Tom`s travels: Hike on Rügen Island from Thiessow to Binz (24/06/2023)

On a sunny weekend in late June, I decided to head to the Baltic Sea coast, on the island of Rügen, and have a long hike along the seaside through some small beach towns. Just to get there I had to take several transportation option, including trains and buses for a total of nearly six hours just one way. After finally reaching the small village of Thiessow, on the southeastern tip of the island, I got off the bus and started my hike. I first walked along a nice low cliff coast with nearly crystal clear waters, where many people were already enjoying the sun and having a swim. Not long after I came upon a viewpoint, the Kleiner Königsstuhl, so named because of the beautiful view of the Baltic coast and the Bodden, a specific type of brackish water lagoon found here near Rügen. Continuing onwards I then reached the Lotsenturm Thiessow, a phone and lookout tower which was once a marine pilot's tower since the end of the 19th century. This 13m high platform reaches a height of 34m with its antenna and grants a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. From there I could observe the whole route I would take for at least the next couple of hours. In fact, the endless beach of the Mönchgut peninsula where I was now walking, could be seen for its entire length. Heading down the tower, I then followed a cycling path that led me through the nice pine forest that protect the mainland from the sea as a huge green barrier. After some walking I eventually headed up the small dune and to the beach, which despite its size and length had quite some people swimming and relaxing on the sand, especially close to the many access points. I walked a little further away to get myself a nice spot alone on the soft warm sand and then decided to have a quick swim. The water was really clear and nice, and not too cold, and quite shallow for quite a few hundred meters. After the nice break, I continued on along the beach, walking barefoot on the shoreline for the whole length of the beach. Then as another low cliff coast appeared I had to head back inland and followed a street that ran parallel to the sea on top of the cliff. After some walking, I reached the town of Göhren and here walked on the cliff to reach the Nordperd, a narrow peninsula point with trees overlooking the steep cliff below. At that point after admiring the panorama, I descended down the cliff to the beach north of Göhren and from there walked along the nice waterfront promenade with on my right the beach and sea, and to the left a nice green wall of pines. The weather was perfect, warm but not too much, with a bit of a sea breeze and the occasional shade from the trees. After quite some walking several kilometers later I passed the beach town of Baabe and the next sea cliffs. I hiked up, passing through a nice forest with a few ups and downs that also granted splendid views over the cliffs and sea below. Eventually, I reached a large beach, that of the town of Sellin. Here I descended a large staircase, quite crowded, which brought me to the beautiful pier. This early 19th-century pier was damaged and restored several times due to ice in the winter and finally rebuilt in 1997 with a length of 394 meters, making it the longest on the island. I walked its entire length up and down, and then continued on my walk, heading back up the cliff and walking parallel to the sea through the deep forest, always overlooking the steep cliff below. This part of the way was really beautiful and peaceful, running for several kilometers deep in the forest made up of mostly beech trees. Eventually after a long relaxing hike all alone in that forest overlooking the sea, I eventually reached Binz, a seaside town known for its well-kept historical resort architecture. As I approached the city beach I then headed back inland, walking along the pretty and crowded seafront promenade and admiring the beautiful villas and buildings facing the sea. Once I reached the end of town it was time to walk to the train station from where I then took a long train journey back to Berlin.