Things to do in Rügen

Best time to visit Rügen

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• May and June

  Season opens; mild, quieter, good walking.

• July and August

  Peak beach season; book everything ahead.

• September

  Warm water, thinner crowds; the locals' favourite.

• October

  Autumn storms and dramatic cliffs; many restaurants closing.

• November to April

  Resorts go quiet; avoid for a beach trip.

What's on

• Störtebeker Festspiele late June to early September

  The lake-stage pirate saga at Ralswiek; book ahead.

Best things to do in Rügen

• Königsstuhl

  $

  118 m chalk headland with a skywalk; go early or late.

• Königsstuhl National Park Centre

  $

  The exhibition centre explaining the chalk coast and beech forests.

• Sellin Pier

  Free

  The island's postcard pier at the end of Wilhelmstraße.

• Binz Beach and promenade

  Free

  Five kilometres of sand and the long resort promenade.

• Rasender Roland

  $

  Steam railway since 1895 linking Putbus, Binz, Sellin and Göhren.

• Kap Arkona

  Free

  The northern tip with lighthouses and Slavic fort ruins.

• Prora

  Free

  The 4.5 km seaside complex; a sobering walk with documentation centres.

• Baumwipfelpfad Rügen

  $

  Treetop walkway through the beech canopy to a 40 m tower.

Where to stay in Rügen

• Binz

• Sellin

• Göhren / Baabe

• Sassnitz

Think twice about

• Sassnitz for a beach holiday
• Prora for evenings out
• Bergen auf Rügen

Best restaurants in Rügen

• Strandhalle Binz

  $$$

  Grand beach-hall restaurant; the classic Binz dinner.

• Fischmarkt

  $$

  Fresh-caught fish and island dishes in a maritime room.

• GOSCH Binz

  $$

  Casual consistent seafood; good for lunch.

• Fischrestaurant Kogge

  $$

  Local-style fish dinner off the promenade.

• Zum Skipper

  $$

  Regional fish cooking; the dinner after the pier walk.

• Restaurant Ruiani

  $$$$

  The Grand Hotel's creative restaurant; the special dinner.

• Fischräucherei Kuse

  $

  The Binz smokehouse; smoked fish to take to the beach.

Best coffee in Rügen

• Strandcafé Binz

  $$

  Café by the pier; coffee and cake with the sea in front.

Outdoor things to do in Rügen

• Jasmund National Park

  Free

  Chalk coast and UNESCO beech forests; the classic cliff walk.

• Hiddensee

  $

  Car-free island with heathland and the Dornbusch lighthouse.

• Vitt

  Free

  Thatched fishing hamlet below Kap Arkona.

• Cycling the island

  $

  Coastal paths link Binz, Sellin, Göhren and Baabe.

Best hotels in Rügen

• Grand Hotel Binz

  $$$$

  Five-star on the promenade with spa and the Ruiani restaurant.

• Hotel am Meer & Spa

  $$$

  Boutique beach hotel with sea views and spa.

• Strandhotel Binz

  $$$

  Right on the beach with rooftop spa and seafood restaurant.

• Travel Charme Kurhaus Binz

  $$$$

  Grand historic spa hotel on the promenade.

• Hotel Bernstein

  $$$$

  Above the sea with spa and gourmet restaurant.

• Cliff Hotel Rügen

  $$$$

  Between lake and sea, with private beach and spa.

Is Rügen expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Störtebeker Festspiele: weeks ahead
• Strandhalle Binz: a few days ahead
• Restaurant Ruiani: a few days ahead
• Grand Hotel Binz: months ahead
• Hotel am Meer & Spa: weeks ahead
• Strandhotel Binz: weeks ahead
• Travel Charme Kurhaus Binz: weeks ahead
• Hotel Bernstein: weeks ahead

• July and August: book hotels months ahead.
• Störtebeker Festspiele: book tickets ahead; performances sell out.
• Grand Hotel and Bernstein restaurants in summer: reserve dinner.

Is Rügen safe?

• Very safe island. Cold water, currents off piers, and crumbling cliff edges: stay behind fences. Emergency number: 112.

Rügen travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• The Königsstuhl at midday in August is intense; go early or late.
• Beach chairs are rented by the day from private operators; ask your hotel.
• Much of the souvenir stock is not local; the amber and fish are.

Getting around Rügen: public transport and more

• Train to Binz from Berlin (about 3.5 hours); road and rail over the Rügen bridge.
• The Rasender Roland links Putbus, Binz, Sellin and Göhren.
• Bikes are the best island transport; rent in Binz or Sellin.

Who Rügen suits

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