Rugen Island: attractions, their photos and interesting facts. Fabulous holiday - island of Rügen Island of Rügen on the map of Europe

Rügen (Germany) - detailed information with photos: the main attractions of the island of Rügen, beaches, resorts, map, video.

Island of Rügen - Rügen

Rügen is the largest island in Germany, located in the Baltic Sea. It is separated from the mainland by the 2 km wide Stralsund Bay, across which the Rügen Bridge was built near the city of Stralsund. The area of ​​the island of Rügen is almost a thousand square kilometers. About 80,000 residents live here permanently.

Rügen is famous for its sandy beaches, picturesque bays and lagoons, capes and peninsulas beautifully cutting into the sea, powerful cliffs covered with forests. In 2011, Jasmund National Park, one of the symbols of Rügen and the most picturesque places on the island, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Geography and climate

The total area of ​​Rügen with its neighboring islands is 974 square meters. km. The length of the coastline is 574 km, of which 56 km are sandy beaches. The highest point of the island is Piekberg (161 m). The northern part of the island is a large bay. In the northeast is the Jasmund Peninsula and the highest elevations. The northwestern and western side of Rügen has a calmer topography.

The climate of the island is moderate. Winters are mild with average temperatures around 0 degrees. Summer is warm - average temperature is about 16 degrees. 500-600 mm of precipitation falls per year. The number of sunny hours is more than 1800 per year.

Beaches of Rügen

Rügen is one of the most popular resorts in Germany. Numerous tourists come here from April to October to breathe in the fresh sea air, sunbathe on the beaches, admire the picturesque nature and even swim. The high season lasts from July to August.

The beaches of Rügen are mostly sandy. Their total length is more than 50 km. The most popular seaside resorts are located in Schaabe between Altenkirchen and Juliusruh, including Drewoldke, Glowe and Breege. On the eastern side of the island these are Sassnitz and Göhren: Neu Mukran, Prora, Binz, Sellin and Baabe. Popular tourist destinations are Cape Arkona, Jasmund National Park, and the city of Bergen.

Cities and resorts

Baabe is a popular resort with an excellent sandy beach.

Bergen is the largest city in Rügen, located in the central part of the island.

Binz is a vibrant resort town with an excellent 5-kilometer sandy beach.

Garz is an ancient city in the south of the island.

Göhren is a balneological resort with two beaches.

Putbus is a town in the southeast of Rügen with a beautiful center and castle.

Sellin is the third largest seaside resort.

Sassnitz is a seaport and the second largest city of the island.

Suhrendorf is one of the surfing centers in Germany.

Vitt is a small town in a picturesque location near Cape Arkona in the northeast of Rügen.

Sights of Rügen

One of the main attractions of the island is the Jasmund National Park. This is one of the most beautiful natural places in Germany: chalk cliffs covered with beech forest and the Baltic Sea.

The Rügen observation tower is designed in the shape of an eagle's nest. Its height is 40 meters. Located in a picturesque forest. Offers to enjoy picturesque views of the surrounding area.

Cape Arkona is one of the iconic places of Rügen with two lighthouses, located in the northeast of the island. The oldest lighthouse on the Baltic Sea is located here. A modern 35-meter round lighthouse was built nearby.

In addition to picturesque resort towns and beautiful nature, in Rügen you can find masterpieces of brick Gothic - medieval churches.

Tourist map of Rügen with attractions and interesting places.

Video - Rügen Island

It will probably be quite difficult to find a person in our country who, at his age, would not have read the fairy tales of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, as well as any other articles about Russia by the great Russian poet. And the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Pushkin’s fairy tales and historical issues associated with this period, most likely, will be ancient cities and some geographical objects described in “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, where “on the sea-ocean, and on King Gvidon lives on the island of Buyan...
Despite the fabulous origin of this island, quite a few researchers, both in the field of literature and in the field of historical science itself, were attracted by historical questions related to the location of this geographical object, the reality of which was indicated by other historical and literary sources, as well as some articles about Russia of the Middle Ages.

However, as historical issues examined by such Russian researchers as V.B. Vilinbakhov and V.V. Merkulov have shown, Buyan Island is a very real geographical place located in the Baltic Sea east of Hiddensee Island - this is the island of Rügen.
A significant difference in its name, not like the island of Buyan, but namely Rügen, resulted from a mixture of languages ​​in stories about it - Buyan - Ruyan - Rügen... At the same time, the Germans and Poles, and Czechs, and Slovaks knew about the island, not to mention about us Northern Slavs, for whom Buyan Island had a cult significance, because here stood the capital of the entire Slavic world - Arkona.
At the same time, it is also worth noting that it was from these places that the glorious Ruriks came out, with their glorious squad, who lie at the foundation of our statehood. And if we remember about the Varangians, then by and large, the Varangians are not the ancient Germans or Swedes or Vikings, who did not exist then, they are the ancient Slavs who mined salt in the Baltic (Varangian Sea) and transported it almost throughout the North and Europe.

Nine centuries ago, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, above the snow-white cliffs of the island, which is now called Rügen, the city of Arkona rose.

