The best trips in Rügen
I've had this part of Germany in my sights for quite a few years and this year the planning finally started to take some more concrete shapes. But when people in the area asked us where we were going, we encountered two types of answers. One group didn't understand what we were going to do there, it was so windy! And the other didn't even know what Rügen was, let alone where it was. Actually, I understand... most people just imagine a summer spent by the sea = the sea in the south! But Rügen is in the very north of Germany, and the Baltic Sea washes over it on all sides. It is in fact Germany's largest island, and I will now try to summarize why I think it is definitely worth your attention.
In general, I think the number of trips to the Baltic Sea has been increasing in recent years, but the choice tends to fall on neighbouring Poland (e.g. Hel, Sopot and others). Which is good, because thanks to that we were probably the only Czechs far and wide on Rügen at the beginning of September... ok ok, one of the few :) During the five days I spent here I heard Czech only twice, and in general all the places we visited seemed quite "airy", in short without excessive crowds, so for us it was really ideal.
Transport
I must start by reassuring you that although it is an island, you do not need to use any ferry to cross. There are even two bridges leading from Stralsund, so the connection to the mainland is really very fast and free.
As far as getting around the island is concerned, the distances between places of interest are not huge, so if you plan well and don't frantically cross back and forth, you won't drive that much. The advantage is that there are no big cities, so no big traffic either. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that you have to pay parking fees everywhere. Some places more, some places less, but it's good to tune in beforehand + have some small euros in your pockets. Ruján itself is then interwoven with a network of buses and trains (timetables here) and for the connoisseurs I must mention the amazing steam train called Rasender Roland. You can find all the latest news about this train, including routes, departure times and prices here.
A special chapter is the huge number of cycle paths, which are usually completely separate from the road. Like this really can be considered a cyclist's paradise in my opinion, even more so when you consider that Rügen is basically flat, right.
Accommodation
As I have already mentioned, everything is close to everything in Rügen, so I don't think the specific location matters that much. You will certainly have something right under your nose, and you can drive to the next one. However, if your main goal is to occupy the beaches, look for accommodation on the east coast, e.g. between Prora and Binz you will find X kilometres of sand.
I chose an apartment near the town of Polchow, where we were very happy and can safely recommend it further. It´s call Ferienwohnung Milow, we had a fully equipped apartment with its own entrance, two bedrooms, balcony and parking space. In addition, the little ones could use the playground in the garden and five minutes away we could shop in Edeka or Lidl. We spent four nights here, with one night costing €100. Great value for money for me, but if you're interested in something different, check it out here:
- cheaper: Arkona Strandresidenzen or Aparthotel Ostseeperle Glowe - very nice and well rated accommodations offering studios and apartments at affordable prices (from €80/night)
- medium: A-ROSA Kurhaus Binz or Aedenlife Hotel & Resort Rügen - both beautiful, stylish hotels with great ratings
- luxury: niXe Boutiquehotel & Spa or ROEWERS Privathotel & Spa - and for those who want to be pampered, choose from these
And what should you definitely not miss on the island of Rügen?
1. Jasmund
I'll start with probably the most famous of Rügen, which you simply can't leave without - the chalk cliffs in Jasmund National Park. These white majestic rocks rise straight out of the Baltic Sea to heights of over 100 metres in some places! Unfortunately, the chalk cliffs are terribly soft, crumbling and breaking off, so in some places it is no longer allowed to go down to the beach for safety reasons.
Note: you will read almost everywhere that Jasmund is on the UNESCO list of monuments, which is true, but it is not there because of the cliffs, but because of the unique beech forests.
One of the largest and above all most easily accessible formations is the Königsstuhl (Royal Chair), rising to about 118 metres. Currently there is a brand new viewing platform and a really beautiful visitor centre with lots of interactive elements. They really have it beautifully detailed, you just don't see that, highly recommended. There's also a bistro and the kids will appreciate the outdoor play area. Admission to Königsstuhl comes to €12 for an adult, children €6, under 5 years free, more info on the official website here.
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Accessibility: it is forbidden to drive into the national park, so you basically have several options. I'll try to break it down.
a) the fastest - park in Hagen in the paid parking lot (€5 for 3 hours) and from there take the shuttle bus to the visitor centre. One ride costs €2.20 for an adult, the bus turns around every half hour and the journey time is about 8 min. It is possible to buy a better combined entry and return bus for €15 (online here). And of course you can also walk to the visitor centre = 3 km there + 3 km back.
TIP1: also run to Victoria sicht, it's just a short walk from the bus stop and you can finally see the cliffs more from the side.
TIP2: don't drive into that giant parking lot in Hagen, but park across from it. This car park is just across the road, it's also paid, but they only want €3.50 for the whole day.
b) if you have more time - from Königsstuhl it is possible to continue on the cliffs following the blue hiking signs and enjoy the viewpoints (be sure to check maps.cz not google maps). After some 7 km or so you reach the town of Sassnitz, where you get on a bus and get a lift back to the car park in Hagen. Expect to walk more than 10 kilometres (if you walk to the visitor centre). At the same time, you can also do it the other way around = start in Sassnitz and end in Hagen.
