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Germany’s Baltic coastline is 230 miles of wild,
unspoilt seashore – broad beaches, dunes, islands and
inlets bejewelled with small resorts, fishing villages
and lighthouses – a paradise for sailors (with its many
fine marinas), walkers and nature-lovers.
The coast contains a good sprinkling of fascinating
towns and cities, many of which were in the former East
Germany and are only just beginning to be discovered by
visitors. Rostock, the old Hanseatic port and
shipbuilding centre known as the “Gateway to the North”,
has been rebuilt following wartime damage, and the
result is an interesting blend of old and new. Modern
theatres and shops contrast with old churches, towers
and town walls. The nearby seaside resort of Warnemünde
and the old spa town of Heiligendamm provide extensive
bathing and other recreational facilities.
Further east, opposite Stralsund, another interesting
old Hanseatic town, lies Germany’s largest island, Rügen
(358 square miles), containing some of the finest sandy
beaches on the Baltic, and chalk cliffs as dramatic as
those at Dover.
West of Rostock lies Wismar, a picturesque small port
with one of Germany’s largest market squares and a vast
14th-century Gothic brick church. Beyond lies the
fashionable seaside resort of Travemünde and, a few
miles inland, Lübeck (see page 67), the ancient capital
of the Hanseatic League.
To the northwest lies Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s
northernmost Land, a romantic region of lakes and hills
liberally sprinkled with beautiful manor houses and
moated castles. Other attractive centres in the region
include Schleswig, with its picturesque fishermens’
quarter and the great port city of Kiel, capital of the
Land of Schleswig Holstein. It is a green and airy city,
spreading along both shores of the Kieler Förde, a
picturesque arm of the Baltic where the world-famous
“Kiel Week” sailing regatta takes place every June. |