The island itself was then called Ruyan and it was inhabited by the Ruyans or Rane - one of the peoples of the Baltic (Northwestern) Slavs.
These peoples, as their name implies, settled on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in the territory of modern Germany and Poland. This is how medieval chroniclers described the Ranes: “The Ranes, called by others the Ruans, are cruel tribes that live in the heart of the sea and are beyond measure devoted to idolatry.
They take precedence among all Slavic peoples, have a king and a famous sanctuary. (...) completely neglecting the benefits of agriculture, they are always ready to attack the sea, placing their only hope and all their wealth on ships.” The temple of Svyatovit in Arkona was the main sanctuary of the Slavic Pomerania, and was previously revered by other Baltic Slavs as a sacred people with a special closeness to the gods, without whose consent not a single important decision was made.
When, after an incessant four-hundred-year struggle with the Frankish, Germanic, Polish, Danish baptizers, the peoples of the Baltic Slavs, one after another, were enslaved, Arkona became the last free Slavic city honoring the forefather gods.
And it remained so until its destruction in 1168.
The 19th century historian Hilferding wrote the following about the North-Western Slavs: “Just as people who have suffered all sorts of hardships and troubles in their lifetime and have been hardened in struggle become prone to perseverance, so are the Baltic Slavs; There have hardly been more stubborn people in the world. Of all the peoples of Europe, they alone laid down their lives for their antiquity, for their old pagan way of life: stubborn defense of antiquity, this is the first characteristic of all these advanced Slavic tribes, Vagrs, Bodrichs, Lyutichs...”

The temple of Svyatovit was built there - Svyatovit, Sventovit (lat. Zuantewith) - according to the “Slavic Chronicle” of Helmold (1167-1168) - the god of the Ruyansk land, “the brightest in victories, the most convincing in answers,” who is among the many Slavic deities are considered the main one. The Slavs treat their deity with amazing respect, for they do not take oaths easily and do not tolerate the dignity of his temple being violated even during enemy invasions..."
The holiday in honor of the supreme deity Svyatovit among the medieval Slavs was celebrated by baking a huge public pie, the production of which would require a large number of grain graters. Saxo Grammaticus describes in detail how the Baltic Slavs on the island. Rügen, in the sanctuary of Svyatovit a ritual was performed in honor of the deity. The first day was spent putting the wooden temple in order. The next day, people gathered in front of the entrance to the temple, and the priest sacrificed a horn with wine (it is assumed that it is more correct to count with honey) and asked for an increase in wealth and new victories. He placed the horn in the right hand of the idol of Svyatovit, “then they sacrificed a round honey cake almost human height. The priest put the pie between himself and the people and asked the Ruyan if he could be seen behind the pie. If they answered that he was visible, then the priest expressed the wish that next year these same people would not be able to see him (at the pie). However, this did not mean that he wanted death for himself or his fellow countrymen, but was only a wish for an even more abundant harvest for the next year.”

This peculiar magical rite survived until the 19th century. It is known in Ukraine and Belarus, but as a family one, not a community one: the father hides behind the Christmas pie and asks his family if he can be seen behind the pie. The size of the pie is used to predict the coming year.
In Bulgaria, the communal nature of this Christmas ritual has been preserved; The role of the ancient priest was played by the priest, who stood behind the loaf and asked the parishioners: “Do you see me, villagers?”
The island of Rügen is located on the line connecting the “places of power” of Europe and Asia. “Places of power” are special points on the surface of the Earth. It is believed that “places of power” can increase a person’s abilities tens of times, but subject to a number of conditions: fasting, hermitage, psychological training, etc. Even the keepers of esoteric knowledge, the Druids, claimed that “places of power” have a miraculous effect on life and health. Therefore, it is no coincidence that German poets, philosophers and painters sought and found inspiration on the island of Rügen in Germany.

Rügen (German Rügen, Latin Rugia, N. Lug. Rujany, Rjana, V. Lug. Rujany, Polish Rugia, Pol. Rana, Czech Rujána, Slovak Rujana) is an island in the Baltic Sea east of Hiddensee. The largest island within Germany (total area 926 km²). It is part of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population is approximately 77 thousand people.

origin of name
The toponym Rügen, according to one version, is considered to be derived from the name of the German tribe of Rugians, who visited the island before the Slavs. The phonetic difference between the German and Slavic names is explained by the variability of the sounds g / j in the Low German language, which are positional allophones (cf. the name of rye, from which the ethnonym rugi is derived: Old English ryge → English rye). According to another version, the name is associated with the Ruyan tribes who lived on and near the island. Herbord in his “Discourse on the Life of Otto of Bamberg” (XII century) calls Rügen the island of Verania, and its inhabitants the most barbaric people.

Jasmund National Park
The general shape of the island is quite bizarre, the shores are strongly indented, their bends form many bays, bays, peninsulas and capes. The southern coast of Rügen extends along the coast of Pomerania. The width of the island in the south reaches 41 km, the maximum length from north to south is 52 km.
On the Jasmund Peninsula in the northeast of Rügen there is a national park of the same name with an area of ​​3,000 hectares, founded in 1990. A well-known symbol of Jasmund are the chalk rocks, in particular the King's Throne (Königsstuhl - 118 meters). The highest point of Rügen is Piekberg - 161 meters.

Cape Arkona
Cape Arkona (German: Kap Arkona) on the Wittow Peninsula is the northern tip of the island. Here was a Slavic fortified settlement with a temple dedicated to the god Svyatovit (Swantewit). The location of the ancient settlement was partially “eaten by the sea”, but the earthen ramparts were preserved.
To the west of the former settlement in 1826-1827, a lighthouse was built according to the design of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the oldest on the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Now it houses a museum exhibition. Then, in 1902, the current lighthouse with a height of 36 m was built nearby.

