Baltic Sea Coast from Lübeck to Rügen

Lübeck lies in southeastern Schleswig-Holstein on the Trave river and was once the main city of the Hanseatic League. Its Old Town is perched on a roughly 140-hectare hill, which the Trave and Kanal-Trave transform into an island. Around three-quarters of its buildings survived World War II, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.The city is known for its seven towers and Lübeck marzipan. From the Holstentor, you'll walk past the Salt Warehouses up to St. Mary's Church and the Town Hall, discovering hidden passageways and courtyards. At the European Hanseatic Museum, you'll learn how the Hanseatic League shaped Baltic Sea trade.

Old Town with Holstentor, since 1987 UNESCO World Heritage.

Wismar is located at the southern tip of Wismar Bay, which is protected by Poel Island. The Hanseatic city was under Swedish rule from 1648, which ended in 1803 with a pledge to Mecklenburg. Since 2002, its Old Town, together with that of Stralsund, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The heart of the city is the 100 by 100-meter market square, featuring the Wasserkunst of 1602 and the Alter Schwede citizens' house from 1360. From there, you walk to the brick churches St. Nikolai, St. Georgen, and the tower of St. Marien, and down to the Old Harbor.

Old Harbor, home port of the Poeler Kogge, and the Water Gate as the last preserved city gate.

Rostock, with some 210,000 inhabitants, is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's largest city, stretching about 16 kilometers along both banks of the Warnow, from the city center to its mouth in Warnemünde. The Hanseatic city received Lübeck city rights in 1218; its university, founded in 1419, is Northern Europe's oldest.Marienkirche, Town Hall on Neuer Markt, and Kröpeliner Tor shape the Old Town. The S-Bahn gets you quickly to Warnemünde, where Lighthouse, Teepott, and Alter Strom await. Hanse Sail in August welcomes some 300 traditional tall ships.

Hanseatic city and Baltic Sea resort.

Stralsund liegt am Strelasund und gilt als Tor zur Insel Rügen. Die Altstadt ist fast vollständig von Wasser umgeben, vom Sund und von Knieperteich, Frankenteich und Moorteich. Seit 2002 ist sie gemeinsam mit Wismar UNESCO-Welterbe, fast 200 Jahre lang gehörte die Stadt zu Schwedisch-Pommern.Am Alten Markt stehen das Rathaus, eines der bedeutendsten Profanbauten der Backsteingotik im Norden, und die Nikolaikirche. Vom 104 Meter hohen Turm der Marienkirche blickst du über Stadt und Rügen. Im Hafen zeigt das 2008 eröffnete Ozeaneum die Unterwasserwelt von Ostsee und Nordatlantik.

Ozeaneum in the harbor; from the city port, ships sail to Hiddensee and Altefähr.

Binz is the largest seaside resort on Rügen. Late 19th-century villa-style guesthouses line the promenade, in front of which stretches a sandy beach approximately five kilometers long and up to 50 meters wide. The 1908 Kurhaus and the 370-meter-long pier from 1994 form the center.In the Granitz forest stands Jagdschloss Granitz, its tower offering panoramic views as far as Usedom. Approximately five kilometers north, the Koloss von Prora serves as a reminder of the plans for a KdF seaside resort. You can reach neighboring towns with the Rasender Roland, the narrow-gauge railway between Putbus and Göhren.

Base for Jasmund and a trip to Kap Arkona.

Jasmund National Park in northeastern Rügen, at 3,003 hectares, is Germany's smallest national park. It was established on September 12, 1990, and since June 2011, parts of its beech forest have been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The chalk cliffs of the steep coast are approximately 70 million years old; Caspar David Friedrich painted them in 1818.Its most famous point is the 118-meter-high Königsstuhl, home to the National Park Centre, where a skywalk has extended over the edge since 2023. A panoramic trail runs for about eleven to twelve kilometers along the high cliff coast from Sassnitz to Lohme, or you can take a shuttle bus from the Hagen car park.

The Hochuferweg leads about 12 km from Sassnitz via the Königsstuhl to Lohme, cycling is not permitted there.

Bansin, Heringsdorf, and Ahlbeck have formed the municipality of Ostseebad Heringsdorf, known as the Kaiserbäder (Imperial Spas), since 2006. Villas, hotels, and guesthouses in distinctive spa architecture characterize these resorts. The oldest preserved building is the Weiße Schloss (White Castle), dating from 1825 and built to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.A twelve-kilometer promenade connects the three resorts with Swinemünde, backed by an average 40-meter-wide sandy beach. Three piers extend into the sea: Heringsdorf boasts Germany's longest at 508 meters, while Ahlbeck features the oldest.

Bansin, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck, connected by the Europa Promenade.