My husband and I are thinking of visiting Hamburg and Luebeck this coming August. We are also thinking of going to Sylt or Ruegen. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you.

It really depends on your personal preferences and lifestyle.

Both are beautiful.

This is a rash generalization, I am making it here for the sake of brevity, because both places have very positive aspects.

If the "scene" is important to you, then I would opt for Sylt. Sylt is expensive, and full of wealthy Germans for whom the island has become a status symbol. That is not to say that is a not a wonderful natural habitat and you can never find reasonable places to stay, but basically, the island is very well healed -- the Martha's Vineyard of Germany. And August would be the end of the very high season--the wealthy Hamburgers will be trying to catch the last rays of sunshine on the island....

Ruegen was part of the former East Germany, and was the place where many of the Communist Party leaders had their summer residences. It has been developed into a resort island to some degree, does not have the "upper crust" aspect which Sylt does, but is a very beautiful place to be as far as the nature is concerned. More "normal", I would say. It would be very easy to find good deals there.

If you live in Hamburg, and you say to a friend you are going to Sylt for two weeks, they will wonder if you just got a huge raise and will think "wow"!! That is kind of the stereotype which Sylt has.

Both are lovely in their own way--it is a personal choice depending upon lifestyle.

Thank you so much for your reply. We are definitely leaning towards Ruegen. Some of my German friends told me about it. I am originally from Germany, near Stuttgart but have never been to the north. I am looking forward to explore that part of beautiful Germany. Any input you have is of course greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Erika

Luebeck is, of course, more easily combined with a trip to Ruegen than with a trip to Sylt. The new A20 Autobahn that speeds traffic to Ruegen considerably commences just South of Luebeck (merges with the A1). There still is the Ruegendamm trespassing to the island where traffic can be heavy, though.

I like both islands a lot - and a bit contrary to bellacqui's perception am not that overwhelmed by somebody stating that they will take a holiday on Sylt. There are budget accommodations to be found there, too. And for anybody liking good food and drinks, the island is really worth a trip. While Sylt can be snobby and a bit nouveau-riche in certain parts, there still is enough breathtaking nature and down-to-earth spots to be discovered.

What is important to factor in, though, is what preference you have for the style of sea. Whereas Sylt features rough waves on its Western shore and tidal, calmer waters on the Eastern shore (when there is water at all - the area, a national nature preserve, is subject to strong tides), the Baltic Sea surrounding Ruegen is considerably calmer.

Should you opt for Sylt, do allow enough time for the train to take you (and your car) to the island. There is no road to get you there. Alternatively you could drive into Denmark, cross over to the island of Roem and take a ferry from there.

Should you decide upon Ruegen, do allow a day for an outing to the neighbouring island of Hiddensee, an artist colony where no car traffic is allowed.
There is a small hotel chain by the name of Travel Charme that offers some really nice lodging options on Ruegen. Their website can be found at:

http://www.travelcharme.com/hotels-r....html?&L=1

Did not say that I am overwhelmed by Sylt's reputation, but that there is a general perception it being a status symbol. I think I made that clear. The comparison with the Martha's Vineyard (also with a wonderful natural habitat) is very accurate.

Giving advice in a short synobsis sometimes requires giving an overview in the form of a generalization- I made this clear as well.

Erika, you will enjoy Ruegen and as HSV says, will find it an easy commute from your Lübeck and Hamburg points of origin. I hope you enjoy it emmensely, and most of all, I wish you beautiful weather!!

Sylt:

- First, it is a beautifully landscaped island - with long sandy beaches, extended dunes, little fishers' villages nestled into the dunes, with tidal marshes, small harbours and very good walking and cycling trails.

- Second, it is a gourmet's paradise - with dozens of restaurants - all level, from stands with smoked herring sandwiches to Michelin-star-acclaimed gourmet restaurants.

- Third, is is the area where Europe's best oysters are raised. Gosh in the town List, at the northern end of Sylt, is THE place to consume them along with other delicacies.

- Fourth, it is a popular resort for people of all classes. In the main town, Westerland, you will find typical middle-class people, while the village of Kampen is the snobbish part of Sylt.

- In the mainland, along the shore, you find some nice shrimp fishers's villages (Büsum and Husum) and several museums (modern art - Emil Nolde is from this region - and historical).

Rügen:

- Rügen is also beautifully landscaped and, with the chalk cliffs, more dramatic.

