The island of Rügen never ceases to amaze me. Today it’s the town of Binz, a town of just around 5,100 people who are lucky enough to live in this Baltic Sea resort town.
The town mostly gets by on tourism dollars (sorry, Euro), a long way away from its original start as a sleepy fishing and farming village from the Middle Ages.
The 19th and 20th centuries saw the biggest boom to its seaside resort growth; and many of its charming villas and churches come from that time period.
Probably the most famous would be the Jadgschloss Granitz, a hunting lodge built in the 1830s. Today almost a quarter of a million people visit this bright “castle,” whose circular stairs and grand entrance hall will have you marveling at the feats of German engineering.
Another feat of engineering is the Seebad Prora. Built as a Nazi propaganda building with their “Strength through Joy” program, this huge housing complex was designed to hold some 20,000 beach going people at one time. To say that it seems to go on forever is an understatement.
As massive as it is, nothing seems more formidable than the Baltic Sea itself. You don’t come to the beach to sit inside, do you? I didn’t think so — so it’s off to do some fishing, go surfing, try kayaking, or even taking a spin around on a catamaran. Land lubbers might prefer to do a Segway tour or play a game of beach football/soccer.
In case you didn’t know, the island of Rügen has an extensive network of hiking and biking trails. So rest assured that you’ll find plenty of pretty ones throughout Binz. Don’t feel like walking too far? Take a leisurely stroll along the Beach Promenade, OK?
I for one prefer to wander around looking at the dunes and the rippling waves of the Baltic (there’s plenty of places to see it, the beach is some five kilometers long). Oh please, I’m totally in love with the whole spa scene.
You’re welcome to join me there, that is, if you can tear yourself away from whatever strikes your fancy.
