The sun woke us up quietly in our accommodation in Rudolstadt today and we started the second day of our short Whitsun trip in good spirits. After a short detour to the cheapest petrol station and breakfast at the golden M, we set off for our destination for the day: the Hohenwarte reservoir.

The evening before, we had looked at what we could do there and had a few destinations in mind. The hope: a nice spot for Vitaralino, preferably somewhere on the water, maybe even a small boat – and then just drift a bit. The Hohenwarte reservoir is part of the Saale cascade and, together with the surrounding area, is often referred to as part of the “Thuringian Sea” for good reason. Water, forest, hills, bays – that sounded pretty much like what we had in mind for day two.

Even on the way there, there was plenty of nature and countryside to the left and right. Sometimes slightly hilly, sometimes more undulating, with great views and glorious weather. We arrived at the dam relatively quickly. And it is quite impressive: around 75 meters high, over 400 meters long and therefore quite a piece of concrete in the landscape. But our plan to “arrive, see the water and sit comfortably on the bank” didn’t work out quite as romantically as we had imagined.

There was a jetty for boats, the first one was just leaving – and that was basically it. There was supposed to be a boat rental a little further on, but the jetty was empty. The parking lot at the dam wall seemed to be used primarily by hikers. No wonder, as this is where the Hohenwarte Reservoir Trail, a 75-kilometre hiking trail around the reservoir, begins. Cycling is obviously also very good here. Only our idea of “we park right by the water and dangle our feet in the lake” needed a little update.

Well then, just carry on along the reservoir. We’d find somewhere where we could get to the water. Or so we thought. In fact, the road somehow led further and further away from the lake. You see water, you suspect water, you want water – and yet you still drive through woods and hills. Then finally a sign: water ski center. That way!

Shortly afterwards, there was even a bit of an off-road feeling. Vitaralino probably woke up inside for a moment and thought: “Ah, you finally understand me.” However, disillusionment soon followed: we weren’t allowed to go any further without a permit. Which, of course, we didn’t have. So we returned to the regular route. Nevertheless, we drove up to a spot again to get our bearings and Marco took off the copter. Maybe you can see more from above – and at least from the air, the reservoir really did look the way we had imagined it: green, spacious and with these many small bays that are difficult to reach from the car.

Then the next plan was set: the mill ferry near Altenroth. So we continued to wind our way through the beautiful countryside, up hill, down hill, bend after bend. A dream for every biker – and even the man at the wheel was clearly shining by now. When we arrived at the water, we were practically right next to the small ferry. Just a few cars and a handful of pedestrians or cyclists could fit on it per trip. Less than five minutes later, we were on the other side and driving on towards Saalthal-Alter.

There finally had to be some action for us here. And yes: in Saalthal-Alter, things looked more like what we had imagined. A busy beach, a beautifully situated campsite and finally a boat for us. Not a motorboat, not a luxury liner, but a pedal boat. For an hour – or, as the saying goes: “When you’re back, you’re back.” Very nice. You like sentences like that.

At the beginning, we struggled a little with the steering. It wasn’t exactly elegant, more a mixture of “we’ve got everything under control” and “why is this thing going there now?”. But eventually it got going and then it was really nice. We drifted or pedaled calmly here and there, cruised along the nearby bays and simply enjoyed this moment on the water. Although the beach was busy, the lake itself felt pleasantly relaxed. A few small boats, a couple of stand-up paddlers, an excursion boat – that was basically it.

After just under an hour and a half, we were back at the jetty. On the one hand, we didn’t want to take too much advantage of the rental company’s friendliness, and on the other, we were of course without sun cream. Classic Pawtrail move: water, sun, boat – but sun cream? Oh well, there’s always something.

In Saalthal-Alter, we then enjoyed Spanish-style tarte flambée with Iberian sausage, burgers and beer. After so much nature, water and pedal boat workouts, it was a pretty good idea. But at some point, unfortunately, it was time to head home. Four hours there means about four hours back.

From Diemelstadt, we continued overland. The highway was fine, but we wanted to see a bit more of the area instead of just reeling off the kilometers. And so the return journey was also a small part of the day before our spontaneous two-day short trip finally came to an end.

All in all, we had previously imagined the Hohenwarte reservoir to be somewhat different – perhaps more directly accessible, perhaps a little more like Saalthal-Alter. It may well be that we simply didn’t find the right spots or that many beautiful places are more accessible on foot, by bike or from the water. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful and varied day: with sun, hills, ferry, pedal boat, good food and that little feeling that sometimes you don’t have to go far to get away from it all.

Conclusion: The Hohenwarte reservoir didn’t make it quite as easy for us as we had hoped – but perhaps that was precisely part of the day. A bit of searching, a bit of rescheduling, a small ferry, a pedal boat and in the end our feet were at least almost in the water. It was just right for a spontaneous short trip: not perfectly planned, but full of little moments that will stay with you.