Monday, 11 June 2018: Leipzig to Timmendorfer Strand, Germany

This morning we drove five hours from Leipzig to Timmendorfer Strand on the Baltic coast. There was heavy traffic all the way. Only as we entered Schleswig-Holstein in the north did the traffic begin to abate.

Timmendorfer Strand is beautiful! The air is so fresh, and the town has a quiet elegance. We are staying at the Hotel Royal, which is just a few steps across a shady promenade from the beach.  On the street side of the hotel is the beautiful "Kurpark," with fountains and meandering paths. Beyond the Kurpark, sitting up on a hill, are beautiful homes.

A path through the Kurpark in Timmendorfer Strand

Fountains in the Kurpark

I saw a Kurhaus ("Cure House") in the Kurpark, but it was closed. A Kurhaus was a building with a fountain inside where, in the 18th and 19th century, people could go to drink local spring water. Towns became famous for their local mineral waters, which were believed to have specific medicinal benefits.  People could also consult a Kurhaus physician who would prescribe various therapies for their ailments--hot mineral baths, steam rooms, special diets, herbal remedies, custom exercise programs, and daily regimens for rest and relaxation.

Surrounding the Kurhaus was a beautiful Kurpark and garden where people could stroll, breathe in the fresh sea air and relax. From what I've read about 19th Century European Kurort (Spas), a typical spa regimen might be as follows: Mornings would be spent drinking the mineral waters, having a light breakfast, and then soaking in the different kinds of baths, usually progressing from hot to cold, and ending with a rest period.  In the afternoon people might walk in the Kurpark, attend a concert or lecture, go sightseeing or shopping, or just relax in the library or at a cafe.  Dances were popular in the evening, and was considered a form of exercise. I think there were about 7 Kurhaüser scattered throughout Timmendorfer Strand, but I was told they all closed about ten years ago, except for occasional concerts.

A good climate for roses, which are already in full bloom

Our room is the nicest hotel room we've had so far:  A large junior suite, with leather sofa and chair in the sitting area, a balcony, a comfortable bed, and a small anteroom/ dressing room just outside the bathroom.

A walk through a small park will take you to the promenade and beach, and there is a pier that juts out into the Baltic Sea.

Timmendorfer Strand and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee)

Strandkorbe for hire (by Ströbi's cousin?)

We had dinner at the hotel.  Dan had a local fish with pan-fried potatoes, and a Weizenbier (wheat beer).  I had a mixed salad with Norwegian smoked salmon.  Fresh fruit juices seem to be very popular here, so I tried Johannesbeeresaft (Elderberry Juice) instead of my usual Kirschsaft (Cherry Juice).

We slept with the balcony door open to get the fresh sea air.  It's odd, but I don't smell salt air or that "fishy" seaside air I am familiar with, and I haven't heard a single seagull, just a lot of sleepy-sounding pigeons cooing in the afternoon, and early morning crows arguing--but no gulls.  And I haven't heard a cuckoo since our cruise from Dresden to Wittenberg, but they are a forest bird.