DRIVE 3: The Baltic Coast 57
Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40Above left Marktplaz and Rathaus in
Greifswald Above right Strandkörbe
on a beach in Usedom8 Usedom
Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania; 17424
The island, named after the village
of Usedom and separated from the
main land by the Peenestrom Strait,
is the second largest in Germany,
covering an area of 172 sq miles
(445 sq km). Renowned for its
great natural beauty, Usedom
has white beaches, forests, peat
bogs, and bays overgrown with
rushes in the south. The island
is linked to the mainland by
two draw bridges near Anklam
and Wolgast.
Historically, the most
interesting spot on the island
is the Historisch-technisches
Informationszenytum (Apr–
Sept: open daily; Oct–Mar:
closed Mon) at Peenemünde,
located in military territory.
On October 3, 1942,
Luftwaffe scientists success-
fully launched a rocket here
after seven years of testing.
Originally intended for a jet plane,
DAY TRIP OPTIONS
Both Bad Doberan and Stralsund
make good bases from which to
explore the region.Art, old and new
With Bad Doberan 1 as a base, visit
the Münster, its Gothic altars steeped
in medieval mystery, then tour the
Marienkirche in Rostock 2 and the
beach at Warnemünde. Drive to the
art colony beach resort of Ahrenshoop
on Fischland 3 for lunch and some
window shopping. Later, stroll on an
unspoiled beach, then either admirePrerow am Darss’s museum or,
in spring and fall, go bird-watching
at Zingst.Take the B105 to Rostock and then
the B103 to Warnemünde. Follow the
driving instructions through
Ahrenshoop to Zingst, then take the
B105 back to Bad Doberan.Culture and coast
In Stralsund 4 explore the Alter
Markt’s fine ensemble of Gothic
buildings before driving to Rügen
Island 5 for a clifftop stroll at theKönigsstuhl, the ideal way to work
up an appetite for lunch on the
beach at Binz. Leave the car at the
parking lot in Jagdschloss Granitz, a
Neo-Classical castle, and make the
return trip to Putbus, Rügen’s first
resort, by vintage steam train. End
the day relaxing at the beach resort
of Binz, which is near the castle.Take the B96 to Sassnitz, then follow
driving instructions to Königsstühl and
in reverse to Binz. Take the B196 to
Bergen to rejoin th B96 for Stralsund.EAT AND DRINKGREIFSWALD
Fische-Hütte moderate
well-priced fish is served straight
off a boat or smoked in-house in
this charming place by the
Wieck harbor.
An der Mühle 8, 17493; 03834 83 96 54;
http://www.fischer-huette.deUSEDOM
Kulm Eck moderate
Chef Brian Seifert lifts regional recipes
to gourmet heights and embarks on
culinary experiments, using herbs from
the garden of this small, charming villa.
Kulmstrasse 17, 17424 Heringsdorf;
03837 82 25 60; http://www.kulm-eck.de;
open Tue–Sun dinnerReplica of a V-2
Vergeltungswaffen at
Peenemündethe tech nology was hijacked by the
Nazis to develop the V-1 and V-2
Vergeltungswaffen (vengeance
wea pons) – flying bombs that
were used to attack London in- The museum documents
this break through in science and
its post-war consequences.
Return to the B111 junction and
then turn left to reach Heringsdorf.
Park near the tourist office. The
largest resort in Usedom spreads
out behind a silvery sand beach
with con tinen tal Europe’s longest
pier (555 yards/508 m). In the
late 19th cen tury, this was the
playground of Prussia’s elite,
as is evident in the palatial
summer residen ces on
Delbrückstrasse prome-
nade. Visitors can either
walk or drive 1 mile (2 km)
east ward to Ahlbeck, a
smaller town and an
ele gant beach resort with villas,
hotels, and boarding houses
gathered around a turreted pier.