Holiday in Hiddensee

About Hiddensee

Hiddensee is a narrow, car-free island west of Rügen and has been a place of longing for artists, poets, and those seeking peace for over a hundred years. Thomas Mann, Gerhart Hauptmann, Asta Nielsen, and Albert Einstein spent their summers on this magical island, which has lost none of its special charm to this day. Hiddensee is affectionately called "dat söte Länneken" (the sweet little land) and enchants with a landscape that is hard to surpass in its diversity on just 17 square kilometers. The island is divided into three completely different sections: In the north, the Dornbusch rises with its steep cliffs up to 72 meters high, crowned by the lighthouse, which offers one of the most beautiful views of the entire Baltic Sea coast. In the middle lies the flat, wind-swept dune heath with heathland and the picturesque fishing village of Vitte. In the south extends the Gellen, a sandy peninsula that houses an important bird sanctuary and becomes a resting place for thousands of cranes in autumn. Hiddensee is completely car-free – on the island, one moves on foot, by bicycle, or with a horse-drawn carriage. This tranquility has always attracted artists, and the cultural heritage on this small island is remarkably rich: The Gerhart Hauptmann House in Kloster is now a museum, the island church has a unique altar, and exhibitions are regularly shown in the island's galleries. Access is by ferry from Schaprode on Rügen or from Stralsund. Hiddensee is a place that changes its visitors – those who have been here once come back.