67 Best Sights in Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast, Germany

Proof of Lübeck's former position as the golden queen of the Hanseatic League is found at every step in the Altstadt, which contains more 13th- to 15th-century buildings than all other large northern German cities combined. This fact has earned the Altstadt a place on UNESCO's register of the world's greatest cultural and natural treasures.

One of northern Germany's best collections of modern art, ranging from the Dürer period to the present, can be found here. It comprises more than 1,200 paintings and 300 sculptures as well as graphic arts, photographs, and video works.

Construction of this, the city's oldest building, began in 1173. Its founder, Heinrich der Löwe himself, laid the foundation stone. The cathedral was initially built as a Romanesque brick building, which was completed in 1230, but starting in 1266 its reconstruction to a Gothic hall church began. The building, which was repeatedly altered, was severely damaged in an air raid in 1942. It was not until 1982 that the reconstruction was completed. The richly decorated church houses, among other things, a triumphal cross by the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke and the Renaissance pulpit, which is decorated with seven alabaster reliefs.

The island's main town is also one of its best resorts. The tidy and elegant resort is one of the three Kaiserbäder (imperial baths)—the two others are Heringsdorf and Bansin—where Emperor Wilhelm II liked to spend his summers in the early 20th century. Noble families and rich citizens followed the emperor, turning Ahlbeck into one of the prettiest summer retreats on the Baltic Coast. Ahlbeck's landmark is the 19th-century wooden pier with four towers. Stroll the beach to the right of the pier and you'll arrive at the Polish border.

The town's showpiece square was the setting for military parades during the years of Communist rule. It's dominated by two buildings: the ornate neo-Renaissance state theater, constructed in 1883–86; and the Kunstsammlungen Schwerin (Schwerin Art Collection).

The Alter Markt has the best local architecture, ranging from Gothic to Renaissance to baroque. Most homes belonged to rich merchants, notably the late-Gothic Wulflamhaus, with 17 ornate, steeply stepped gables. Stralsund's architectural masterpiece, however, is the 14th-century Rathaus (town hall), considered by many to be the finest secular example of redbrick Gothic. The Rathaus is a mirror image of its counterpart in Lübeck, Stralsund's main rival in the Hanseatic League

Inland from the lighthouse is this yacht marina. Once the entry into the port of Warnemünde, it now has bars, plenty of good restaurants, and touristy shops. The fishing boats lining the Strom sell the day's catch, smoked fish, and bags of fried mussels.

For a glimpse of the rugged lives of 19th-century fishermen, visit the small village of Keitum to the south, and drop in on the Old Frisian House, which preserves an old-world peacefulness in a lush garden setting. The house also documents a time when most seamen thrived on extensive whale hunting.

One of the main attractions of Kiel, this aquarium is home to various animal species, fish, and crustaceans from the North and Baltic Seas, the Mediterranean, and the tropics. Especially popular are the feedings (daily at 10 am and 2:30 pm, except Fridays) in the outdoor seal enclosure.

This small town is the island's administrative capital, founded as a Slavic settlement some 900 years ago. The Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church) has geometric murals dating back to the late 1100s and painted brick octagonal pillars. The pulpit and altar are baroque. Outside the front door and built into the church facade is a gravestone from the 1200s.

The largest resort town on Rügen's east coast has white villas and a beach promenade. Four kilometers (2½ miles) north of Binz lies the fascist resort of Prora, where the Nazis once planned to provide vacation quarters for up to 20,000 German workers. The complex was never used, except by the East German army. Redevelopment of the site began in 2003. Luxury apartments are available for rent and there is also a youth hostel. Museums and galleries here today do their best to document the history of the site.

The rule of the Baltics' most exclusive beach is "see and be seen." The 5-km-long (3-mile-long) and 54-yard-wide beach is the perfect place to sunbathe and swim, as well as stroll—there's a 135-year-old beach path promenade. The somewhat rocky beach is punctuated by the Seebrücke, a boardwalk that extends into the sea. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; surfing; swimming; walking.

Kampen's beach—divided into the Buhne 16 and the Rotes Kliff—is the place where the rich and famous meet average Joes. Buhne 16 is Germany's most popular nudist beach, and Germans call this section "the great equalizer," as social inequalities disappear with the clothing. The Red Cliff section is less crowded than Buhne 16 and clothing is required. The beach access point offers one of the best views of the Cliffs and North Sea; the viewing platform is wheelchair accessible. The beaches are surrounded by a ring of dunes that beg for exploration. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; walking.