Historical information
Archaeological finds indicate that the island was inhabited back in the Stone Age. There are burial mounds and stones for sacrifices throughout the island.

The island and the remains of the Arkona temple located on it are the subject of research, including by German archaeologists. The island is associated with the location of the Rugii or Ruyan tribe. Until the 14th century, the island was somewhat larger than it is now: cartographer Gerardus Mercator wrote in his “Cartography”: “The island [Rügen] in ancient years was much more spacious than it is now; by God’s will the water washed through that island.”

The main occupation of the Ruyans was cattle breeding, agriculture and fishing. The Ruyans owned a large fleet and had extensive trade ties with Scandinavia and the Baltic states, and also carried out military campaigns and waged wars to protect their territories. For example, some provinces of Denmark before the era of King Valdemar I paid tribute to the Ruyans, which was one of the reasons for the wars that Valdemar I waged with them. At one time, the principality of the Ruyan Slavs became so powerful and courageous that the Ruyans became masters of almost the entire Baltic Sea, which for quite a long time was called the Sea of ​​Rugov.

During these wars, the Ruyans lost their independence in 1168, their capital Arkona was destroyed, and the sanctuary of Sventovit (Svyatovit) was destroyed. As Danish chronicles testify, the king of Rujan, Jaromir, became a vassal of the Danish king, and the island became part of the bishopric of Roskilde.
The first forced conversion of the Ruyans to Christianity dates back to this period. In 1234, the Rujans freed themselves from Danish rule and pushed the boundaries of their possessions to the coast of the modern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, founding the city now known as Stralsund (in Pomeranian Strzélowò, in Polish Strzałów). In 1282, Prince Wislaw II entered into an agreement with King Rudolf I of Germany, receiving Rügen for life along with the title of Imperial Jägermeister. Further, the Slavs of Rügen, being part of various German state entities, gradually lost the Slavic language, Slavic culture, and identity over the next several centuries - they became completely Germanized. In 1325, the last Ruyan prince, Vitslav (Wislav) III, died. In fact, the Slavic Ruyan dialect ceased to exist by the 16th century. In 1404, Gulitsyna died, who, together with her husband, belonged to the last inhabitants of Ruyan who spoke the language of the Polabian Slavs.

In 1325, as a result of a dynastic marriage, the island became part of the Principality of Pomerania-Wolgast, and in 1478 it was annexed to Pomerania. Under the terms of the Peace of Westphalia, Pomerania, together with Rügen, went to Sweden. Then, as a result of the strengthening of Brandenburg-Prussia, the island was captured by the Brandenburgers.
In 1807, Rügen was conquered by Napoleon and was under French control until 1813. According to the Kiel Peace Treaty of 1814, the island became part of Denmark, but already in 1815 it passed to Prussia as part of New Vorpommern.
In the final phase of the Great Patriotic War, on May 4, 1945, the German garrison of the island surrendered to Soviet troops without a fight.
In the post-war period, the island belonged to the GDR, and military units of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (Western Group of Forces) and the DKBF were located on Rügen until the summer of 1992.

Administrative affiliation and settlements
Administratively, the island's territory is occupied by the administrative district of Vorpommern-Rügen, which is part of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

In total, there are 4 districts (Amt) on the island (Ämter Bergen auf Rügen, West-Rügen, Nord-Rügen, Mönchgut-Granitz), which are divided into 45 communities (cities and towns). Free Cities (Kreisfreie Städte) - Bergen an der Rügen, Sassnitz, Putbus, Harz.

Economy
Currently, the main source of income for the island is tourism. The tourist development of Rügen began with the mineral springs in Zagarda in the 18th century. In the 19th century, seaside resorts began to develop, for example in Sassnitz and - later - on the coast from Binz to Gören. The main audience consisted of representatives of the “upper middle” class.
In addition to tourism, fishing and agriculture are developed on the island.

Rügen is connected by road and rail to the German mainland. Near the city of Stralsund there is a dam and, opened on October 20, 2007, the Stralsundkverung, the longest road bridge in Germany (4104 m), similar in appearance to the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Due to the significant height of the central span (42 m), the largest ships can easily pass under it.

On the eastern edge of the island, near the city of Sassnitz, there is a large railway and port complex Mukran, previously considered the “sea gate” between the GDR and the USSR. Sea freight and passenger railway and car ferry lines connect Mukran with the ports of Russia, Denmark, Lithuania, and Sweden.

Resorts in Rügen
In the second half of the 19th century, resorts appeared on Rügen. The most famous resort place on the island was the fishing village that became the city of Binz between 1870 and 1910. Here, according to the plan of the architect Otto Spalding, a Kurhaus was built, creating the atmosphere of English Brighton. Already before the First World War, about 10,000 people vacationed in these places every year. After the war in the 1920s and 1930s, the cream of society gathered in Binz.

During Nazi times, the organization “Strength through Joy” (KdF) was created at the state level, which had a wide network of sanatoriums and holiday homes, including the famous cruise ships “Wilhelm Gustloff” and “Steuben”. On the narrow coastal spit, which was a natural reserve in the 1930s, large-scale construction began from 1936 to 1939.

