Vorpommern-Rügen: Islands, Nature and Culture

Vorpommern-Rügen encompasses a variety of landscapes and cultural attractions: Rügen and the nearby islands of Hiddensee and Ummanz are part of the district, as is the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula chain. When choosing where to stay, it helps to ask a simple question: should the focus be more on beaches and water sports, nature experiences, or historic towns and art?

Beaches and Island Landscapes

Rügen has miles of Baltic Sea beaches and two national parks. Jasmund National Park is also on the island: its beech forests are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.” Rügen is also one of the places in the wider region where natural heritage and coastal landscapes come together. Its Flint Fields are a geological area formed around 4,000 years ago and a popular local recreation destination.

Fischland-Darß-Zingst offers a different emphasis. The peninsula has more than 60 kilometres of fine, white, gently sloping sandy beaches. Family beach holidays, as well as kiteboarding and windsurfing, are possible activities there. This makes it easy to factor your preferred type of coast into your choice of location: beach days and water sports offer a different focus from trails through forests and protected areas.

Wildlife Watching and Getting Around

More than 70,000 cranes stop to rest twice a year in Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. This is a special seasonal natural attraction in the region. On Fischland-Darß-Zingst, you can also explore a natural, undeveloped landing area on trips aboard traditional Zeesboot sailing boats. If you prefer to travel on foot, the national park has the four-kilometre Darßer Ort circular hiking trail.

On Rügen, the routes described differ in how you travel and where they go: the cycling route through Jasmund National Park starts in Sassnitz and leads to the KÖNIGSSTUHL National Park Centre. The chalk trail runs along the cliff-top path and ends at the centre; you can also start there. The centre itself has an interactive exhibition spread over four floors, with 18 themed rooms. Before setting out, it is advisable to check current route conditions.

Nature and landscapes can also be the focus of a visit: NATUREUM Darßer Ort is an outpost of the German Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund and provides information about the sea, the surrounding nature and the national park. Its permanent exhibition covers, among other things, the underwater world of the Baltic Sea, forest animals, bird specimens, and the nature and landscape around Darßer Ort.

Historic Towns and Art

In the Hanseatic town of Stralsund, the Old Town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar.” Its many surviving Hanseatic-era brick buildings give the townscape a distinctive historic character. The OZEANEUM opened in 2008 and was named “European Museum of the Year.” The historic naval training ship Gorch Fock I can also be visited in Stralsund; check current access arrangements before your visit. Cultural events for which Vorpommern-Rügen is known include the Störtebeker Festival. Check specific dates in advance.

The district estimates that it has around 60 museums. Art can be discovered in two galleries, among other places: the Galerie im Kloster in Ribnitz-Damgarten mainly shows contemporary regional art, as well as a permanent exhibition of prints by Lyonel Feininger. The district’s art collection is also preserved, cared for and administered there. It comprises around 500 works of painting, graphic art, sculpture, ceramics, silk painting and textile design, dating from the late 19th century to the present day. Visitors can see works from the collection in changing exhibitions; check the current visitor arrangements before your visit.

In Putbus, the gallery in the Orangerie presents up to eight exhibitions each year in a historic building in the heart of the town of art and culture. The programme also includes readings and concerts. Traditionally, an exhibition of works from the Rügen Cultural Foundation’s collection, which comprises more than 1,500 exhibits, is held at the end of the year. Check the current programme for your travel dates.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip

If you are planning excursions, you can also choose between wildlife watching, a hike, a cycling tour and cultural visits. Choosing a destination is the first step towards finding a hotel that suits your Baltic Sea trip.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Süderholz, Binz, Putbus, Grimmen, Zingst, Marlow, Amt Miltzow, Amt Altenpleen, Amt Barth, Amt Bergen Auf Rügen, Amt Darß/Fischland, Amt Franzburg-Richtenberg, Amt Mönchgut-Granitz, Amt Niepars, Amt Nord-Rügen, Amt Recknitz-Trebeltal, Amt Ribnitz-Damgarten, Amt West-Rügen.