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Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania

This spectacular stretch of the Baltic coast is certainly one of Europe's better-kept secrets. But Germans know better and flock in summer to its dazzling clean white sand and glittering seas.

Hot spots during the all-too-brief beach-going season include three leafy resort islands: sprawling, villa-lined Rügen; car-free Hiddensee; and Usedom (which Germany shares with Poland). Warnemünde, the seaside resort near Rostock, is another sandy hot spot – when it's hot. For natural drama, the cliffs of Jasmund National Park are stunning.

Stralsund is the prize town of the region, combining seaside charms with beautiful old architecture. Other highlights include the gracious university town of Greifswald, which retains some exquisite medieval architecture, as does Wismar.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania.

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    Marienkirche

    Central Rostock’s pride and joy is the 13th-century Marienkirche, the only main Rostock church to survive WWII unscathed (although restorations are ongoing). Behind the main altar, the church’s 12m-high astrological clock was built in 1472 by Hans Düringer. At the very top of the clock is a series of doors. At noon and midnight the innermost right door opens and six of the 12 apostles march out to parade around Jesus (Judas is locked out). Zodiac symbols and moon phases feature in the centre, while the lower section has a disc that tells the exact day on which Easter falls in any given year. The replaceable discs are accurate for 130 years – the current one expires in 2017, and a new one is ready. The clock is the only one of its kind in the world still with its original mechanisms. Also note the unusually tall, organically shaped baroque organ (1770).

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    Aussichtsturm Adlerhorst

    Northwest of Binz, in a lovely Rügen forest, the extraordinary spiral Aussichtsturm Adlerhorst rises 30m above the forest floor – the spiral ramp goes round and around for 600m. It's a wonderful experience and the views out over the treetops are stunning.

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    Dokumentationszentrum Prora

    Macht Urlaub (Power Vacation) is a well-done exhibition on the Nazis and the role the workers' resort Prora played in their 'strength through joy' schemes. You can easily spend an hour or more fully engrossed in the exhibits. There are free German-language guided tours at 11.15am and 2pm from April to October, while the video that runs throughout the day all year has English subtitles. Use the Prora Nord stop on local trains or bus line 20 or 23.

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    Jagdschloss Granitz

    A grandiose hunting palace built in 1723 on top of the 107m-high Tempelberg, Jagdschloss Granitz was significantly enlarged and altered by Wilhelm Malte I in 1837. The results will remind you of salt and pepper shakers or a phallic fantasy, depending on your outlook. Malte’s flights of fancy also gave Rügen the grandiose Putbus. The RBB steam train stops at Jagdschloss and Garftitz, which serve the palace. Get off at one, enjoy some lovely hiking, and reboard at the other. The Jagdschlossexpress (adult/child €8/4) is a fake ‘train’ that trundles from Binz to the palace. If driving, the parking areas (per hour €2) are a 2km walk to the palace.

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    Neuer Markt

    Rostock’s large, somewhat bland central square is dominated by the splendid 13th-century Rathaus. The building’s baroque facade was added in 1727 after the original brick Gothic structure collapsed. Opposite the Rathaus is a series of restored gabled houses and a stylised, sea-themed fountain, the Möwenbrunnen (2001), by artist Waldemar Otto. The explanatory plaque says the four figures are Neptune and his sons, although many believe they represent the four elements.

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    Prora

    The beach just north of Binz still bears testament to Nazi plans to create the world's largest resort: six hideous six-storey buildings, each 500m long, lining the sand. Begun in 1936, Prora was intended as a Kraft-durch-Freude (strength through joy) escape for 20,000 workers. The outbreak of WWII stopped its completion; no one has known what to do with it since. Much of it is a moody partial-ruin, with the echos of jackboots not far off.

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    Strandpromenade

    A highlight of Binz is simply strolling its 4km-long north–south beach promenade, lined with elegant villas. At the southern end of the built-up area, you’ll find the palatial Kurhaus, a lovely 1908 building housing a luxury hotel. In front of it is the long pier. Strandpromenade continues further south from here, and becomes markedly less busy.

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    Seebrüucke

    Sellin's Seebrüucke (pier) is an ornate, turreted pavilion sitting out over the water at the end of a long wooden causeway. The original pier was built in 1906. It's had a checkered history since: the not-terribly attractive modern pier you see now is somewhat modelled on a 1927 version.

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    Petrikirche

    The Gothic Petrikirche has a 117m-high steeple – a mariner’s landmark for centuries – that was restored in 1994, having been missing since WWII. There's a lift up to the 45m-high viewing platform.