In the Deutsches Bernsteinmuseum, which adjoins the main factory, you can see a fascinating exhibit of how this precious "Baltic gold" is collected from the sea and refined to make jewelry. The museum has pieces of amber that are between 35 and 50 million years old.

Bad Doberan is home to this meticulously restored redbrick church, one of the finest of its kind in Germany. It was built by Cistercian monks between 1294 and 1368 in the northern German brick Gothic style, with a central nave and transept. The main altar dates from the early 14th century.

This museum is dedicated to the time of the Hanseatic League which is considered one of the most significant chapters in Northern German and European history. It exhibits dioramas, original artifacts, and interactive elements to convey a journey through 500 years of medieval trading.

Westerland's beach bursts at the seams in the summer months. More than 6 km (4 miles) of pristine white sand is filled with more than 4,000 Strandkörbe, a kind of beach chair in a wicker basket, which are all for rent. There's also volleyball, soccer, darts, and other beach sports. Despite its popularity, it is easy to find some privacy on the many secluded bike and footpaths. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; walking; windsurfing.

The home of the former dukes of Mecklenburg stands next to the Marienkirche. It's an early-16th-century Italian Renaissance palace with touches of late Gothic. The facade is a series of fussy friezes depicting scenes from the Trojan War.

This mansion contains a museum devoted to wide-ranging exhibits on literature and visual arts, prominently featuring the work of one of Germany's most famous postwar writers and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1999), Günter Grass (1927–2015).

Take a look inside the entrance hall of this Gothic building. It was built in the 13th century by the town's rich merchants and was one of the country's first hospitals. It still cares for the sick and elderly.

Just 5 km (3 miles) off the northwest corner of Rügen is a smaller, sticklike island called Hiddensee whose undisturbed solitude has attracted such visitors as Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Sigmund Freud. As Hiddensee is an auto-free zone, leave your car in Schaprode, 21 km (13 miles) west of Bergen, and take a ferry. Reederei Hiddensee ( 038300/210  reederei-hiddensee.de) makes the 45-minute trip from Schaprode on Rügen to Vitte on Hiddensee up to twelve times a day, with other departures from Stralsund. They also serve the towns of Kloster and Neuendorf on Hiddensee. Fares start at €19.20. Vacation cottages and restaurants are on the island.

Peenemünde, at the northwest tip of Usedom, is the launch site of the world's first ballistic missiles, the V-1 and V-2, developed by Germany during World War II. At the Historisch-Technisches Museum you can view these rockets as well as models of early airplanes and ships. One exhibit, in particular, covers the moral responsibility of scientists who develop new technology by focusing on the secret plants where most of the rocket parts were assembled, and where thousands of slave laborers died.

The town of Hörnum is bordered on three sides by a rock-free, fine-white-sand beach that is perfect for paddling, quick dips in the sea, or simply lounging in one of the ever-present Strandkörbe beach chairs. The main beach is one of the most family-friendly on the island, and it's easily accessible from the promenade. A magnificent red-and-white lighthouse looms over the beach. Hörnum is the best place to take long walks along the Wattenmeer. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Standing on the highest point of East Rügen, 2 km (1 mile) south of Binz, is the Jagdschloss Granitz, a hunting lodge built in 1837–1846. It offers a splendid view in all directions from its lookout tower and has an excellent hunting exhibit.

From Sassnitz, it is an easy walk to the Jasmund Nationalpark, where you can explore the marshes, lush pine forests, and towering chalk cliffs.

The Kaiserbäder Strand stretches for more than 12 km (7½ miles) along Usedom Island's northeast coast from Bansin to Heringsdorf to Ahlbeck. A promenade connects the three towns which charm with a mix of 19th-century beach architecture on one side and beach-chair relaxation on the other. A stroll through the windy sea air is said to have magical recuperative powers and locals claim that when the conditions are right, the sand actually sings when the grains rub together. The wide beach bustles with weekend Berliners and long-term visitors in summer. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunrise; swimming; walking.

The Sylt island's unofficial capital is the main destination for the wealthier crowd and lies 9 km (6 miles) northeast of Westerland. Redbrick buildings and shining white thatch-roof houses spread along the coastline. The real draw—aside from the fancy restaurants and chic nightclubs—is the beaches.

Marking the northernmost point in eastern Germany is the lighthouse at Kap Arkona, a nature lover's paradise filled with blustery sand dunes. The redbrick lighthouse was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the Prussian court-architect responsible for so many of today's landmarks in Berlin.

At Germany's largest passenger-shipping harbor, you can always catch a glimpse of one of the many ferries leaving for Norway from the Oslokai (Oslo Quay) or for Göteborg from the Schwedenkai (Sweden Quay).