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New York to Germany's Baltic coast: Stralsund and Rügen

New York → Stralsund → Rügen

Stralsund Rathaus Alter Markt
"Stralsund, Alter Markt, Zwischenbau am Rathaus (2008-10-10).JPG" by Klugschnacker, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

A Hanseatic brick town & chalk cliffs on Germany's largest island Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep

Germany's Baltic coast is a summer escape for Germans themselves and little known abroad. This route spends two nights in Stralsund and four on the island of Rügen. From New York you'll fly to Berlin, then take the train north.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Stralsund: day one, train from Berlin; day two, old town and the Ozeaneum. Then spend days three to six in Rügen: day three, train across the causeway to Binz; day four, Jasmund chalk cliffs; day five, steam train to the south-east; day six, beaches and resort villas.

Stralsund's old town, with brick Gothic churches and merchants' houses, shares a UNESCO listing with Wismar. The Ozeaneum, on the harbour, is a large museum and aquarium devoted to the northern seas. Stralsund is its gateway, linked to it by road and railway across the Rügen Bridge and Causeway. In the north-east, Jasmund National Park protects beech forests and white chalk cliffs, including the Königsstuhl, a famous viewpoint.

A narrow-gauge steam railway, the Rasender Roland, links the resorts of Binz and Sellin with Putbus. Its Gothic St Mary's Church has one of the tallest towers in the region, which can be climbed for views over the sound.

Rügen has a maximum length of over 51 kilometres from north to south. Jasmund's beech forests are part of the UNESCO listing of ancient beech forests of Europe.

Cape Arkona, at Rügen's northern tip, has lighthouses and the remains of a Slavic temple fortress.

Getting there and around: fly into Berlin, go on to Stralsund overland, go on to Rügen by train, and return by train to Berlin for the flight home.

Safety: Canada's advice for Germany is to exercise a high degree of caution (updated 11 Aug 2026), and the US rates Germany Level 2 (13 May 2025).

Suggested outline

  1. New York

    Start

  2. Stralsund

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    A Hanseatic port of brick Gothic churches.

  3. Rügen

    By train · 4 nights suggested

    Germany's largest island, with chalk cliffs.

    Rügen chalk cliffs Königsstuhl
    "Königsstuhl Rügen 2012.JPG" by Felix König, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Stralsund — Arrive; train from Berlin· New York → Berlin (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Berlin → Stralsund (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Stralsund — Old town and the Ozeaneum
  3. Day 3 · Rügen — Train across the causeway to Binz· Stralsund → Rügen (by train)
  4. Day 4 · Rügen — Jasmund chalk cliffs
  5. Day 5 · Rügen — Steam train to the south-east
  6. Day 6 · Rügen — Beaches and resort villas
  7. Day 7 · Rügen — Travel home from Rügen· Rügen → Berlin (by train), then Berlin → New York (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Stralsund

Nearest airport: Berlin Search fares · Berlin ↗

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