One of the island's resorts
Among the activities started, but not completed due to the war, is the project to create a giant health factory on the shore of the island of Rügen near the village of Prora, the largest construction project of the Third Reich - “The Greatest Seaside Resort in the World” designed by the architect Klotz. . A line of five-story barracks-type concrete buildings, 4.5 km long, was built along the sea coast. The living quarters were rooms measuring 2.5 x 5 m. In the center of the complex it was planned to place a grandiose building for public events with a capacity of 20,000 people. A model of this complex was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937 (where the Soviet pavilion and the German pavilion stood opposite each other) and received the Grand Prix there.
During the GDR, Rügen first became a closed zone where military personnel were stationed. Then, what remained of the war's destruction became a place of mass tourism and recreation. After the unification of Germany, they began to restore the historical appearance of the resorts, which was formed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the prospects for bringing the project to the design scale are not clear yet.

HOW TO GET THERE, WHERE IT IS
According to competent sources in the field of travel organization, the best way to get to the island of Rügen is not directly, through the same Kaliningrad by train, but by an AirBerlin flight flying between Moscow and Hamburg. At the same time, having spent a certain number of units of foreign currency savings and about three and a half hours of flight, you end up in Hamburg, from which our Buyan-Rügen is just a stone's throw away.

In Hamburg you need to change to the high-speed train, which goes to the main resorts of the island of Binz. But we will need to get off the train a little earlier, at the Stralsund railway station. And then on an old, branded train, the nineteenth century Rasender Roland, we get to Bergen, from where two road bridges lead to the island itself, the new one, built in 2007, Rügenbrücke, and the old one, built in 1936, Rügendamm.
At the same time, you can also get to Rügen by sea, by transferring to one of the ferries at the port of Bergen and for only three or four euros, get to the island in just fifteen to twenty minutes and enjoy the history of the Russian state with your own eyes.

CAPE ARKONA
Cape Arkona (German: Kap Arkona) is a high coast (45 m) of chalk and marl on the Wittow Peninsula in the north of the island of Rügen, the location of the ancient sanctuary of the Polabian Slavs - Ruyan.
The natural monument of Cape Arkona near the fishermen's village of Witt belongs to the municipality of Putgarten and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rügen (about 800,000 visitors annually).

At the cape there are two lighthouses, two military bunkers, a Slavic fortress and several tourist buildings (restaurants, souvenir shops). On the western side of the cape there is a ring-shaped shaft in which the temple of the Vendian god Svyatovit was located. The Danish king Valdemar I the Great took this fortified point on June 15, 1168, burned the temple along with the idol and took the temple treasures to Denmark. In 1827 a lighthouse was built over the rampart.

The smaller of the two lighthouses was built in 1826-1827 according to Schinkel's design. Commissioned in 1828. Its height is 19.3 m. The height of the fire in it is 60 m above sea level.
Cape Arkona is often incorrectly called the northernmost point of the island of Rügen. Approximately 1 km in a northwest direction there is a place called Gellort, which is the northernmost point.
Built in 1927, the Cap Arcona was named after the cape.

RUYAN (RUGEN) – MYSTERIES OF THE BALTIC ISLAND
History books often emphasize events within the borders of existing states. And if a kingdom or principality has disappeared from the historical arena, then they talk about it much less often. A striking example is the state that existed until 1168 on the Baltic island, which is known as Rügen, but a thousand years ago was called Ruyan. It is often compared to Buyan Island from Russian fairy tales. But the reality was perhaps even more interesting.

More than a thousand years ago, the north of modern Germany was covered with dense deciduous forests. The Slavs lived here then, making up three large tribal unions - the Polabian (along the Labe River, now the Elbe), the Lutichian, the Lusatian. There were about thirty tribes. The Polabian union was dominated by the Bodrichi, and from this union the Ruyans sprang off, living on a large island near the Baltic coast.
They did not shy away from piracy, often attacking the Danes, the Jöts and the Swedes (today, the Danes, southern and northern Swedes). They pirated and were given. One of the famous leaders of the Baltic pirates in the 9th century was Rorik of Jutland (Jutland is part of present-day Denmark), known to us from the history of Rus' as the chronicle Prince Rurik. But the reign in Novgorod dates back to the time when Rurik was already old. His squad included not only Varangians, but also Ruyans.

Many names of cities in the north and east of Germany sounded different then. For example, not Schwerin, but Zwerin, not Brandenburg, but Branibor, not Leipzig, but Lipsk, not Braunschweig, but Brunzovik. This is recognized by all historians, including German ones. Some names have not changed, for example, the port of Rostock was called that way, only the emphasis was on the second syllable, and not on the first, as it is now. The Polabian Slavs had their own pagan sanctuaries, for example, Radogoshch, also known as Retra, Korenitsa and Arkona. The last two were on Ruyan Island.
The Ruyans themselves most revered Arkona as the center of worship of Svyatovit. Radegast - the god with swan wings - was considered his spiritual son and was revered most of all in Radogoshch.
The sanctuary of the god of war Yarovit in Korenitsa was also popular, depicted with seven heads, six of which were on the common neck, and the seventh, lion-headed, on the chest. He held a sword in his hand, and he also had seven spare swords in his belt. In those parts, weapons were never superfluous - after all, Charlemagne even carried out campaigns against the Baltic Slavs in 811 and 812. The fleet of the future Danes attacked these lands in 845, but was defeated near present-day Hamburg. In the 10th century, the governor of the German Emperor Otto I invited 30 Slavic leaders to a feast, where they were simply killed.
Some Bodrichi princes were baptized in the 10th century, which opened the way for them to profitable dynastic marriages. But the policy of pushing towards the east sometimes misfired. There is a known case when, after such a marriage, the Bodrichi prince Mstivoy, together with his son from his first marriage, Mechislav, took Hamburg. In 983, the Gavolian tribe rebelled; their capital city of Branibor was retaken by the Germans only eight years later.
Meanwhile, in Denmark under Harald Bluetooth (ruled until 986), and in Sweden around 1000 under Olaf Shetkonung, Christianity was adopted. For a long time they used runes and practiced dual faith, but still the Slavic neighbors began to be considered pagans. The German lands adopted Catholicism even earlier. If Kievan Rus was baptized (but not from Rome, but from Constantinople), then the Polabian Slavs remained faithful to the old faith.

