Day 19 on the Elbe Cycle Route

Freiburg to Cuxhaven, 44 miles to the Finish Line!

Day 19 on the Elbe Cycle Route

We’re done! From the source of the Elbe at the Czech–Polish border all the way to the North Sea—what a ride. 744 miles pedaled.

Our stay in Freiburg was magic. Great food, a cozy room, and a perfect setting. We lucked into a reservation—the inn was hosting a wedding party this weekend (as it seems to do nearly every weekend).

Our morning trail took us through endless farm fields, well away from the river.

We’ve pedaled past plenty of corn in Eastern and Northern Germany. The main crops are wheat, rye, and barley, but corn ranks high as livestock feed and bioenergy. Today, it felt a whole lot like Ohio—corn everywhere!

By late morning we rejoined the Elbe, now so wide it feels more like the sea than a river. Cargo ships streamed past, bound for Hamburg.

We rolled into Cuxhaven around lunchtime (almost at the very end of the trail) and fueled up on fish before the final push to finish the ride.

Reenergized, we covered the last stretch to the tip of the Elbe. Just as we did on our 2022 England Coast to Coast trek, we each carried a small stone from the source to toss into the sea. After 19 days, I’d nearly forgotten where I stowed mine—but I found it!

Behind us is the Kugelbake—which sounds like a pastry but actually means “ball beacon.” A wooden structure like this has stood here for over 300 years, guiding sailors into the Elbe. It marks the official end of our trail.

After tossing our Elbe stones, we sat back and let the sea winds whip past us rather than fighting them like we have for days. Tomorrow, no headwinds!

Exploring town, we stumbled upon a rare bit of nautical history—the last operational semaphore in Europe. From the 1880s to the 1980s, it signaled wind direction and speed to ships leaving the Elbe. Radio made it obsolete, but locals fought to preserve it as a working landmark.

Also in town, we saw the Elbe 1, a manned lightship that functioned like a floating lighthouse from the 1940s through the 1980s. Now it’s a museum lovingly cared for by volunteers. We weren’t able to go inside today.

Our hotel was simple but had a delightful surprise: our very own private balcony!

Dinner was Portuguese—port & tonics, Bob’s indulgent smothered sandwich, and my tapas platter. The perfect finale meal.

Tomorrow we’ll trade bikes for trains, heading back to Amsterdam for a few days before flying home. Likely no new posts for 2–3 days, but we’ll share an update before leaving the Netherlands.

Signing off from Cuxhaven, Germany!