I have never been the biggest fan of German beaches, to be honest. They are crowded, there are fences everywhere, beach chairs, houses to close to the beach and so on. So you see, I had quite a strong opinion. Until I got the chance to try out four different islands of the Baltic Sea during the summer. And I actually found some places that I really liked.

Fischland-Darß-Zingst

The western beach of the Darß island is one of the most untouched places in Germany. It is located in the middle of a national park and it is wild, lonely and a must visit for your trip to the German Baltic Sea. The sand is close to being white there and behind the dunes you will find, well no palm trees, but at least a beautiful spruce forest. Chances are slim that you will meet other people at the beach and after wandering around for some time you won't even believe that you are still in Germany. For me it is definitely the prettiest beach of the German Baltic Sea.

Rügen

Binz and Sellin are the famous towns on the island of Rügen. They are super cute, with many small shops and cafés and beautiful architecture. The beaches are crowded in both places, so Rügen is not the places for a relaxed beach holiday. The bridge of Sellin looks great at sunset though.

Apart from its beaches, Rügen has some nice places to offer. There is the Jasmund national park in the North - famous for its fairytale forest and the chalk cliffs. Don't bother to pay the entrance fee for the visitor platform. Right next to it you will have the same view for free.

Hiddensee

If you take a ferry in Schaprode on the island of Rügen, you make it to another island, called Hiddensee, in one hour. There are no cars allowed in Hiddensee so prepare for a long bike trip if you want to see everything.

The smartest thing to do is going to Klosters directly by ferry and rent a bike there. Within one day you will make it from North to South without hurrying and you can give back the bike in Vitte. The way leads you down the coast, directly at the beach. So you can just stop in one of the little bays and enjoy the beautiful nature without too many people around. My favourite beach was the one behind the lighthouse of Gellen.

I only stayed for one day in Hiddensee but I wished I had stayed the night after seeing all those cozy, tiny houses that we passed in the forest.

Usedom

I always thought Usedom was only for retired people but I was wrong. The beaches and the architecture of the cities in Usedom are more impressive than in other places along the Baltic Sea. And I even met people my age there.

Beaches of the Baltic Sea

German beaches are prettier than their image apparently. I still wouldn't spend my entire holiday here but most of them are great for a weekend getaway. What is your favourite beach of the Baltic Sea?