In XI, the tribal alliances of the Bodrichi and Lutich were especially strong. The former fought on equal terms with the Danes, the latter once decided the question of who was stronger - the Lutich or the German imperial army - in a duel of heroes, and the Lutich won.
Prince Gottschalk, who tried to unite the Polabian Slavs, was killed in 1066 by supporters of paganism, united around a prince named Bluss. The missionaries were met with extreme disapproval, and one of the bishops in Radogoshch was executed. In response, Radogoshch was attacked in 1068 by an army led by Bishop Burchardt of Halberstadt. Prince Bluss was soon killed.
As a result, the Ruyans, protected by the sea, strengthened, led by a leader with the “speaking” name Krut, that is, Krutoy. The quarter century of Krut's reign was the period of greatest strength of the Baltic Slavs. He managed to unite many Polabian lands under his rule, while the capital of the state was Arkona, and the religion was paganism. The neighbors called Krut the king, so at the end of the 11th century the island of Ruyan was the center of a large Slavic power.
The presence of a contender for the crown, supported by the Germans and Danes, weakened Krut's power. He was Heinrich, Gottschalk's son from his marriage to the Danish Sigfrida. In 1093, at the Battle of Smilov Field, Krut's army was defeated by the allied forces of the Saxons, Danes and Henry's supporters. For a short time, Henry managed to unite the Bodrichi and Lutich under his rule (as was the case under his father Gottschalk), but the Ruyans again became a principality independent from everyone. Hiking them led nowhere, even in winter, on the ice of the Baltic Sea. Later, in 1129, Gottschalk's great-grandson, Prince Zvenko, was killed and the power of the Polabian Slavs collapsed.
And in 1147 a crusade was proclaimed against the Baltic Slavs. Before this, the crusaders were heading to Palestine, so the decision on a major campaign in a different direction was made “democratically” at the all-German Diet in Frankfurt. And the “start” of the campaign was given in June 1147 at a special ceremonial meeting in the city of Magdeburg. The Slavs' intelligence was, apparently, up to the mark: in the same June 1147, the port city of Lübeck, by that time already German, was taken by a counter-preemptive strike from the squad of the Polabian prince Niklot.
But still the crusade began. Two large armies of the Germans were led by the Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, Henry the Lion, and the knight Albrecht the Bear. The crusaders managed to storm the sanctuary, now called Retra. Prince Niklot died in battle in 1160.
The Ruyans held out the longest. Their island was captured only in 1168 after a large crusader force led by the Danish king landed on it. The sanctuary in Arkona was destroyed at the same time. And now connoisseurs of antiquity are restoring the features of the worship of the pagan god Svyatovit, relying on the notes of Christian chroniclers and legends.

It was customary to depict Svyatovit with a ritual tury honey horn in his right hand. He had four faces, each of the faces looked in its own direction of the world. Sometimes in Rus' Svyatovit was called Belbog, in contrast to the evil Chernobog. But Svyatovit is not only a “bright” god like the Indian Vishnu, but also the god of a just war, and the ruler of the four cardinal directions and four winds.
In Arkona, after the harvest at the end of summer, sacrifices were made to Svyatovit, after filling his horn with mead. The cult of Svyatovit goes back to the ancient Indo-European prototype. Chernobog on Ruyan was called Chernoglav, his idol with a silver mustache patronized sea raids.
There was a fortune-telling ritual - to predict the course of the war, a white horse was introduced into the temple of Svyatovit through three rows of crossed spears. It was considered a good omen if the horse started moving with the right foot and never stumbled. The name Arkona itself, translated from the ancient Indo-European dialect, means “White Mountain”; white cliffs fall into the sea there to this day. A later association is the city of the Ardent Horse. But the ritual horse was the image of the patron of the place, the “horse” - the mountain on the cliff.
The priests of the Svyatovit temple in Arkona wore white clothes. They were revered above princes, but the names of the high priests were not communicated to foreigners, which is why they did not reach us. Other tribes of the Baltic Slavs paid a special tribute to the Ruyans, which went towards the maintenance of the sanctuary in Arkona. The temple had a red hipped roof, and the interior decoration was dominated by crimson tones. Judging by the chronicles, inside the large temple there was another, smaller hall, supported by four pillars and draped with crimson curtains. It was in it that the statue of Svyatovit stood.
During its heyday, Ruyan minted its own coins. By 1168, at least 70 thousand people lived on the island, more than in the previous century. The trading center was the city of Ralsvik, there was a written language based on “devil and rez”. Unfortunately, after the capture of the island, much was simply destroyed. The last prince of Ruyan, Vitslav, died in 1325. The island no longer had independence then, and this prince became famous more as a Minnesinger who wrote songs in German. Power on Ruyan passed from the Danes to the Germans. The ancient language was gradually supplanted.
Nowadays, archaeologists are working on Ruyan, trying to unravel the secrets of this Baltic island. And yet, there are cases when tornadoes form near white rocks; superstitious people consider them either a message from restless souls, or a sign from the ancient gods...

