Rough weather with a fresh breeze awaits us on the other side of the mainland too. Like the North Sea, the Baltic is growing more popular among German wellness guests year after year. The beauty of its cliffs, dunes, islands and river mouths stretches, all told, over more than 1,730 km along the German coast alone. Picturesque islands, beaches, bays and forests alternate between Hanseatic cities and fishing villages — together with the hospitality of the locals that makes the Baltic one of Germany's most popular and fastest-rising holiday regions.
The largest part of the German Baltic stretches along eastern Schleswig-Holstein and the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Cities such as Flensburg, Kiel, Lübeck and Rostock offer the perfect combination of city trip and wellness. Beaches are usually only a short bus or train ride from town, and spa hotels right on the shore have good offers all year round. But the small, modest places directly on the coast should not be neglected either. There you experience the “real” Baltic feeling — weekly markets where the freshly caught fish is sold and prepared on the spot.
The biggest differences between the North Sea and the Baltic lie in outdoor comfort. Because the Baltic is an inland sea, the water here is calmer and its salt content very low. Unlike the North Sea, the Baltic is not dominated by the tides; ebb and flow are barely noticeable — ideal conditions for bathing or for walks in the colder season.
Rügen
The best-known island in the Baltic is surely Rügen, the largest and most populous island in Germany. Beautiful unspoilt lagoons and sea bays between countless peninsulas and headlands are waiting to be discovered along its roughly 574 km of coastline. The Jasmund National Park is home to an impressive natural and scenic diversity; since June 2011 it and its famous white chalk cliffs have been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.