(coming soon)
The
Baltic Island of RuegenJust off Germany’s Baltic coast lies the Hong Kong-sized island of Ruegen. It has been traded around over the centuries, variously conquered by Scandinavians, Slavs and Prussians (who ended up owning it). Boasting more days of sunshine than anywhere else in Germany, it also has historical, geological and architectural features which make it a popular destination for Germans and other northern Europeans. To the English-speaking world, however, Ruegen is relatively little known. With spacious and elegant sea-facing rooms in classic hotels costing half what they would in similar properties on France’s Atlantic coast, the island is worth a visit.
Much of its charm it got by default. During the communist period, when West Germany grew into a modern icon of prosperity and advanced engineering, the East kept much of its tractor-drawn, thatch-roofed character thanks to an economic system that gave little or no incentive to pull out of it. The reunification of Germany which was begun in 1990 has changed the picture dramatically. In addition to the government financing, private western money has been flowing into real estate investments in the former DDR, and one area where this is most evident and most welcome is in the once-elegant spas on Germany’s beautiful Baltic coast. They are elegant once again.
