Part One: One if by plane, two if by train, three if by bus, four if by boat, and five if by car
As you can see from the title of this section, it is quite complicated to get to Ostseebad Binz. After finally making it to Copenhagen (one day late), we hopped the train over the bridge/water to Malmo, Sweden, where we got on a bus and quickly realized we were not in Kansas anymore. From this point forward, we were the only native English speakers that we encountered until we reached Hamburg. We drove out of town and spotted a gigantic Ikea, bidding us adieu as we entered into the Swedish countryside. Trelleborg was our destination at this point, but after the 4th stop in the small town, we started to get nervous that perhaps we had missed our stop. Kindly, a gentleman who was also headed for the ferry to meet a friend agreed to escort us through the rain to the ocean. It’s a small world after all as we quickly realized that this gentleman had visited San Francisco and had quite a bit to say about our hometown. After confirming our tickets on the ferry, we had an hour or two to spare so we decided to frequent the Turkish establishment we had passed on our walk through the town. Running past a beautiful statue/waterfall that spilled over the top of bronze women with umbrellas, we settled in for a cappuccino (which was just ok) and a kebab wrap (which was excellent). Without our phones to guide us (the Frankfurt airport tried to rip us off by charging 39.99 euros for just the card with no data!), we sat and chatted as the rain poured down on the passersby, none of which seemed to need an umbrella.
As you can see from the title of this section, it is quite complicated to get to Ostseebad Binz. After finally making it to Copenhagen (one day late), we hopped the train over the bridge/water to Malmo, Sweden, where we got on a bus and quickly realized we were not in Kansas anymore. From this point forward, we were the only native English speakers that we encountered until we reached Hamburg. We drove out of town and spotted a gigantic Ikea, bidding us adieu as we entered into the Swedish countryside. Trelleborg was our destination at this point, but after the 4th stop in the small town, we started to get nervous that perhaps we had missed our stop. Kindly, a gentleman who was also headed for the ferry to meet a friend agreed to escort us through the rain to the ocean. It’s a small world after all as we quickly realized that this gentleman had visited San Francisco and had quite a bit to say about our hometown. After confirming our tickets on the ferry, we had an hour or two to spare so we decided to frequent the Turkish establishment we had passed on our walk through the town. Running past a beautiful statue/waterfall that spilled over the top of bronze women with umbrellas, we settled in for a cappuccino (which was just ok) and a kebab wrap (which was excellent). Without our phones to guide us (the Frankfurt airport tried to rip us off by charging 39.99 euros for just the card with no data!), we sat and chatted as the rain poured down on the passersby, none of which seemed to need an umbrella.
Finally it was time to hop on the Stena Line, a small car ferry, which would carry us on the four-hour trek across the Baltic Sea to the island of Rugen. We lounged (ok slept) on the couches in the lobby as Sweden faded into the horizon. I had reserved dinner tickets for us while on the boat, but when we went to eat, we discovered we were late! After much hub-bub (again only one person on the staff spoke a little English), we were allowed into the dining room to eat in “25 minutes or less.” The food was nothing to write home about, but more pleasant than we expected. The views out the front of the speeding ship reminded me of our honeymoon on the Mediterranean, except (as the picture shows) this trip was bathed in a gentle downpour that very nearly obscured our view of the magnificent white cliffs of Rugen as they came into view. As we headed toward the south side of Sassnitz, we stopped by the information booth to double check how we might get a taxi to the further town of Binz. Good thing we did! The gentleman exclaimed, “There are no taxi stands at the ferry landing!” And proceeded to call us a taxi from Sassnitz. In a perfectly timed departure, we wandered through the deserted halls of the ferry landing and stumbled upon a lone taxi waiting to take us to Binz. Cameron, thankfully, had the forethought to save a Google map of the hotel on his phone, which was helpful since the taxi driver had no idea where the Hotel Schwanebeck was located. Driving through the forest in the rain, a small, somewhat deserted town appeared in the windows of our taxi van. We said good night to the taxi driver from Sassnitz. After 28+ hours of travel, we had at last arrived…to relax!
Part Two: Ostseebad Binz – Wish it would stop raining!
