Hamburg and the Old Salt Road

Day 1: Welcome to Hamburg | Hamburg – Geesthacht
Your journey begins in Hamburg, one of Germany's great port cities. You will arrive individually during the afternoon, and from 4 p.m. the crew will be waiting to welcome you on board and give you the first details of the week ahead. Around 5 p.m. the ship casts off for Geesthacht, and Hamburg slowly slips away behind you as the river landscape begins to change. After dinner on board there will be a safety briefing and an introduction to the cycling routes to come. The ship stays in Geesthacht overnight.

Day 2: Geesthacht – Scharnebeck | Scharnebeck – Lüneburg (30 km or 45 km)
After breakfast the ship continues upstream to the Scharnebeck ship lift, an engineering landmark that overcomes a height difference of 38 metres and is one of the largest lifts of its kind in Europe. From there you will choose your route. The direct one leads to Lüneburg, a historic salt-trading town with a beautifully preserved old centre: the Am Sande square, the town hall, the narrow lanes and the German Salt Museum, which tells the story of the white gold that shaped the town for centuries. If you prefer a longer ride you will explore the countryside around Lüneburg instead, crossing the Bardowick lift bridge and following quiet woodland tracks along the Landwehr and the Ilmenau back into town. In the afternoon you rejoin the ship in Lüneburg.

Day 3: Lüneburg – Lauenburg (35 km or 50 km)
Early in the morning the ship continues along the Elbe. After breakfast today's ride takes you through the wide Elbe river landscape, past small villages, traditional half-timbered houses, meadows, fields and open riverside scenery. Along the way it is worth stopping in Bleckede, a small town with a long history as a trading and administrative centre on the river. In the afternoon you reach Lauenburg. Set directly on the Elbe, its picturesque old town of half-timbered houses is one of the most attractive places along the whole river, and your ship will be waiting there for the night.

Day 4: Lauenburg – Witzeeze | Witzeeze – Mölln – Lübeck (34 km or 50 km)
While the ship follows the canal through several locks, you will begin the stage at the Witzeeze lock. The route leads through the lakes and forests of the Lauenburg region, one of the most scenic corners of northern Germany, and brings you to the historic town of Mölln, home of Till Eulenspiegel, the famous trickster of German folklore. The old town, St. Nicolai church and the surrounding lakes give Mölln its particular charm. Afterwards you continue along the canal and return to the ship in the afternoon, which then sails on to Lübeck. You will spend the night in the harbour of this great trading city, whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 5: Lübeck – Travemünde | Travemünde – Lübeck (33 km)
The morning belongs to Lübeck, once one of the most powerful cities of the Hanseatic League. Use the time to explore the historic centre: the famous Holsten Gate, St. Mary's Church and the narrow lanes of the UNESCO-listed old town all tell the story of the city's former importance, and a guided city tour with a local guide is included. A taste of Lübeck's world-famous marzipan is part of the experience. Afterwards you will cycle from the city to the Baltic Sea, riding past coastal scenery and seaside resorts to Travemünde, Lübeck's traditional seaside district at the mouth of the river Trave, where you rejoin the ship. In the evening the ship brings you back to Lübeck for a second night.

Day 6: Lübeck – Donnerschleuse | Donnerschleuse – Witzeeze (32 km or 45 km)
While the ship leaves Lübeck in the morning and heads for Lauenburg, your ride begins at Donnerschleuse. You can either follow the historic canal towards Mölln or take a more varied route through the gentle hills of the Lauenburg region, passing Gut Schloss Wotersen, one of the finest manor houses in the area. Quiet paths and water on every side make this one of the most relaxed cycling days of the week. In the afternoon you reach the Witzeeze lock and return to the ship, which stays in Witzeeze overnight.

Day 7: Witzeeze – Lauenburg – Geesthacht | Geesthacht – Hamburg (25 km or 64 km)
Your final cycling day follows the Elbe once more, through the wide river meadows and marshland of northern Germany. Depending on the route you choose, the ride can be short and easy or considerably longer. The quiet riverside paths leave plenty of time to enjoy the landscape and look back on the days behind you. In Geesthacht you return to the ship. As it passes the lock and continues towards Hamburg the scenery changes again, and the rural calm gives way to the maritime atmosphere of the city. From the sun deck you will watch your last hours on the water go by, and a shared farewell evening closes your journey along the old salt and trade routes of northern Germany.

Day 8: Farewell to Hamburg
End of your tour: disembarkation after breakfast, by 9 a.m.