GERMANY’S ISLAND PARADISE

The coastal towns and verdant forests of Rügen are a well-kept secret (until now)

We’re sure we can’t be the only Brits never to have heard of Rügen, the largest island off Germany and known in some quarters as Brighton for Berliners. Lying in the Baltic Sea, its coastal resort towns draw crowds of holidaying Germans in the summer, but it also makes a pleasingly peaceful getaway in the cooler months. We recommend venturing beyond the tourist spots to the forests of elm, poplar and chestnut, or the deserted white-sand beaches and chalky cliffs made famous by the 19th-century German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. Here are our tips for making the most of this intriguing island, which has the most sunshine and lowest rainfall in Germany. DO Trek from the town of Sassnitz through forests along the coast and hunt for shards of Baltic amber. You can swim in the sea or hit the waves aboard a boat from the sailing school (segelschule-ruegen.de). Alternatively, cycle around the agricultural heartland of cornfields, meadows and beech groves. Red deer and eagle nests abound in the Jasmund National Park’s lush vegetation (nationalpark-jasmund.de). For something more urban, meander through Sassnitz’ old town alleyways and craft shops. STAY Urlaubsarchitektur, known in English as Holiday Architecture, is the brainchild of German architect Jan Hamer, who, in a bid to bring an end to bland holiday rentals, has compiled an online list of inspiring places to stay. There are several venues in Rügen on the list: our favourite is Kornspeicher Mauritz, a red-brick granary built in 1904 that has been beautifully converted by Berlin architecture practice ZWO4 into several airy apartments. It hosts yoga courses, has a sauna and bicycles, and is two kilometres from a bird sanctuary and the sea (two-person apartments from £55 per night; urlaubsarchitektur.de). EAT Fresh and smoked fish abound on the menus here – try Fischerhütte, which serves delicious catches of the day near charming seaside town Sellin’s beach (fischerhuette-moritzdorf.de). For a spectacular setting, dinner in the restaurant at the end of Sellin’s illuminated pier (top), Seebrücke, is a must: local scallops with pink salt, sesame and seaweed can be enjoyed either in the Art Nouveau-inspired restaurant or out on the deck (seebrueckesellin.de). Locals swear by sea buckthorn juice as a life-giving liquor. Available in most food shops, it can contain up to 15 times the amount of Vitamin C as orange juice, plus omega oils.