Our three days and four nights at the seaside resort of Binz were fabulous, albeit a little wet. A short history lesson – the island of Rugen was originally a seaside resort for the rich and famous of old, i.e. the royalty. On our first day in Binz, we took a train called the Jagdschloss Express to the hunting castle of the Putbus family who had the “in”s with the royalty of Germany during the 1800s/1900s. Let’s just say these people overdid it a bit with the hunting theme – deer antlers and skulls everywhere, even in the furniture (see the “antler” picture). We decided to make the five story journey up the precarious staircase in the castle’s inner turret, stairs made of cast iron that were, get this, see-through…needless to say, if you have even the smallest fear of heights, then your bravery was tested. The views were breathtaking of the ocean and surrounding island, but were also fleeting because the guy at the bottom of the stairs neglected to tell us we had to go on the roof without our umbrellas that had been confiscated at the door. The castle was beautiful, but perhaps our favorite part of the trip was the Jagdschloss Express train itself. On the return to town, the overhead tour guide made an announcement that made all of the Germans surrounding us giggle. Suddly, music blared over the speakers and all of the 55+ crowd of German vacationers began to sing-along to what we soon realized was the train’s theme song. That theme song has haunted my jet-lagged dreams as I hum its words over and over instead of counting sheep… “Jagdschloss Express (something German something German) Jagdschloss Express!”
Part Two: Ostseebad Binz – Wish it would stop raining!
Our three days and four nights at the seaside resort of Binz were fabulous, albeit a little wet. A short history lesson – the island of Rugen was originally a seaside resort for the rich and famous of old, i.e. the royalty. On our first day in Binz, we took a train called the Jagdschloss Express to the hunting castle of the Putbus family who had the “in”s with the royalty of Germany during the 1800s/1900s. Let’s just say these people overdid it a bit with the hunting theme – deer antlers and skulls everywhere, even in the furniture (see the “antler” picture). We decided to make the five story journey up the precarious staircase in the castle’s inner turret, stairs made of cast iron that were, get this, see-through…needless to say, if you have even the smallest fear of heights, then your bravery was tested. The views were breathtaking of the ocean and surrounding island, but were also fleeting because the guy at the bottom of the stairs neglected to tell us we had to go on the roof without our umbrellas that had been confiscated at the door. The castle was beautiful, but perhaps our favorite part of the trip was the Jagdschloss Express train itself. On the return to town, the overhead tour guide made an announcement that made all of the Germans surrounding us giggle. Suddly, music blared over the speakers and all of the 55+ crowd of German vacationers began to sing-along to what we soon realized was the train’s theme song. That theme song has haunted my jet-lagged dreams as I hum its words over and over instead of counting sheep… “Jagdschloss Express (something German something German) Jagdschloss Express!”
Our hotel, the Hotel Schwanebeck, was excellent. Just a block off of the Strandpromenade (the main thoroughfare of shops and restaurants along the white sandy beaches), the hotel owners expressed amazement that we had traveled all the way from California to visit their hotel. They reiterated this with gusto: “Why have you come all the way from California to visit here? Make sure to tell all of your friends in California about the Hotel Schwanebeck!” One of the owners, in fact, had studied at the UC Berkeley extension, and we spent a friendly hour chatting with her about California, her family’s time in Nigeria during the era of the Wall, and her eventual landing in the region of Rugen, which she coyly compared to the draws of Bavaria. Our room was spacious and bright; breakfast was tasty, abundant, and only 10 euros; and most importantly, the Wi-Fi was free and strong. It seemed we were the only ones staying there for the first few nights, but the hotel, like the promenade, quickly filled up over the weekend.