JASMUND PARK
Jasmund National Park is located on the Jasmund Peninsula in the northeast of the island of Rügen in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and has existed since September 12, 1990. It is the smallest national park in Germany, with an area of ​​3,003 hectares. On its territory is the highest point of Rügen - Mount Pikberg with a height of 161 m.
The natural chalk deposit on the Jasmund Peninsula has been mined in chalk quarries for a long time. When in 1926 there was a threat of reopening the already suspended chalk quarry, the coast north of the city of Sassnitz was set aside as a nature reserve. On September 12, 1990, as part of the program to create national parks in the GDR, this section of the coast was declared a national park.

The chalk cliffs of the island of Rügen are subject to constant erosion. With each storm, large pieces break off from the rocks, breaking trees and bushes in the process and throwing them into the sea. Fossils are also separated: here you can find fossil remains of sea urchins, sponges and oysters. Coastal erosion has increased since large glacial boulders were removed from the coastline in the 19th and 20th centuries to be used to fortify harbors. The boulders in front of the chalk cliffs were like natural breakwaters. From the moment of their removal, the waters of the Baltic Sea fall with indomitable force onto the steep coast.

The most significant site of the national park is the 118 m high chalk cliff "King's Chair" (Königsstuhl). On average, 300,000 people annually step onto the site of this cliff that stands out from the coastline to look out over the Baltic Sea and the neighboring impressive stretches of coastline.

Fauna and flora
In the forests of the park you can find numerous water-filled, drainless depressions and depressions, which mostly arose as breaks in the dead ice of the Ice Age. Where these water surfaces become shallow, so-called basin swamps arise. In these depressions and basin swamps you can find numerous black alders. In drier areas you can find wild pear, wild apple, mountain ash and yew trees. The orchid species found here include the lady's slipper. Another feature is the salt vegetation on the northern coast of the national park.

The fauna within the national park is diverse and varied. Only 1,000 species of beetles live in or off wood. In the clear streams you can see an unusual animal, the alpine planaria (Crenobia alpina), which is found only in the mountains. Kingfishers can also be observed along these same streams. City swallows and the chalk owl, a cream-colored nocturnal moth found only in Germany on the Jasmund Peninsula, nest in the chalk cliffs.

Due to the high number of visitors to the park, peregrine falcons and white-tailed eagle can be seen occasionally in the national park.

The German imagination, perhaps, has a somewhat exaggerated attitude towards Rugen: it praises too much, gives too bright colors, paints unrealistic landscapes. Moreover, this phenomenon is not of recent years, but of several centuries. For example, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rügen enjoyed enormous popularity among the powers that be. In particular, Bismarck, Thomas Mann, and Einstein often visited here, and its coastline was immortalized by the novelist Caspar David Friedrich already in 1818. More to come.

Hitler also fell under the spell of Germany's largest island, making it a resort for the military - both his own and his allies (and planning on building a “health factory” of monstrous size and the same architecture on it). Later, the GDR government made Rügen a vacation spot for its devoted comrades, including the chief apparatchik Erich Honecker.

In fact, there is nothing special about Rügen that could really set it apart from other resorts on the Baltic coast of the country. This is a typically German resort, clean and tidy, with perfect service and very beautiful (but nothing more) scenery. The island's 574 km of coastline, like most of Rügen itself, is covered with picturesque vegetation: lush chestnut trees, oaks, elms and poplars. The waters surrounding it are national parks or nature reserves.

Most visitors immediately rush on arrival to the main resort of Binz or to the Stubbenkammer area with white chalk cliffs in the Jasmund National Park. However, people who know are in no hurry to go there (that’s why they know), since Rügen has enough corners worthy of exploration even without them.

How to get there

The easiest way for tourists from Russia to get to Rügen is through Hamburg (direct flights with AirBerlin, about 3.5 hours in the air). High-speed IC trains connect the main resort of the island of Binz with Hamburg (44.20 EUR, 4 hours) and further, passing through Stralsund.

In addition, trains run from Stralsund to Binz (9.10 EUR, an hour and a quarter) and to Sassnitz (9.10 EUR, 50 minutes). You can get to Putbus by changing to the RE train in Bergen. Other resorts and towns in Rügen can only be reached by vintage Rasender Roland trains. Prices on the page are as of March 2019.

Since 2007, two bridges lead to the island: the new Rügenbrücke and the old Rügendamm. The first connects the island with the mainland, adjacent to Kala Marx street in the town of Stralsund.

Search for flights to Hamburg (the nearest airport to Rügen)

On water

Rügen is also considered a popular stop on cruise and ferry routes, both local and international (Denmark and Sweden). For example, the Weisse Flotte company organizes a ferry service for passengers and cars from Stralsund to Altefer on the southwest coast of Rügen (one way EUR 1.30, journey time 15 minutes, departure every hour in the daytime).

