The island of Rügen

 Rügen is located in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the German state of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania. With an area of 976 m² it is the largest island in Germany. It offers beautiful open-air baths with fine, long sandy beaches, making the island a popular vacation location. The so-called Rügen bridge connects the island with the mainland which is why the city of Stralsund is also called the „gate to Rügen“. Many tourists are drawn to the area by sights such as Prora, Kap Arkona or the chalk cliff.

Sights on Rügen

Did you know that you can find the longest building in Europe on Rügen? It is called the „coloss of Prora“ („KdF-Prora“ is the short term in German). The 4 1/2km long building was erected in 1936 by the National Socialists as a „Energy through Joy“- seaside resort (German: „Kraft durch Freude-Seebad“). Today, the site houses the Dokumentationszentrum Prora and the KulturKunststatt Prora as well as exhibitions, a youth hostel and several restaurants.

In the district of Prora there is also the Experimenta Rügen, a museum where guests are invited to experiment and try different things themselves. Experiments, phenomenons and optical illusions are luring many curious visitors.

Binz is a very popular Baltic Sea spa. Here you can find an interesting museum on the history and the life in this village: The Museum Ostseebad Binz. The museum is divided into separately furnished rooms which are holding numerous original objects, making this sight a lively and vivid experience.

The submerged gondola in Sellin is perfect for Baltic Sea lovers! It allows you to go underwater in a gondola without getting wet as well as to learn interesting facts about the sea as a living environment. An exciting experience especially for children.

The alaris Butterfly Park in Sassnitz is a popular destination for nature lovers. A large hall with the tropical climate of the rain forest is home to countless butterfly breeds. The special thing about this place is that the butterflies are not separated from the visitors and can therefore get the chance to land on your shoulder. There is also an animal park in Sassnitz – it is the only animal park on the island and is located on the outer borders of the Jasmund National Park.

The Visitor's Centre of Königsstuhl offers you a unique exhibition, representing a mixture of natural elements and modern technology where you can learn everything about the Jasmund National Park. The center holds an adventure exhibition which does not only consist of texts but also offers temporary exhibitions, the viewing platform Königsstuhl as well as an outdoor area with a forest playground for children. There is also a family-friendly bistro in case you'll get hungry during your visit.

Rügen is also a great place for hiking! The Route Nationalpark Jasmund offers you some great impressions. Along the 8 1/2 km long route you can visit a beechwood forest, the white chalk cliff as well as the beautiful Baltic Sea.

The sea is furthermore perfect for water sports. Visitors of the island can spend their time sailing, surfing, waterskiing, diving, fishing or canoeing. There are quite a lot of opportunities to enjoy all of these activities. Especially diving can be a truly exciting experience on Rügen. There are a number of shipwrecks along the coast of the island, sunken landings of ships as well as plane wrecks from World War II. Archäo Tour Rügen offers appointments for diving excursions which you have to sign in for in advance.

You can find more information about the island of Rügen here. The website of the tourist center Rügen also helps you to find and book the perfect accommodation for your stay!

Literature and picture sources:

• Bruno Benthien (Hg.): Reiseführer DDR. 1. Edition. Berlin/Leipzig: VEB Tourist Verlag, 1990. p. 69-72.

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