Rugen: in the eye of the storm

Sassnitz harbor on the island of Rugen. We walk across the longest outer pier in Europe. an endless footbridge, at the end of which a beautiful old lighthouse is waiting for us. The water splashes meters high as the waves break on the rocks. Here the Baltic Sea is really raging. A trip to the eye of the storm.

T he wind tears at my jacket and whirls strongly through my hair. The waves are rearing up in front of the lighthouse like a shy horse. It is no longer possible to have a chat, it is storming too hard out here. Again and again the force of nature breaks over the wall and wraps us in a fine water mist.

Many onlookers have taken out their cameras to capture this wild natural spectacle. There is only one problem. A woman stands in the way. She poses in front of the lighthouse, happily spreading her arms and playing the role of the happy-go-lucky girl who has no problem with the sea spray. The waves break on the rocks and throw their water high into the air. The Baltic Sea lands on the woman as a cold shower. But that only makes it more lively. She runs here and there, always dutifully accompanied by her husband with the photo. Only out of the picture she does not run unfortunately.

Sassnitz harbor on the island of Rugen

Her husband has noticed by now that everyone else is just waiting for his wife to get out of the way so they can photograph the lighthouse. So he hisses hints to her awkwardly. But the woman apparently does not understand what he wants from her. In the best of moods she continues to pose. As if she were the only person in the world – apart from her photographer. Finally she has used up all the poses and we still come to our photo. What luck.

It would have been a pity, because the way to the lighthouse was long. At 1.5 kilometers, the pier in Sassnitz on the island of Rugen is the longest outdoor pier in Europe. One is on the way longer than one thinks. Knowing this, the people of Sassnitz placed supply ships at the beginning of the breakwater in time. Here one can strengthen oneself for the walk. Either one comes on board or one buys a fish roll and runs off with it.

The areas around Rugen are very rich in fish. Here freshwater fishes as well as sea fishes are cavorting around. For example, perch, pike perch, pike, herring and horn fish, cod, sea trout and salmon. The choice is large. In any case, you should take good care of your fish roll, because the seagulls also appreciate the tasty fish. In Warnemunde I witnessed a cheeky bird snatching a fish roll from a woman's hand with its beak. So: better hold on tight!

The history of the lighthouse and the pier

The lighthouse in the harbor of Sassnitz on Rugen is 15 meters high and was built in 1903. The pier itself was not always so long. It all began in 1889, when the breakwater was initially only 380 meters long and was built to protect the fishing harbor. At that time the pier was not yet accessible from land. First, pile walls were driven into the subsoil and stones were poured in between. Then came the masonry with concrete cores. On the seaward side, the bulwark was finally reinforced with a 1.30 meter high wall.

Later the pier was extended to the west and was now already one kilometer long. Now it was also accessible from land. With the advent of rail ferry traffic around 1910, new demands were placed on the pier and so it was extended to its present length of 1450 meters. This extension cost a proud 7 million marks. Wow, for that you get some fish rolls.

On the Baltic coast in Sassnitz

The way back is surprisingly short and seems to me only half as long as the way there. What might be the reason for that? Maybe it is the thought of the upcoming lunch that inspires me.

Sassnitz itself is especially interesting at the coast and the harbor. Here also lies the British submarine "H.M.S. Otus", which can be visited. When the sea is not too stormy, excursion steamers depart, from which you can see the chalk cliffs of Rugen. Tip: In Sassnitz there is the largest fish counter of Rugen, the "Kutterfisch" at the harbor, behind the Rugen market.

We walk always along the sea, pass some restaurants and see now also the beautiful white seaside resort architecture, which we know from Binz or Sellin. Houses here are not called houses, but are ennobled as "villas. "Villa Hertha" or "Villa Anna" for example. There is even a "pirate canyon" here. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about a sunken treasure. Conclusion: Sassnitz is definitely recommendable as an excursion destination on the island of Rugen.