So healthy: Kneipp on Rügen

Natural health is a megatrend. But the priest Sebastian Kneipp, born 200 years ago, knew even then what makes people strong. Today, his natural healing teachings are more topical than ever and are very popular not only in Bavaria. Many hosts and providers on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen have also committed themselves to it.

René Geyer, for example, is one such person. Nature guide, plant expert, herbalist. Someone who carries people away. He can tell and show and explain. Someone who arouses the interest of botanical laymen during a hike for the mustard notes of the Hederich or for the blue blossoms of the ox tongue - someone like that easily manages to inspire people for Kneipp. Yes, that's right: Kneipp! René Geyer stands on a meadow in the Zicker mountains, where Rügen looks a bit like Ireland, stands there in the fresh Baltic Sea wind and begins to explain: That with Kneipp everyone would always think only of arm baths, rolled up trouser legs and bare old man feet. That there always what of health insurance cures in Upper Bavaria resonates. But that the teachings of Sebastian Kneipp are about much more than just treading water. Geyer bends down, plucks out a small plant and holds it up triumphantly: "Wild marjoram! Tastes divine with tomato and mozzarella! Eat healthy! That, too, is Kneipp!"

Tatsächlich basiert die Lehre des bayerischen Naturheilkundlers (der 1821 geboren wurde, also vor 200 Jahren) auch auf gesunder Ernährung und der Wirkung von Heilpflanzen – als zwei von fünf Säulen. Die anderen, also außer besagtem Wassertreten, das gut für die Blutgefäße ist und die Abwehrkräfte stärkt? Entspannung – und viel Bewegung an der frischen Luft. Also alles Dinge, die zu jedem Urlaub auf der Ostsee-Insel sowieso schon dazu gehören. Vor allem in Göhren und auf der Halbinsel Mönchgut hat man das schon länger erkannt. Etliche Solo-Unternehmer und kleine Betriebe helfen in Deutschlands einzigem Seebad, das gleichzeitig über das Prädikat Kneippkurort verfügt, dabei, die berühmte Naturheilkundelehre umzusetzen. Einer von ihnen: René Geyer, bei dessen Naturspaziergängen man in zwei Stunden mehr über Kräuter und deren Heilkräfte erfährt als früher in neun Schuljahren. Er ist schon weitergelaufen, weil er weiter hinten auf der Wiese irgendwelche gelben Knospen entdeckt hat, „die riechen wie Honig! Und daneben wächst Taubenkropf-Leimkraut! Das müsst Ihr probieren!“

A good half of the formerly known herbal knowledge has been lost over time, Geyer estimates, and probably Christina and Peter Knobloch in Göhren would immediately agree with him. In their light-flooded farm, the two of them run a Villa with sunny courtyard a cooking school where guests can learn just that: Healthy cooking with herbs and vegetables. Many of the ingredients grow in a wonderful garden behind the house; 2,000 square meters where a different scent wafts around visitors' noses with every step. In the attached manufactory, the Knoblochs produce their own spice blends and teas, for which every single petal is picked by hand. Every single one! "When you do that, at some point it's like meditation," Peter Knobloch says. "Flower after flower after flower - you can't believe how deeply relaxing it is." He ponders for a moment. "That's actually Kneipp, too, isn't it?"

It is - relaxation is an essential part of a vacation in the spirit of Kneipp. "And if someone dozes off during an application, you know: it works!" Now this comes from Sebastian Stegemann. He's a masseur and medical bath attendant at the Mönchgut Spa and Wellness Center, where vacationers on the island of Rügen can try out wellness and health offers. Packs with healing chalk from the island are particularly popular. Rügen's white gold is mixed with water, made to smell with a few drops of sea buckthorn oil and then applied: "Stimulates the metabolism and regenerates," says Stegemann. "And besides, it's a wonderful way to relax."

Oh yes. With so much good food and such deep relaxation, it's good that there are also people like Georg Heissler on Rügen who take care of the fourth pillar of the Kneipp concept. His company Discover Rügen bietet zwischen Ostern und Oktober über vierhundert Aktivitäten an – vom Yoga bis zur Bernsteinsuche. Und Radtouren, natürlich, die auch. Zu Rügen gehörte das Radeln ja schon immer dazu – seit dem Bike-Boom der jüngsten Vergangenheit aber könnten die Verleiher auf der Insel wahrscheinlich auch die doppelte Zahl an Fahrrädern an den Urlauber bringen. Ist aber auch ein Traum hier! Auf den Radwegen über Mönchgut warten kaum Höhenmeter, stattdessen aber diese endlosen Horizonte unter dem blau gespannten Ostseehimmel, für den Rügen berühmt ist. „Wenn man will, kann man hier einen ganzen Urlaub unterwegs sein und muss keine Strecke doppelt fahren“, sagt Heissler. Und dann ist man noch nicht gejoggt und auch noch nicht gewandert. Sebastian Kneipp hätte sich wahrscheinlich ziemlich wohl gefühlt auf dieser Urlaubsinsel hoch oben im Nordosten. 

And he would have been thrilled to see how even the very youngest are introduced to his teachings on Rügen. Martina Hoppe, for example, does just that. She is the head of the DRK daycare center "Strandgut" in Göhren, which is recognized by the Kneipp Association, and is also the second chairwoman of the local Kneipp Association.

And he has made it his task to transfer the famous healing method from the 19th century to the present in such a way that even the youngest children can participate in a playful way. Instead of wading in the deep Kneipp pool, the daycare kids wade in the shallow Baltic Sea water on the beach (and then call the typical stork-in-the-salad walk the stork-in-the-cold-sea walk). And for arm baths, there are pink cake pans. "After all, the basins are much too big for the kids. And they like such bright colors better anyway. You have to be flexible there." She thinks for a moment. "Actually, with the right ideas, you can get everyone excited about Kneipp, not just children," Martina Hoppe then says. "You just have to explain to people that Kneipp can be really fun."  

Although the name "Kneipp" is rarely written on it, Kneipp is everywhere on Rügen. That is why Martina Hoppe is sure that the teachings of the naturopath have a great future on the island. After all, she sees the enthusiasm every day in the daycare center.

By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Rügen: Plan arrival.

Cover photo: Soothing and refreshing: a walk through the Kneipp pool stimulates the circulation © TMV/Tiemann