The island of Hiddensee off the coast of Northern Germany is among my top European escapes. This delightful island on the Baltic Sea allows visitors to reconnect with the sensual beauty of nature. Hiddensee charms you from the first moment with its picturesque ports, tiny villages and rugged beauty. Visitors get around the island by bicycle or horse drawn wagon as cars are not used on the island, except for deliveries or emergencies
Visitors reach the island by ferry or water taxi. At the Hiddensee port you will find bicycle carts and wagons for luggage. Though unusual, this is quite efficient and simple. The main area of the village of Kloster is approximately three blocks. There is also a small delightful area of guest houses and a few small restaurants at the Vitte port for visitors to enjoy. Hiddensee is approximately 18 kilometers long and is covered with a variety of flowers, salt marshes, woods, beaches, moors and steep rocky cliffs.
Accommodations can be found in several places on the island. Near the Vitte port we discovered Pension Lachmowe which I’ve always hoped to return to on another visit. It had beautiful accommodations and a wonderful view of the harbor. In Kloster there are a variety of small pensions and guest houses. We found Wieseneck Café and Pension to be charming. It has a lovely restaurant and is nicely situated near the beach.
The island is a natural haven for birds due to the fact that the island is part of the Boddenlandschaft National Park. In the fall the Mecklenberg coastal region becomes a resting place to approximately 60,000 gray cranes coming in from Central Europe on their migration south. The birds use this area as a resting place for several weeks. They are generally spotted as early as September and on through November. In the spring time approximately 10,000 birds arrive in late March and early April. I was fortunate to visit Hiddensee during these migration periods; once in the late fall and again in the early spring. The views of the resting birds and the sounds as they come in and fly out are incredible and certainty worth the trip.
Walks along the beach are spectacular and the rocky coastline is a delight for finding unusual rocks which the locals use to decorate their gardens, trees and yards. The bike paths are excellent and visitors will find much to enjoy on their rides along the island; including sea views, the Dornbusch Lighthouse, sounds of nature and the delightful architecture of the homes on the island.
Photo credits
Hiddensee Beach flickr photo pischty.hufnagel
Hiddensee Harbor Lisa Overman
Hiddensee Rocks in Tree Lisa Overman