Rugen Island
Today we’re going to talk about a perfect summer destination, Rugen Island.
Being the largest island in the country, Rugen is home to sandy beaches, historic towns,
modish sea resorts, and a national park.
Located in northeast Germany, in the Baltic sea, Rugen Island is the right spot for water
sports lovers.
In the summers, Rügen is a popular beach resort, and in winters, it's a favorite fishing
and relaxation destination.
With an amazing architecture and an abundance of exquisite sights, Rugen Island has so much
to offer to your tourist heart.
Let’s peek into how this island is perfect for your summer holidays.
5.
White Chalk cliffs of Jasmund national Park
Expanded along the Baltic sea, a hundred meters above the sea level, in the smallest park
of Germany, these white chalk cliffs loom over leaving one awestruck.
Behind the cliffs are the ancient beech forests.
It didn’t become a tourist destination until some decades ago but this magnificent chalk
cliff coast was discovered over 200 years ago by painters, writers and royals and that’s
when it became a tourist destination.
It’s also been preserved since 1929 and has a history in nature conservation.
The white chalk cliffs are not all the park has to offer but here you will find plenty
of hiking trails, biking routes and if you’re too weary to explore around, then guided tours
as well.
It’s a very nice spot to go fossil hunting.
It also houses a wide variety of flora and fauna.
In the meadows, protected orchid varieties such as the lady's slipper bloom, about 1,000
different sorts of bugs scurry around, and white-tailed eagles can occasionally be seen
circling in the sky.
So if you’re fond of nature then this park will serve your brains well.
4.
Explore the Hiddensee island
You should consider this island if you’re looking to be surrounded by nature and want
to have a relaxed time.
This island is very small, only 19 square kilometers, with 1300 residents but is abundant
with nature’s charms.
It can easily be explored on a bicycle as well.
Also known as the pearl of the Baltic, this island has been a muse for the writers and
painters likewise during the dark times in 20th century Germany.
Even though this island is very small, there’s still a lot to explore around here.
You can go see the Dornbusch Lighthouse that’s located on the highland of the island.
You won’t have any trouble exploring this quaint lighthouse because it’s open to the
public.
At the time of its construction it was marked as the highest constructed building that was
28 meters high.
You can also go pay your respects at the Hiddensee island church.
It’s open for both the tourists and the worshippers.
So going around for the mere purpose of exploring it won’t be a problem.
There’s also a museum on this Island that depicts the history of the Island very well,
and houses archaeological findings dating back to the Viking age.
It won’t be a surprise if we mention the presence of a national park on this island
as well.
Since it has all the spots all the tourist locations have, how can it not have a national
park?
This park is well known for its cranes and geese and a wide variety of Fauna.
3.
Seebrueke Sellin
At one point Rugen was a holiday destination for the elite and this resort town gives off
the same vibes.
This picturesque and chic town is arranged linearly with wooden houses making it stunning
to look at.
The reason people come towards this resort town is the Sellin pier.
Being the longest pier on the Rugen Island it truly is magnificent.
There’s a restaurant building near the beach but what makes it so pretty is the architecture
and the location of it.
Since the surroundings are enchanting, people normally hope to get a table in the outer
terrace in the perfect setting but it may or may not happen for you.
For a beach holiday in Germany, Sellin is the answer.
The beach has very nicely organized chairs that make it even prettier.
Here you can quietly sit and watch the sun go down.
Since it’s a very well recognized tourist spot it gets a little crowded especially in
summers but if you want to have some quiet time to yourself then it’s suggested that
you move some minutes right over to the pier.
Here you can dive to the Baltic Sea's deepest depths.
A 30- to 40-minute diving trip is typical.
There’s not much space to take fancy strolls but you can always do easy hikes on the cliffs
and bless your eyes with magnificent views.
2.
Visit abandoned Holiday homes built during Hitler’s ruling
On the North of Binz you will find Prora beach still bearing the traces of Nazi’s heritage.
The complex was built between 1936 and 1939 as a part of Hitler’s Strength Through Joy
project.
Initially it was planned to be the world’s largest holiday resort, having space for almost
20,000 workers on holidays.
But the Strength through joy project presented the idea of making middle-class holidays and
their certain leisure activities available for a large number of people.
The complex had eight identical, hideous buildings, along the beach.
But the complex didn’t get completed or serve the purpose it was thought to be serving
because of World War II.
Anyhow after the war ended it was used for military purposes.
The structure that survived now serves the purposes of being the youth hostel, holiday
apartments, and a hotel.
You can find out about the history of this complex and how it was built in the Prora
documentation centre exhibiting about the Nazis and the political backgrounds.
To have a good understanding of the complex you must spend some quality time here at the
documentation center so the complex could be a lot more understandable for you.
1.
Granite Hunting Castle
One of the highlights on Rügen Island is not much far from Binz.
Granitz Hunting Lodge (Jagdschloss Granitz) is a modest but beautiful castle.
With its colossal tower the castle receives almost 200,000 tourists per year.
It’s called the hunting castle because it once served as the residence for the royals
during the hunting season.
The castle, which rests atop the 107-meter Tempelberg, was built under Prince Wilhelm
Malte I of Putbus' orders between 1838 and 1846.
The castle, which was built in the style of North Italian Renaissance Castellos, was once
a famous vacation spot for European nobles.
The same family possessed Jagsschloss Granitz until 1944, when it was confiscated by the
Nazis and later given to the state.
Attempts to reclaim the estate from its previous owners have been unsuccessful in court.
Granitz Hunting Lodge is still in operation today and is now a museum that is open to
the public all year.
If you just see one historical site on Rügen Island, we strongly advise you to pay a visit
to this charming castle.
There are a lot more fun activities that you can do in Rugen Island, you can explore the
forests and go to beaches to spend a relaxing day.
If you’re looking to be even nude on the beach and be among the natural surroundings
then you will find plenty of people there setting up the trend for you and getting you
to be comfortable enough.
Islands are always a good idea for a quick relaxing holiday.
Do you plan on visiting Rugen Island?
Let us know in the comments below.
And as always, where to next?