Hiddensee - Ruegen, a gem of an island in the Baltic Sea north of Berlin


We arrived by ferry in the dark on a foggy November evening.  With hardly anyone about it took us a little while to find our hotel -- on foot.  What pleased us most was the absolute quiet; the island has no cars --- everything is done on foot and bicycle.  If ever you need a relaxing place to go to...  NOT in summer, though, I hear there are too many tourists.

The weather on the first two days was gloomy but good for taking romantic photos.  We spent hours exploring; the island is part of large nature preserves and has many paths and unpaved streets.  From the light tower we could see sandbanks and islands, visible even on misty days.

Many houses are straw-thatched, here a few samples. 

Doesn't it look like a Dr. Seuss house??:

 

The little church in the village called Kloster dates back to the thirteenth century.  We had never seen a wooden ceiling painted entirely with roses.

The Hitthem Hotel in Kloster where we had lunch and dinner the next eve.

The typical décor of the island's Gasthauses:

We liked the home-made fish soup served here better than any of the fish soups served elsewhere:

The harbor of Vitte, the village where we stayed: