Rügen Island

Rügen's diverse and breathtaking landscapes have inspired poets and painters for more than a century. Railways in the mid-19th century brought the first vacationers from Berlin and many of the grand mansions and villas on the island date from this period. The island's main route runs between the Grosser Jasmunder Bodden (Big Jasmund Inlet), a giant sea inlet, and a smaller expanse of water, the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden (Little Jasmund Inlet Lake), to the port of Sassnitz. You're best off staying at any of the island's four main vacation centers—Sassnitz, Binz, Sellin, and Göhren.