Hiddensee Island
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Hiddensee - by Burkard Meyendriesch on Unsplash
Description
Hiddensee is an island located just off Rugen, a larger and popular island on Germany's North-Eastern Baltic coastline. It belongs to Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park (some of which are out of bound as conservation zones) and is nearly 17km long with a width varying between 250m and 3.7km. It only has about 1,000 inhabitants across four villages (Grieben, Kloster, Vitte and Neuendorf, from north to south) and is largely car-free. Sights include the Dornbusch Lighthouse, the Gerhart Hauptmann House, the Hiddensee Local History Museum, the Blaue Scheune with its art gallery, and the Gellen-Hiddensee beacon.
Access & Transport
Movement on the island is by public bus and visitors can reach the island by ferry from Schaprode year-round and from Stralsund in spring and summer. Refer to timetable: https://www.reederei-hiddensee.de/fahrplan/schaprode Schaprode is just over 40km from Stralsund and 24km north-west of Bergen auf Rügen, the largest town on Rügen Island.
Instructions & Recommendations
Make sure to check the ferries timetable. On Rügen, those who enjoy natural features should also discover the chalk cliffs of Jasmund national park.
Environmental & Social
We rate the island highly in terms of sustainability, both environmentally (almost car-free and use of electrically powered vehicle) and for its success in keeping over-commercialization at bay by not giving in to mass tourism.
Conclusion
The inhabitants of Hiddensee have chosen not to go the route of total commercialization and whilst we do agree that technically the ferry crossing price is prohibitive considering the distance, it is probably the only way to keep a lid on the number of visitors and encourage more sustainable tourism with people coming for several days to enjoy a relaxed environment and pace of life. Out of season, over-tourism is less of an issue so we would recommend a visit then.
Key positive
Car-free means safe and no pollution
Some gorgeous landscapes
Key negative
Expensive ferry crossing
Time consuming to get to
Suitability
The ferries look to be accessible for visitors with reduced mobility
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h 30m
est. visit time:5h 30m
Start of Season 1:Nov, 01
MONDAY06:15 - 18:20
TUESDAY06:15 - 18:20
WEDNESDAY06:15 - 18:20
THURSDAY06:15 - 18:20
FRIDAY06:15 - 18:20
SATURDAY08:00 - 17:35
SUNDAY08:00 - 17:35
Start of Season 2:Apr, 07
MONDAY06:00 - 19:45
TUESDAY06:00 - 19:45
WEDNESDAY06:00 - 19:45
THURSDAY06:00 - 19:45
FRIDAY06:00 - 19:45
SATURDAY06:00 - 19:45
SUNDAY06:00 - 19:45
Max total number:5
Max number of adults:2
Min.child age:4
Max.child age:14
Price for family€59.1