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2. Sassnitz
And now that I've mentioned this city, I'll stick around for a while and give you some reasons why you should stop here for a while. Sassnitz has a cute historic centre on the coast (Alt Sassnitz), dominated by beautiful period villas with wooden verandas. If you walk down to the promenade from there, you'll see a dilapidated but quite photogenic pier, where I recommend grabbing a treat at Backerai Peters, yum! From here you can then continue further along the promenade, then join the beach and walk to within sight of the chalk cliffs. A great way to see them from below and not have to climb any elevation changes.
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In Sassnitz, in case of bad weather, I still had the U-Boat museum and the butterfly house. Neither came in handy, so maybe it will come in handy for you. They also have a zoo (Tierpark Sassnitz), but it's closed for renovations as of 2024.
3. Sellin
Here I'll declassify the place from the opening photo, because it is in Sellin that you will find this stunning almost 400 m long pier (Seebrucke). From the spa promenade you can walk down steep stairs to it, or you can go around the zigzag or use the elevator. Down below is a very nice beach with fine sand and a gradual entrance to the sea where you can roll out. You can also rent a strandkorb = a local specialty in the form of a wicker basket with a roof and sides to protect you from the sun and wind. The price is 1 h for €3 or the whole day for €12.
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4. Treetop Trail
This stop was obvious mainly because of the children, but in general I would say that the treetop trails are visited by all ages, regardless of the number of children. Adults go to enjoy the view, little ones are entertained by the various interactive elements on the way up, or the playground and ball pit at the visitor center. The highlight for Nina, however, was the water slide ride - you pay an extra €2, but it really made the day.
Officially you can find the trail under the name Baumwipfelpfad im Naturerbe Zentrum Rügen, the site has here, a light snippet of the highlights: adult entry €14, child €11, under 5 free. You can park right next to the center in the large parking lot for €3/3 h and you can refresh yourself in the self-service bistro where they have several main dishes, soups and lots of desserts.
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5. Jagdschloss Granitz
Hunting castle, which you can visit by the aforementioned steam train... or on foot. On maps.cz you can find several routes, just choose. You will find a large off-street car park under the name Parkplatz Süllitz, from which you start along the Jagdschlosswanderweg and from there you have about 2 km of gentle ascent to your destination. We got through just fine with the Thule stroller, but unfortunately I don't recommend the urban curler. Admission to the interior comes to €6, and you can find more info on prices and opening times on the official website here.
TIP: you can save money on parking fees if you turn right before entering the car park to the Neu Süllitz cottage village and leave your car there (somehow sensibly of course). It works out the same in terms of distance.
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6. Mys Arkona
No tourist is likely to miss a trip to the northernmost tip of Rügen, but in September there were not many people here. The main attractions are the lighthouses (3 in total), from which you can enjoy a great view, and then the military bunkers. If you have enough time, you can also include the beach, a walk on the cliffs or the fishing village of Vitt with its typical thatched roof houses.
Accessibility: the last place to reach by car is the village of Putgarten, where you can leave your car at the giant car park (€8/day, no other rate). From there you have to go on foot or take bus 14 or the tourist train to Arkona. The shuttle also goes to Vittu, costing €6 return or €4 one way.
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From my own experience, I can say that it can make a very nice walk. From the car park to the headland you walk about 2.3 km through the Putgarten, where you can refresh yourself with some goodies, coffee, beer etc. On the outcrop you will see two lighthouses + after a short walk you can even run down to the beach. The third lighthouse is a little off to the side, but from there you can continue for about 1.5 km on easy terrain, where there is another opportunity to run down to the foot of the cliffs, to the village of Vitt. After exploring the harbour, houses and church, it's just the final 2km back to the car. As a full circuit, allow for roughly 6 km + any detours.
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7. Putbus
A town with a very interesting circular square lined with white houses. The nicely landscaped castle park with a lake and a deer park (Wildgehege) is definitely worth a visit. Not too shy, the cuckold even arrived right behind us :) If you have a good coffee time here, I recommend to go to Rosencafé, they have a huge selection of sweet snacks at pretty good prices.
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8. Rugard
Right in the centre of the island is Rugard Hill, where you will find the brick lookout tower Ernst Moritz Arndt Turm. You can even climb it to get a view of the surrounding area from the glass dome. Children will appreciate the amusement park with its various slides and bobsleigh track. To give you an idea, the price is as follows - 1 ride on the bobsled €3 (Nina rode with Pepa), 5 rides on any slide for €8 (there were also adults fooling around).
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Of course, there are many other places on Rügen that we didn't have a chance to catch. My biggest regret was the ferry trip to the next island Hiddensee, but the weather that day was not ideal, and the ferries were running at such weird times that we decided to skip it altogether. For the urbex lovers, I would also mention the abandoned Prora complex that Hitler had built as a holiday resort. It's huge! And fenced off, however you can get inside in a few places... I personally wasn't particularly impressed. There are some very nice natural sandy beaches around though - you only have to climb a short stretch of forest from the road and you're there.
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