Day three’s walk included a boat trip to the island of Hiddensee. The ferry from Schaprode sails out to Neuendorf around midday and we were able to catch a return ferry from Kloster in the late afternoon.

Hiddensee is the long, thin strip of land to the west of the coast of Rügen

We walked from Neuendorf village to the beautiful Baltic strand and thence directly north along wooded paths across sandy dunes and heathland to a long, hot concrete road through Vitte village and beyond to the large and very touristic village of Kloster. We were quite tired upon arrival and took our lunch at a restaurant on the main street. We would have done better to have searched out the cafe mentioned in our quirky guide to Rügen : 111 Orte auf Rügen die Man Gesehen Haben Muss. One hundred and eleven places that one should visit on Rügen.

Bärbel also discovered that we would have had a much more interesting walk north of Kloster on some high ground to visit a lighthouse. But we did find the cafe for our afternoon cuppa and I managed to see the lighthouse from the ferry back to Rügen. However, I had wanted to visit the house of the German writer Gerhart Hauptmann and we couldn’t possibly fit in everything on one visit. It was the first time either of us had been on Rügen.

Setting Off for Hiddensee

Arriving at Neuendorf

Where shall we go and how long should it take us?

No cars are allowed on Hiddensee

Baltic Sea beach looking south

Same beach looking north

Our path starts from behind the dunes. The Owl sign indicates a Protected Landscape.

Typical sandy path across the heath and scrub

After slow going along the sandy path we reached a small collection of holiday homes

We soon joined the road between Neuendorf, Vitte and Kloster

Typical sign post along the road

One of the many delightful houses on our route

In Kloster I visit the former home of Nobel Prizewinner for Literature Gerhart Hauptmann and Bärbel continues walking to the lighthouse

We met up again in the peaceful garden of Cafe (and Gallery) Hedinsoe

Little Striped Cottage

Corner of Kloster Common

The hotel at Kloster Port

Goodbye Hiddensee. Next time I’ll walk north of Kloster to the lighthouse and beyond