54 BACK ROADS GERMANY
Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €70; moderate, €70–€150; expensive, over €1505 Rügen
Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania; 18556, 18546, 18609
Two centuries of tourism have not marred the appeal of Germany’s largest
island (357 sq miles/926 sq km). Whether exploring its rural villages, relaxing
in beach resorts in belle époque villas, riding a vintage steam train or strolling
along chalk cliffs, Rügen’s appeal is timeless and simple.1 Putbus
Putbus’s Markt, with its Neo-Classical
theater and smart Circus, would not
look out of place in a city. In this large
village, however, it appears almost
aristocratic. Prince Wilhelm Malte I
had hoped to create a Prussian St.
Tropez when he unsuccessfully plan-
ned the village as a health spa in 1809.
Unfortunately, his castle was blown
up with dynamite in the 1960s – the
story goes that a local mayor wanted
to impress East Germany’s Communist
rulers – although the orangery and
park remain, as does the colonnaded
Badehaus, or bathhouse, which lies
1 mile (2 km) away, near Lauterbach.
From here, it is possible to take a boat
trip to the Vilm Island Nature Reserve.
ª Drive through Putbus toward the
seaside town of Binz. Beyond Nistelitz
village, turn left at the T-junction, then
turn right to reach the Jagdschloss
Granitz parking lot.2 Jagdschloss Granitz
A Neo-Classical hunting castle of
Prince Wilhelm Malte I, Jagdschloss
Granitz (May–Sept: open daily; Oct–Apr:
closed Mon) crowns the Tempelburg
Hill, the highest point in east Rügen.
Climb up the castle’s 125-ft (38-m)
high tower for a sweeping panorama
of the Baltic Sea. An apocryphal tale
explains this curiosity as
the prince’s ruse to settle
a land dispute – Swedish
rulers agreed he could
own whatever he saw
from his castle.
Spread along the
coast beyond, Binz,
Rügen’s premier seaside
resort, is renowed for
its ornate villas and
fine beach.
ª Head through Binz
to Sassnitz to take the
B96 to the Nationalpark
Jasmund and the
Königsstuhl parking lot
in Hagen village. Visitors
can either take the bus toThe Rasender Roland
The Rasender Roland (open daily;
http://www.ruegensche-baederbahn.de), or
Racing Roland, is a steam-powered
narrow-gauge railroad that plies on
Rügen and provides an enjoyable
change from traveling by car. The
steam locomotives whistle out of
Putbus station north wards through
the fields at 19 mph (30 kph), pause
at Jagdschloss Granitz and Binz en
route before terminating an hour
later in Göhren in east Rügen.WHERE TO STAY IN RÜGENPanorama Hotel Lohme moderate
This small hotel on a cliff has classic
modern decor and great sea views.
An der Steilküste 8, 18551 Lohme
(1 mile/2 km north of Königsstuhl park-
ing lot); 038302 91 10; http://www.lohme.com
Cerês expensive
This five-star hotel brings metropolitan
style to the traditional seafront.
Strandpromenade 24, 18509; 038393
666 70; http://www.ceres-hotel.deBOAT TRIPSReederie Ostsee Tour (www.reederie-
ostsee-tour.de), Adler Schiffe (www.
adler-schiffe.de), and Weisse Flotte
(www.weisse-flotte.de) ferries ply along
the north coast from May–Oct.VISITING RÜGENTourist Information
Alleestrasse 35, 18581 Putbus; 038301
431; Heinrich-Heine-Strasse 7, 18509
Binz; 038393 14 81 48.Königsstuhl, or opt for a pleasant
2-mile (3-km) stroll.3 Königsstuhl
A lovely road from Sassnitz cuts
through the Nationalpark Jasmund,
a landscape of spacious beech
woods that cover white chalk sea
cliffs. Romantic artist Caspar David
Friedrich (1774–1840) immortalized
the scenery in his etchings and oils,
so popularizing the Königsstuhl (open
daily) that in 1865 Kasier Wilhelm I
himself inspected the chalk bluff
with his daughter Princess Viktoria.
Königsstuhl literally means “king’s
stool,” a name derived from the tradi-
tion that Rügen’s early rulers followed
to prove them selves worthy by climb-
ing the 388-ft (118-m) high cliff. For aTop Viewpoint on a cliff in the Nationalpark
Jasmund, Rügen Above Neo-Classical
hunting castle, Jagdschloss Granitz0 kilometers0 miles88Greifswalder
BoddenTromper WiekKubitzer
BoddenGrosser
Jasmunder
BoddenJasmundRügenStralsundDranskeVitteSchaprodePoseritzReinbergAltefährSamtensGingstNeuendorfTrentWiek AltenkirchenLohme
HagenKluisThiessowGarzGöhrenZarrendorfProhnGloweZirkowNistelitz
LauterbachRappinZudarPutgartenBinzSassnitzBergenKönigsstuhlKap ArkonaPutbusJagdschloss
Granitz