Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is one of the most popular inland destinations for Germans, many are particularly attracted by the coast. Reason enough to present nine of the most beautiful islands, cities and seaside resorts.
The Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast stretches from the east side of the Bay of Lübeck to Fischland and has a long tradition: Germany’s first seaside resort was founded in Heiligendamm a good 200 years ago. Subsequently, Warnemünde, Kühlungsborn, Rerik, Boltenhagen and Graal-Müritz developed into popular holiday resorts whose beaches can get crowded in summer. It’s different in spring, fall and winter – then you only see a few walkers along the water and in the woods. TRAVELBOOK shows which islands and places on the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are worth visiting.
The 9 most beautiful places on the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania coast
Ruegen Island
White cliffs, wide beaches and blue sea: Rügen is the largest German island in terms of area and is best known for its quiet beaches, spa resorts, spa facilities and incredibly beautiful nature. If you want to relax, come to Rügen!
Sights / excursion tips on Rügen:
- Jasmund National Park with the famous Kreisefelsen Königsstuhl
- Pier in the Baltic Sea resort of Sellin with its underwater gondola
- Flint fields in the Schmale Heide nature reserve north of the Baltic Sea resort of Binz
- Eat sea buckthorn cake in the café of the Sellin Kurhaus
- Treetop walkway with observation tower in the nature heritage center near Prora
- Ride the nostalgic steam trainRaging Roland” through the seaside resorts
Also interesting: Chalk cliffs and Königsstuhl – tips for famous sights on Rügen
Hiddensee Island
Hiddensee with the long beach, cliffs, Dornbusch cliff and beautiful hiking trails is the quiet alternative to Rügen. The island is located west of Rügen in the West Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park and can be reached by ferry from Stralsund. In winter, drivers can drive to Schaprode, park their car there at the ferry terminal and drive through Neuendorf, Vitte or Kloster. The arrival by train takes you via Stralsund to Bergen auf Rügen, from there by bus to Schaprode.
Sights / excursion tips for Hiddensee:
- Visit to the Hiddensee amber workshop in Kloster
- Excursion to the Dornbusch on the northern tip of the island with the picturesque lighthouse
- A dyke a kilometer long walk from the port of Kloster
Fischland-Zingst-Darss peninsula
65 kilometers of fine sandy beach and cliffs surround the peninsula between Rostock and Stralsund on the Baltic Sea, which is why Fischland-Zingst-Darß is a popular destination for holidaymakers, especially in summer. The wildly romantic landscape with the offshore chain of lagoons is not only suitable for swimming, but also perfect for beautiful excursions: long walks, bike rides or horse rides.
Sights / excursion tips for Fischland-Zingst-Darß:
- Visit the western edge, according to TRAVELBOOK readers the most beautiful beach in Germany
- In case of bad weather: visit the Bodden-Therme in Ribnitz-Damgarten
- Visit Ahrenshoop’s “Kunstkaten”, showcasing local art
- Eating fish rolls in the port of Zingst
- Bike tour from Ahrenshoop over the coastal protection dike and through the forest to the Darßer Ort lighthouse at the northern tip of the peninsula
Also interesting: the nudist beaches on the German Baltic Sea
Usedom Island
There are many reasons to go to Usedom in winter: large forests and almost endless beaches invite you to hikes and walks. It is also healthy: because where sun, wind and waves meet, so-called surf aerosols are created: the salt-enriched air frees the bronchial tubes, resistance and performance increase and the body’s defenses adapt. Conveniently, the beautiful Imperial Baths with their resort-like architecture are so close together that you can walk from one to the other as you stroll along the beach. Or cycle them all at once.
Sights / hiking tips on Usedom:
- Sighting of villas in the imperial baths of Heringsdorf, Bansin and Ahlbeck
- Hike across the Polish border to Swinoujscie, also worth seeing
- Stroll the historic Ahlbeck pier
Also interesting: The most beautiful places in Usedom
Ostseebad Kuhlungsborn
Kuehlungsborn is the largest seaside resort in Mecklenburg and has a six kilometer long sandy beach and one of the longest beach promenades in Germany. In the summer it can get quite busy in the place where just over 9000 people normally live.
Also interesting: Top tips for Kühlungsborn
Sights / excursion tips in Kühlungsborn:
- Marina of Kühlungsborn with many restaurants and shops
- Walk on the 240m long pier
- Visit Germany’s tallest lighthouse in Bastorf
- It runs through the city forest between western and eastern Kuehlungsborn
- Ride in the historic wagons of the “Molli” narrow-gauge railway from Kuehlungsborn-West via Heiligendamm to Bad Doberan
Polel Island
Poel, Germany’s seventh largest island, is connected to the Mecklenburg mainland by a causeway and lies off Wismar. Almost all types of landscape that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has to offer can be found in Poel: beaches, salt marshes, lagoons, fjords, lakes, cliffs. And a long beach of the Baltic Sea, the Schwarzer Busch, where you can go on a “treasure hunt”: fossil lightning, petrified sea urchins, flints with circular holes and sea glass are washed ashore by storms.
Sights / hiking tips on Poel:
- Fishing trips at sea with the “MS Möwe”
- Visit to the trout smokehouse with tasting
- Excursion to Wismar with the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Also interesting: what the island of Poel in the Baltic Sea has to offer in winter
Rostock
Rostock impresses on the one hand with its location on the Baltic Sea, on the other hand with its well-preserved old town. As Rostock is a university city, you meet many students here, the nightlife culture is nationwide appreciated and Rostock also has a lot to offer culturally.
Sights / excursion tips in Rostock:
- Visit the Warnemünde district with its long promenade, harbor and Alter Strom, a canal lined with shops and fishing boats
- Excursion to the Rostock heath, the largest coastal forest in Germany
- Visit the Rostock market church with the astronomical clock
Stralsund
Stralsund’s old town, surrounded by ponds on an island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The signposted “Paths of Brick Gothic” route takes tourists to the most important buildings of the 14th and 15th centuries. Particularly beautiful: the town hall of Stralsund. The island of Rügen can be reached directly from Stralsund via the Rügen bridge.
Sights / excursion tips in Stralsund:
- Island tour of the old city surrounded by water
- Walk along the Sound Promenade on the bank of the Strelasund Estuary
- Visit the German Maritime Museum and the Ozeaneum
