Altefähr on the Strelasund
Accommodation in Altefähr
Altefähr’s beach is right on the Strelasund. There are also water activities, maritime history and a passenger ferry connecting the town on Rügen with the Hanseatic city of Stralsund. If you’d like to plan your stay around the beach and water, you’ll find a range of options here, from swimming at the beach to exploring the island by kayak. Cycling and hiking trails are also among the things that make Altefähr an appealing destination for active days away.
File:Altefähr-Blick nach Stralsund-WUS01781.jpg
Photo: Rainer Halama via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Beach on the Strelasund
The beach has a bathing ramp that also enables wheelchair users to swim. A 35-metre-wide stretch of natural beach has a gently sloping shore and shallow water that is also suitable for toddlers. The beach is supervised by the DLRG. These features give you specific points to consider when deciding what kind of beach stay suits your trip. The ramp, gently sloping shore and supervised beach each describe a different aspect of the swimming facilities.
If you’d like to combine your stay by the Strelasund with activities on the water, you can sail, surf or take a motorboat out from Altefähr. You can also explore the island from the water by kayak. The Altefähr surf spot is right next to the Hanseatic city of Stralsund. These options cater to different interests: you can make the beach the focus of your visit or consider water sports and exploring from the water.
Harbour and maritime history
The historic ship ERNA is moored in Altefähr harbour. It is now based in the seaside resort of Altefähr, where it has a permanent berth. The ship was built in the Netherlands in 1904. At the harbour, you’ll encounter both a tangible part of maritime history and a ship that is still based in Altefähr today. St. Nikolai Church offers another historical point of interest: parts of the church date back to the 15th century. It is open to visitors from Whitsun to the Harvest Festival, so you can plan your visit during this period if you’d like to see the church.
Local traditions also give Altefähr its own annual rhythm. Traditional celebrations are held every year, such as the herring festival on 1 May. You can note this date as an occasion for a spring visit when planning your trip. The festival and the historic sites offer different points of interest: one is part of recurring local life, while the others tell the story of Altefähr’s maritime and ecclesiastical history.
Ferry connection, cycling and trails
A passenger ferry connects the Hanseatic city of Stralsund with Altefähr on Rügen and crosses the Strelasund in 15 minutes. If you’d like to include the connection between the island and the Hanseatic city in your trip, the short crossing time is a useful point of reference. No timetable or individual departure times are provided here; for planning your day, the key information is the connection itself and the stated crossing time.
Altefähr can also be a starting or finishing point for cycling and hiking trips. The town connects to the Baltic Coast Cycle Route. The Rügen circular route also starts and ends in Altefähr. This gives you two different route options: a long-distance cycle route and a circular route that starts and finishes in the same place. The tourist information office is right in the harbour and offers brochures, town maps and maps of hiking, water and cycling routes. If you need information about these routes, you’ll find materials there on all three topics.
You can also discover other destinations in the area, including Samtens, Hiddensee Island, Schaprode, Gingst, Kluis, Rambin, Trent and Dreschvitz.
For an overview of the wider region, see Amt West-Rügen.
