Who says there aren’t any beaches in Germany? I beg to differ. Cara and I found a fabulous one on the Baltic Sea in Summer 2020 – Travemünde, a town at the literal end of the line of the train from Hamburg. While no one is lining up for the chilly 60°F water, there is plenty of sun, sandcastles, and ice cream to be had – just perfect for our girls’ weekend while the boys stayed home for summer sports.

Highlights of Travemünde are: the moon jellyfish that are so harmless, you can pick them up and toss them back into the sea; the beach chairs that open almost like a treasure chest; and the joy of having nowhere to go and nothing to do. In fact, the train station even has a giant clock that you can see from the beach to remind you when the next/last train out is.

20 Days, 20 German Cities: Bad Nauheim – Rüdesheim – Königstein – Travemünde