrial mill buildings with level upon level of timber construction, you will not be disappointed. My cycling buddies were thoroughly fed up by the time the roof details of the 100th barn had been pointed out. But really, this expression of craftmanship, materiality and dedication to function isn’t valued anymore and it’s a huge loss to architecture, and society. These buildings document our history and they are at risk of being lost forever. Our world will be a duller place for it.

Okay rant over.

The second day was a welcome change from the first and, although the pace was slower, the terrain was varied and fun to negotiate with skinny road tyres.

Miles and miles of woods

Woods in the morning light

Amongst all this we also rode the beautiful Berlin-Kopenhagen cycle path for a few of its 700 kilometres and gatecrashed a triathlon.

Double track road

Once out of the national park, we hopped on a train at Neustrelitz and were wizzed back to Berlin in 45 minutes. Tired, hungry and smelly we pilled off the train and rolled home to our real beds in the fading late summer light.