world reviewer
Sunny and windswept holiday island on the Baltic, formerly in East Germany, three hours driving from Berlin. Popular with German holidaymakers but as yet relatively unknown. Perfect for children, with gentle beaches and no waves or tides. Large and ornate mansions attest to a grand pre-war past, while away from the beaches thick beech forests provide cover for naturalists and mountain bikers - a great way to get around the island. As hot in the summer as the Med, in the winter the seas freeze over to provide endless ice-skating fun. Get here via Hamburg, Lubeck or Berlin, and stay at the Hotel Meeresblick or the Schloss Spyker.
Written by 
James Dunford Wood.
“Islands of the Baltic”
You don't need to head to the Med to find holiday islands with sandy beaches, calm waters, tranquil villages and great seafood. The Baltic Sea is dotted with islands offering all of these - and a refreshingly different vibe. Annabelle Thorpe, Sarah Turn… Read more...
Written by press. The Observer, July 6, 2008
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Rügen Island
Proving that there are more beaches in Europe than those hemming the Mediterranean, Germany’s largest island and its resort town Binz has the kind of restored mansions and gracefully aging promenades you’d expect in a Long Island town. The beaches are family friendly with gentle lapping waves rolling warmly on to fine sand and behind them beech forests, perfect for a quiet picnic await ‘Famous Five’ style summer exploration.
Christopher Isherwood called Rügen the Nice of the north when he holidayed here before the ravages of war and communism passed over the horizon, but the resort has had a charmingly gradual recovery and now a Berlin bohemia colours the old town. You can even stay in an old Nazi holiday camp.
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