Stenaline ships sail to Sweden, 5 departures daily from Sassnitz-Mukran (7 km from the city of Sassnitz) to Trelleborg (adults/children 16 EUR/7 EUR, 50 departures per day in high season, almost 4 hours on the way). The cost of transporting a car is 100 EUR.

The same company sends ferries to Denmark: from Sassnitz to Ronne (Bornholm island) from April to November. The journey lasts almost 4 hours and costs 21 EUR/10 EUR for an adult/child, car transportation is 115 EUR.

Transport

Reederei Ostsee-Tour organizes circular cruise routes along the coast of Rügen from Göhren to Sassnitz via Binz from April to October. 5 departures per day, fare Gören - Binz 4.50 EUR, Gören - Sassnitz 8 EUR.

In addition, RPNV buses operate around the island. In summer they depart every half hour from Binz to Göhren and Sassnitz. The fare depends on the route; a day pass will cost 9 EUR.

Vintage Rasender Roland trains run between Putbus and Göhren, stopping in Binz, Sellin and Baab. The fare depends on the number of zones crossed (there are 5 in total, and each will add 1.60 EUR).

Bicycle rental on the island will cost 5-7 EUR per day.)

Popular hotels in Rügen

Resorts of Rügen

The most popular resort in Rügen is the former fishing village of Binz. Here, according to the plan of the architect Otto Spalding, a Kurhaus (resort house) was built, reminiscent of the atmosphere of the English seaside town of Brighton. Even before the First World War, almost a record number of people vacationed here (among similar resorts in the world) - about 10 thousand a year. And in the interval between the world wars, in the 1920-1930s, the cream of German society gathered in Binz.

During Nazi times, the organization "Strength through Joy" (KdF) operated a wide network of sanatoriums and holiday homes on the island, as well as the famous cruise ships "Wilhelm Gustloff" and "Steuben". Fortunately, another project of Hitler’s enterprising accomplices never came to fruition: they planned to build a giant health factory near the village of Prora - the world’s largest seaside resort designed by the architect Klotz. They only managed to build an almost 5-kilometer line of five-story barracks-type buildings made of concrete. The living quarters in them were 2.5 by 5 m corners. In the center of the complex it was planned to build buildings for public events with a capacity of 20 thousand people.

A little later than Binz (and not at the same pace and on such a scale), other seaside resorts of Rügen - Sassnitz and Gören - began to develop.

Baltic resorts in Germany

• Where to stay: In hotels, sanatoriums and private pensions on the Baltic coast of Germany, there is a pleasant warmth, peace in the absence of hectic nightlife and traditional German quality in everything. Everything that people go on holiday to the sea for can be found on

Rügen is the largest island in Germany, it is located in the very north of the country, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Washed by the waters of the Baltic, this island has long been considered a sacred and legendary place. Many modern researchers consider it one of the main sacred centers of Slavic culture. Well, opponents of this theory or people far from historical mysteries value Rügen for its magnificent landscapes, pleasant weather and excellent beaches.

Geography

In fact, Rügen is not exactly an island, it is an entire archipelago consisting of 18 separate islands. Their shores are heavily indented and form picturesque bays, capes and bays.
There are only about 100 thousand local residents here, most of them live in four cities on the island.

Despite its northern location, Rügen is one of the sunniest places in Germany, surpassing even southern Bavaria in terms of the number of sunny days per year. Warm currents washing the island on all sides make the local climate mild, and numerous beaches suitable for swimming throughout the summer season.

Crossings

A vital issue for the residents of Rügen has always been the problem of communication with the mainland. For many centuries, the only way to connect the islanders with the mainland was a ferry connection with the city of Stralsund. For several centuries, hard-working ferries continuously transported people, riders, crews, and in the 19th century even entire trains. However, their power was not unlimited.

In the first half of the twentieth century, the first railway bridge was thrown across the Strelasund Strait. It consisted of two parts, one stretched from the Pomeranian coast to the tiny island of Denholm, and the other already connected Denholm with Rügen. The first section was a drawable section, and could accommodate fairly large ships, although to do this, the bridge had to be opened at least six times a day. A highway also ran parallel to the railway track, but by the end of the last century it turned out to be simply unable to handle the greatly increased flow of cars.

Finally, in 2007, the problem of transport links between the mainland and the island was finally resolved, and Rügen, strictly speaking, ceased to be considered an island. On the Stralsund side, a dam was built, continuing with a modern cable-stayed bridge, which became the longest in Germany. Its length is more than four kilometers, and the high central span allows even the largest sea vessels to pass under it. However, the old bridge, located not far from this new miracle of engineering, is still working, and trains still continue to run across it.

Jasmund Park

Rügen has long been famous for its stunning landscapes. On the small islands of the archipelago, real wild forests have been preserved, which cannot be found anywhere else in Germany. Unlike the rest of the country, industrial deforestation was prohibited here back in the 16th century, and today you can visit them only as part of an organized group under the strict supervision of a guide. Thanks to such care for nature, today many rare plants and animals can be found on Rügen, and it is here that many migratory birds come to spend the winter.

Another striking natural attraction of Rügen is the famous chalk cliffs of the Jasmund Peninsula. Chalk was mined here from ancient times until the beginning of the twentieth century, when there was a real threat of complete destruction of the unique landscape. The Germans are very sensitive to their country, so chalk mining was quickly curtailed, and the territory of the rocks themselves was first declared a nature reserve, and in 1990 - a national park.

