Hiddensee, Rügen & Usedom

The many points of interest in Stralsund make it a very rewarding starting point for this tour. The Gorch Fock 1, a German three-mast barque originally built as a school ship in 1933, sits majestically in the Stralsund harbor.

Take the ferry in the morning to Hiddensee (incl). Explore the quiet island. No cars allowed. The gorgeous residential area was once home to the late poet and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Gerhard Hauptmann. From the Dornbusch Leuchtturm, a lighthouse, you can see North Rügen, Granitz and Stralsund. Take in the scenery on foot or by bike. In the afternoon take the ferry to Rügen.

Cycle along the spit of land called der Schaabe to the peninsula Jasmund. There are several routes to choose from for your tour to Bergen. You can cycle from the promontory Königsstuhl and Sassnitz, through resort towns to the middle of the island (lengthier) or go from Glowe past Sagard to Bergen (shorter).

Cycle across South Rügen to the Glewitz Ferry (payable on-site, approx. 2,40 Euro). On your way there you can go through Putbus which was founded by Prince Wilhelm-Malte zu Putbus as his town of residence. Its orangery and stables survived the war and are situated in a beautiful park. The town is also notable for the small theatre and the Crown Prince's residence. Take the shady avenue and narrow banks to Greifswald, birth city of C.D. Friedrich, a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter. Greifswald is also the home to the Monastery Ruins of Eldena, a university, pubs, a harbour. It is a Western Pommeranian City of Culture.

In the morning, take the train to Anklam, the birth place of Otto Lilienthal, a pioneer of human aviation who became known as the German Glider King. You may want to visit the Lilienthal Museum. A glorious tour awaits you today as you cycle over the Peene River to the Karniner Eisenbahnhubbrücke, a railway lift bridge. Continue to the small city Usedom and over secluded paths on the island of Usedom to the Lagoon of Stettin. Reach Kamminke and resort towns Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin.

The Imperial Baths with their gorgeous architecture await you on the Baltic Sea Coast. Cycle north from resort to resort along the steep, forested coast. The Peenemünde Technical Museum exhibits Von Braun Ferry Rockets, a concept design for a shuttle spacecraft in the early 1950´s and much more.

Today, you will cycle through Wolgast, or Peenemünde, along the bay, through pine forest and along the coastline to Greifswald. (There you can visit the State Museum and its art gallery.) Take the train (departs every hour) to Stralsund where you can visit the Gorch Fock, the Town hall with its brick Gothic architecture, the OZEANEUM (one of the largest institutions of its kind in Europe), the Church and much more.