Vorpommern-Rügen encompasses a variety of landscapes and cultural highlights: the district includes Rügen and the offshore islands of Hiddensee and Ummanz. The Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula also belongs to the district. The following places and topics offer different starting points for planning your trip.
Islands, Peninsula and Nature Experiences
Rügen is home to two national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beech forests in Jasmund National Park are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.” The Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula has more than 60 kilometers of fine, white, gently sloping sandy beaches along its coastline. The area offers opportunities for family beach holidays as well as kitesurfing and windsurfing. These two areas therefore offer different landscapes and activities to consider when choosing destinations for your trip.
Nature watching and walking routes can also be incorporated into your plans. More than 70,000 cranes stop to rest twice a year in Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. The Darßer Ort circular hiking trail in the same national park is four kilometers long. You can also explore the natural, newly formed land on Fischland-Darß-Zingst on traditional Zeesboot sailing boats. These details give you specific ideas for planning your trip; check the applicable information in advance before visiting or taking a tour.
Historic Old Town and Cultural Events
The old town of the Hanseatic city of Stralsund is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centers of Stralsund and Wismar.” It is known for its many well-preserved brick buildings from the Hanseatic period. There are an estimated 60 or so museums in Vorpommern-Rügen district. The region also offers a variety of cultural events: Vorpommern-Rügen is known, among other things, for the Störtebeker Festival. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the relevant program.
The historic narrow-gauge railway “Rasender Roland” operates on Rügen. In the wider region, it connects the southeastern Baltic Sea resorts and is considered Germany’s oldest historic narrow-gauge railway. Check the timetable before your trip for the dates you plan to visit. In Stralsund, visitors can also tour the historic naval training ship Gorch Fock I; check visiting arrangements in advance. The OZEANEUM opened in 2008 and was awarded the title “European Museum of the Year”—another part of the region’s cultural history.
Art in Ribnitz-Damgarten and Putbus
In Ribnitz-Damgarten, the gallery at the monastery mainly exhibits contemporary art from the region, as well as a permanent exhibition of prints by Lyonel Feininger. Visitors can also see changing exhibitions featuring works from the district’s art collection. The collection is preserved, maintained, and administered at the gallery. It comprises around 500 works of painting, prints, sculpture, ceramics, silk painting, and textile design, dating from the late 19th century to the present day. Ribnitz-Damgarten thus offers a look at both contemporary art and works from a broad historical collection. Check the current visitor regulations before your visit.
The gallery in the orangery in Putbus presents up to eight exhibitions a year in a historic building in the heart of this city of art and culture. Readings and concerts are also held there. Traditionally, an exhibition featuring works from the collection of the Kulturstiftung Rügen is presented at the end of the year; the collection comprises more than 1,500 exhibits. This tradition gives an indication of the program’s character, but is not a specific event date: check the current offerings before your trip.
Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip
If you want to include several of these topics in your plans, organize the locations and potential visits around the days of your trip rather than assuming that their shared location in the district automatically makes for a ready-made route. For events, timetables, and visits to galleries or attractions, the current dates and visiting arrangements are what matter.
Discover more destinations: Marlow, Zingst, Binz, Putbus, Sassnitz, Stralsund, Grimmen, Süderholz, Amt Altenpleen, Amt Barth, Amt Bergen Auf Rügen, Amt Darß/Fischland, Amt Franzburg-Richtenberg, Amt Miltzow, Amt Mönchgut-Granitz, Amt Niepars, Amt Nord-Rügen, Amt Recknitz-Trebeltal, Amt Ribnitz-Damgarten, Amt West-Rügen.
See the overview of the wider region: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
