Family-friendly beaches, the dazzling white chalk cliffs of Rügen, magnificent seaside resort architecture on Usedom and almost unknown pearls like the little Dänholm - here you will find a selection of the most beautiful German Baltic Sea islands.
The gleaming white chalk cliffs in Jasmund National Park, the most beautiful spa architecture in Binz or the mighty "Colossus of Prora" - the selection of worthwhile excursion destinations on the biggest german island is large. A landmark of the island is the 118 meter high Königsstuhl. Its viewing plateau offers sweeping views over the sea. Binz, the star among the seaside resorts on Rügen, has probably the most beautiful beach, very good hotels and, above all, particularly attractive spa architecture. Sassnitz is a little quieter. The important traffic junction on the island has a charming old town full of winding alleys and white buildings in the most beautiful seaside resort architecture. The listed "Colossus of Prora", a former vacation complex more than four kilometers long, is now used as a museum mile, documentation center apartment complex and youth hostel. Exciting insights into the world between and above the treetops are offered by the treetop path in the Rügen Natural Heritage Center.
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Rügen: Plan arrival.
With a trip over the "coat hanger", as the Fehmarnsund Bridge is affectionately-ironically called, your Fehmarn vacation. Since 1963, the striking listed structure has connected the south of the island with the Schleswig-Holstein mainland. The lively center of the island is Burg, the former capital. Narrow alleys, cobblestone streets and old half-timbered houses accompany you on your relaxed walk through the old town. Around the market square you will find numerous small stores, restaurants, cafes and bars, but also the worth seeing town church St. Nikolai and the red brick town hall. Fehmarn is also an important resting place for tens of thousands of migratory birds on their way north or south. No less than four nature reserves offer the birds ideal breeding and living conditions with their favorable location and particularly rich food supply.
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Fehmarn: Plan arrival.
Magnificent spa architecture, famous piers and a lot of unspoiled nature -. Usedom is not without reason one of the most popular German vacation islands. First and foremost, of course, there are the three imperial resorts of Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin. Numerous mansions and villas with whitewashed facades, small turrets, curved gables and filigree ornaments give the three places their unmistakable flair. In addition, you can stroll along the longest pier in Heringsdorf and the oldest in Ahlbeck. And the 8.5 km long European promenade from Ahlbeck in Germany to Swinemünde in Poland also runs here. Away from the three seaside resorts, there are still Europe's largest butterfly farm in Trassenheide or the Historical-Technical Museum in Peenemünde to visit. Large parts of the island are under nature protection. The best way to explore the surprisingly wooded and lake-rich interior of the island is on one of the many hiking or biking trails.
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Usedom: Plan arrival.
Quiet, tranquil and situated in the midst of a still largely intact natural landscape - the island of Poel, located near Wismar in the Wismar Bay, stands for relaxed Baltic Sea vacations and undisturbed hours on the beach. The island museum, housed in a former village school, presents an extensive collection on the island's natural history and local history. The 47 meter high tower of the island church, built in Romanesque-Gothic style, can be seen from afar. The church, which dates back to the first half of the 13th century, can be visited and concerts are held here regularly. Near the church you can also explore the remains of a fortification that once surrounded the castle of Mecklenburg Duke Johann Albrecht II. The beaches Poels are particularly suitable for families with smaller children. They all slope gently without exception, the water is pleasantly warm thanks to the shallow depth, and in the summer months lifeguards watch over the safety of bathers, at least at Am Schwarzen Busch and Timmendorf Beach.
By train and bus comfortably to Poel: Plan arrival.
Probably the most beautiful island in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern lies northwest of Rügen. Almost 1000 people live in four small villages on the island, which is about 18 km long and just 250 meters wide at its narrowest point. Several times a day you can take the ferry from the Rügen harbor town of Schaprode to Hiddensee. The landmark of the island and popular photo motif is the almost 28 meter high lighthouse Dornbusch. Hiddensee was a popular destination for creative people and artists such as Bertold Brecht, Stefan Zweig and August Macke. The island cemetery is the burial place of Gerhart Hauptmann, who died in 1946 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. In the towns of Kloster and Vitte you can visit small galleries and exhibitions. Otherwise, the island offers a lot of peace, seclusion and untouched nature.
Also in front of Rügen's west coast, in the middle of the National Park Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, you will come across Ummanz. Connected to Rügen by a bridge, the island is equally interesting for recreation seekers and active vacationers. Extensive walks across wide fields, past farms and country inns, through dense forests and avenues are just as much an option as windsurfing, kiteboarding and SUPing in Germany's largest standing area in Suhrendorf. Moreover, in autumn Ummanz serves as a resting place for thousands of cranes on their way south - an impressive spectacle, not only for ornithologists.
By train and bus comfortably to Ummanz: Plan arrival.
If you cross the Strelasund via Ziegelgrabenbrücke and Rügendammbrücke, you should also pay a short (or even longer) visit to the small island below you. Just 95 ha is the Dänholm large, and only about 100 people live here. However, the island is considered the birthplace of the Prussian Navy; accordingly, you can visit an extremely worthwhile naval museum here. Numerous boats and fishing gear, important navigation signs and an underwater laboratory can be seen in the Nautineum, a branch of the marine museum in Stralsund. The harbor, now mainly used by sailboats and motor yachts, is also worth a visit.
By train and bus comfortably to Dänholm: Plan arrival.
Cover photo: The island of Hiddensee off the west coast of Rügen is also one of the most beautiful islands in the Baltic Sea © riebevonsehl - stock.adobe.com
