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Hiddensee, around Neuendorf |
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This small island on the
west coast of Ruegen seems to possess its own special charm. Whoever
has been to Hiddensee once, almost always comes back again. Certainly,
the unusual and varied countryside along the coast, which ranges from
gentle and peaceful to rugged and wild, is fascinating. Precipitous
rocks and wide sandy beaches form the coastline, while fields and
marshes overgrown with reeds extend to the shores of the calm inland
bays. If you climb through the thorny bushes to the top of the round
grassy hills, the panorama stretches over the flat area of the island
to the Island of Ruegen and, even farther, to the distant mainland.
The scenery is varied and extraordinarily lovely; including dunes
and heaths, thickets of sea buckthorn, salty meadows and nesting places
for sea birds. ...
Here you are far away from the stress of day-to-day living. It is
unusually quiet on the small island which the inhabitants themselves
lovingly call "sötes Länneken" (silent little
land). There is no mass tourism here and no cars are allowed on the
island, instead there are wonderful hiking trails, visitors can bathe
and relax in the sun, collect stones or watch the birds and generally
get away from it all! On the 16 kilometers of clean, fine sandy beaches,
there is a quiet spot to be found for anybody who wants to be alone.
It is well worth getting to know Hiddensee in all seasons -is it glorious
not only when the broom and heather are in bloom or when the birds
are migrating and new snow has fallen but also during the winter storms,
which bring rain and fog. |
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Lighthouse on Dornbusch |
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Hiddensee is one of
the few coastal regions of Germany where nature and countryside
are completely unspoilt. For this reason, the island is strictly
protected and most of its area forms part of the recently created
Western Pomeranian Boddenlandschaft National Park. Within this
national park there are valuable nature reserves (Dornbusch,
Bessin, Faehr Isle, Duenenheide and Gellen) which, for the most
part, can be explored on foot. Only the areas at the south end
of Bessin and Gellen as well as the Faehr Isle where the sea
birds breed and which are looked after by the Ornithological
Station in Kloster, are out of bounds. However, many interesting
species of birds can be observed outside these protected areas,
in particular during the breeding season in spring and before
migration in the autumn. In the island's Local History Museum
exhibits show the flora and fauna of the island, the sea and
the inland bay, as well as presenting the geological evolution
of the island. |
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As a visitor to the island you can also actively make a contribution
to nature conservancy by observing the following rules:
- Do not leave the paths when walking or cycling through the nature
reserves
- Do not enter protected areas for sea birds
- Do not scare any wild animals and do not pick any wild flowers
- Do not attempt to climb the cliffs or go into the dunes
- Camping is not permitted
- Do not leave any litter
- Do not land your boat or surf board on the salt meadows or reedy
shore.
By abiding by these guidelines, you will help preserve the unspoilt beauty of Hiddensee for coming generations.
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At the end of the last century, many artists and scientists
came to Hiddensee, captivated by its charm and untouched quality.
First, painters and illustrators spent the summers here -
to be followed by more and more summer guests. The list of
famous visitors is long and includes Sigmund Freud, Asta Nielsen,
Thomas Mann, Kaethe Kollwitz, Albert Einstein, Max Reinhardt
... The German dramatist, Gerhart Hauptmann, was especially
fond of Hiddensee. He wrote many of his works here and lies
buried on the island. His summer residence "Haus Seedorn"
in Kloster, was turned into a memorial and is open to the
public.
Today, Hiddensee's main source of income is tourism - but
the island still manages to retain that particular aura which,
long ago, attracted the very first visitors.
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