The main asset of the park is considered to be the amazingly beautiful snow-white rock “Royal Throne”. At its top, rising 118 m above sea level, there is an observation deck from which an amazing view of the coast and the vast expanses of the harsh Baltic opens.

According to historians, the island of Rügen has been inhabited since Neolithic times. From these immemorial times, numerous mounds and sacrificial stones remain on the island. And for many subsequent centuries, Rügen was inhabited by Slavic tribes.

There are many legends about the Slavic history of Rügen, many of which seem completely fabulous. In particular, there is a theory that it was Rügen who was the real prototype of Pushkin’s Buyan Island, where, as everyone remembers, the kingdom of the glorious Guidon and the famous oak tree, so beloved by the scientist cat, are located.
Another interesting theory claims that the famous Varangian Rurik was a native of Rügen, that is, a Slav, and not a Scandinavian, as school textbooks told us.
One way or another, the Slavs left a noticeable mark on the history of the German island. To this day, in its northern part, on Cape Arkona, you can see the remains of a large Slavic city and a large temple dedicated to the god Svyatovit. The temple was considered one of the main shrines of Northern Europe, and the inhabitants of Arkona were considered the chosen people, who were always especially close to the gods.
However, the sacred status did not help the city defend itself from numerous conquerors from German and Scandinavian tribes. Arkona fought for its independence for more than four centuries, and for a long time remained the last free Slavic city in Western Europe. But, in the end, in 1168, she too fell. The Svyatovit Temple was devastated and burned to the ground, and all its treasures were taken to Denmark. For Rügen, a new, already German era began.

Today, only earthen ramparts remaining from the once rich and flourishing Arkona remind of the island’s Slavic past. Archaeological excavations are still being carried out here and scientists continue to piece by piece reconstruct the history of the great city.

Not far from Arkona there is another interesting attraction dating back to modern times. In the first half of the 19th century, a 19 m high lighthouse was built here, which became the first such structure in all of Pomerania. Now there is an interesting museum in its building.
A century later, a taller and more modern, 36-meter lighthouse was built near the old lighthouse, which is still in operation. So they stand, wall to wall, representing a very clear and vivid illustration of technological progress.

And about a kilometer from the lighthouses is Cape Gellort, officially considered the northernmost point of the island.

Resorts of Rügen

The first resorts appeared on Rügen in the second half of the 19th century. Until this moment, only rare fishing villages were located on the coast of the island, where residents of Pomerania came from time to time to relax and breathe fresh sea air. However, in just half a century, these villages have turned into fashionable and quite expensive resort towns. The largest of them was the city of Binz. At the beginning of the 20th century, a luxury hotel was built here, very much reminiscent of the famous British Brighton, and already in the 20s of the last century, in the summer all the cream of German society gathered on Rügen.

During the Third Reich, there was a powerful organization in Germany called “Strength through Joy”, which was in charge of almost all German resorts. Rügen was no exception. On its territory it was planned to create a giant sanatorium and resort complex, the so-called “health factory”. In 1937, the project for the “Greatest Seaside Resort in the World”, into which it was planned to turn Rügen, received the Grand Prix at the prestigious World Exhibition in Paris.

However, the grandiose plans of the Nazis were not destined to come true. The war interfered with the construction process. And the subsequent collapse of the Third Reich forced all construction to be completely curtailed. During the GDR era, there were closed military bases on Rügen, so holidaymakers were not allowed here. It became possible for mere mortals to admire the beauty of the island again only after the reunification of Germany.
Currently, active construction is underway on Rügen, and who knows, maybe modern technologies will make it possible to realize previous ambitious plans and turn the island into the best resort in the world.

Sights of Rügen

However, even today Rügen has something to surprise its guests. The earthen ramparts of Arkona, breathing with history, tiny villages whose inhabitants have managed to preserve the ancient way of life, and the fashionable resort towns with elegant pavilions and picturesque piers cutting deep into the sea, which sharply contrast with them, are able to impress even the most demanding tourists.
Here are a couple more interesting attractions for those who are not satisfied with just a lazy beach holiday.

City of Bergen

The largest city of the island is located on a hill, in the very center. This strategically advantageous location has always caused many problems for the residents of Bergen. Firstly, located far from the coast, the city often lacked drinking water. There are few natural springs here, and the wells had to be made very deep. And secondly, open to all winds, the city often suffered from fires; an accidental spark was enough for an entire block to be left with nothing but firebrands.

But despite all the hardships, the city lives and even has many ancient buildings preserved. For example, this is where the oldest house on the entire island is located; its construction date is considered to be 1538. Here, in Bergen, stands the oldest Christian temple in Rügen - the famous Church of the Virgin Mary, built here in the 15th century.

Steam engine on Rügen

Well, the most exotic entertainment in Rügen is considered to be a trip on the ancient train “Rasender Roland”. Like more than a hundred years ago, it runs along the same narrow-gauge railway, the first section of which was built in the middle of the 19th century. In its best times, the railway network encircled the entire island, but only its southeastern part has survived to this day. An old steam locomotive runs along it.

The trip leaves an unforgettable impression, as if you are taking a trip into the past. Idyllic landscapes floating peacefully outside the window evoke pleasant thoughts, allow you to completely detach yourself from all everyday worries and plunge headlong into the enchanting atmosphere of this amazing corner of Europe.