- Rügen has, as mentioned, several faces: that of a turn-of-century-resort and that of a Nazi-resort.

- On the way between Lübeck and Rügen, you find other beautiful coastal sections (Fischland/Darß near Ahrenshoop) and in the hinterland many lakes with castles on the shore, many of them have been turned into luxury hotels. At least you must make a side-trip south to Schwerin to visit the magnificent castle.

bellacqui,

no offence intended. As you say a synopsis requires generalisation sometimes. I just wanted to state that, as traveller1959 mentioned, there is absolutely no need to be a millionnaire to enjoy life on Sylt (although it might admittedly help, as with everything in life, I presume).

Another side trip worth making on the way to Rügen is Wismar - it has a strong scandinavian connection, was historically a trading partner, and has quite a lovely town center.

Topping only because I happened to come across the calendar/photo site for Sylt today. Lovely pictures, anyone considering a trip to Sylt might want to check it out:

http://www.sylt-lichtbilder.de/start_eng.html

Almost two years later, but thanks Btilke for the photos.

Thanks for waking up this thread. We are going to Bremen later this year and have been thinking about a small excursion somewhere if time permits. Maybe we will try one of the islands. What is Helgoland like?

Lavandula

Helgoland is a rock far out in the sea.
It is very different from Sylt which has glorious beaches and dunes and is just off the coast from the mainland.
While a bit more adventurous to go to Helgoland (unboarding from ships at sea into boats that take you to the island, unless you take the catamaran or the technocrats at the European Union have been successful in forbidding it), due to its location far off the coast combined with its tax-free status it tends to attract people with a lot of time at their hands who also enjoy saving a bit on the booze. Not many people going to Sylt are concerned about saving on the booze, I would think.

Reviving this thread as we are considering a trip the general area but know very little about it. We will be traveling with 2 kids (2, 7) and we are not millionaires Any suggestions for a relaxed, family friendly resort in the general area? Or, it not a resort, any suggestions for particular islands/towns that are better with kids? We will be going end of May/early June during the school break so I realize we are already running out of options. Thanks in advance!

You will probably have better luck starting your own thread on this topic. People will see that the original post is 5 years old and aren't as likely to respond. I did find it interesting to skim through these comments, however, since we went to Ruegen in the fall of 2007 as part of a northern Germany trip and had a fabulous time.

I think Ruegen would be a lovely place to take kids. There are lots of fun places to walk and hike, including the Koenigstuhl cliffs and the two lighthouses at Kap Arkona, which I believe is the northernmost point in Germany. We stayed at the Kurhaus Binz, one of the grand old hotels on the island. It was pretty fancy so I'm not sure if it would be considered kid-friendly, but it was a wonderful place to stay and had the best buffet breakfast I've ever had...after 2 years of living and traveling in Europe! Binz is a lovely old resort town with a small shopping district and a beautiful promenade along the Baltic coast.

A few pictures from our trip are posted here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hausfra...7604055574806/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hausfra...7604062273222/

We have friends near Bremen who often holiday on the Baltic (Ostsee). It's easy to do a cheap family holiday there as the resorts are a little cheaper (as is the economy in the east).

http://www.ostsee.de/baltic-sea-germany/

Lavandula

Thanks, we decided to go to Ruegen. We are going to try out the IFA Ruegen Hotel & Ferienpark as it seems rather kid friendly.

@Hausfrau, we will be going to Ruegen from Hamburg, similar to your prior trip, I believe. Thanks for the photos. They are lovely.

@Lavandula, thanks for the local perspective. The resorts around Ruegen were definitely cheaper than those near Sylt.

We spent a few days in Sylt. It's pretty similar (at least to me) to visiting Cape Cod. Our hotel was more expensive than I wished, chosen mostly because it was a large chain and they spoke English; neither of us speak German. Our German home exchangers gave us local sources to find rooms, but we were unable to find rooms (too late in the season) or that they were not fluent in English and did not want to trouble themselves with a non German speaker, knowing they would have no difficulty renting rooms later. Rooms at the lower price end fill up easily.

There were tons of family groups in Sylt, so traveling with children there would not be a rareity. Personally, I thought some of the Baltic coast resorts were very pretty and would make a find family vacation, too. We were staying in Hamburg when we went to Sylt, and the Baltic Coast was an hr or so away. Can't speak to Rugen.

I'm sure you'll enjoy either resort. Have a good holiday.