Binz, it seems, is a hidden gem. Filled with German tourists, yes, but it seemed that these were the only people who knew of the wonders of this beautiful resort town…perhaps, it is because the island was once planned to be a part of Hitler’s recreation program, Strength Through Joy, for his German people (the planned resort of Prora), or perhaps it is because this area was part of East Germany and occupied by the Soviet military until the 90s. Regardless, while there were plenty of local visitors, there were even more restaurants and shops, so it never felt crowded. A few of the best restaurants we visited included Strandhalle, where we had yummy cucumber soup, beer, and fresh Baltic cod; Diavolo, where we probably had a bit too much wine (it was cheap!), pasta, and pizza; Café Glashaus, where we sat in an open air atrium and sipped coffee with salad and delicious bread; and finally a burger joint, Im Gluck, where if you blinked, you could easily imagine yourself sitting in the hip Flip Burger restaurant in Atlanta created by a former Top Chef winner. Our favorite joint, though, was called Fritz, and it had a WIDE selection of craft beers that had us returning each afternoon for more beer and currywurst.
The architecture of the hotels made you feel like you were in Cape Cod one moment and then sitting on a New Orleans style scalloped porch the next – all with a German flair. The shopping and art scene were pervasive…we ducked into one artist’s shop who had chosen a surreal version of Kermit the frog as his muse. Kermit in different colors. There is Kermit with Darth Vader. Now Kermit with a naked lady. Oh, and I cannot forget the paintings of women’s legs with hound dog heads – I am not, perhaps, able to comment on the cultural legibility of these images for Germans, but the shop was packed with interested bystanders. We jokingly compared the town to Celebration, Disney’s planned community in Florida that seemed a little too perfect – but thankfully Binz did not exhibit the overly manicured efforts of big business. Instead of box stores, each shop encountered had a unique and local flavor that made you willing to open your pocketbook or simply window shop without regret.
The other wonder of Binz, of course, is the nature. The beaches are white and sandy, and it is surrounded by national parks. On our 2nd day, we visited the Nature Center, which had about a mile long path that wound high up in the air through the forest. There were ropes courses and information panels and a huge tower that took you up a steep and winding ramp (which replicated an eagle’s nest) for sweeping views of the forest, lakes, and ocean. Our final day was sunny and sharp, and you could clearly see the white cliffs tucked into the forest as you dug your toes into the cool sand and watched the crazy kids run into the freezing cold Baltic Sea. The promenade had filled up for the weekend (finally some younger people were seen sauntering about or playing volleyball on the beach), and live music filled the open-air verandas as German cover bands belted tunes in both English and German. One thing, I have to hand it to the Germans we encountered – rain or shine, we always saw people walking about with a big cone of gelato in their hands. Overall, if you are already in Germany and looking for a lovely town to unwind and eat well, then Binz is your spot!
Here it is...your moment of zen for the week!
Binz, it seems, is a hidden gem. Filled with German tourists, yes, but it seemed that these were the only people who knew of the wonders of this beautiful resort town…perhaps, it is because the island was once planned to be a part of Hitler’s recreation program, Strength Through Joy, for his German people (the planned resort of Prora), or perhaps it is because this area was part of East Germany and occupied by the Soviet military until the 90s. Regardless, while there were plenty of local visitors, there were even more restaurants and shops, so it never felt crowded. A few of the best restaurants we visited included Strandhalle, where we had yummy cucumber soup, beer, and fresh Baltic cod; Diavolo, where we probably had a bit too much wine (it was cheap!), pasta, and pizza; Café Glashaus, where we sat in an open air atrium and sipped coffee with salad and delicious bread; and finally a burger joint, Im Gluck, where if you blinked, you could easily imagine yourself sitting in the hip Flip Burger restaurant in Atlanta created by a former Top Chef winner. Our favorite joint, though, was called Fritz, and it had a WIDE selection of craft beers that had us returning each afternoon for more beer and currywurst.
The architecture of the hotels made you feel like you were in Cape Cod one moment and then sitting on a New Orleans style scalloped porch the next – all with a German flair. The shopping and art scene were pervasive…we ducked into one artist’s shop who had chosen a surreal version of Kermit the frog as his muse. Kermit in different colors. There is Kermit with Darth Vader. Now Kermit with a naked lady. Oh, and I cannot forget the paintings of women’s legs with hound dog heads – I am not, perhaps, able to comment on the cultural legibility of these images for Germans, but the shop was packed with interested bystanders. We jokingly compared the town to Celebration, Disney’s planned community in Florida that seemed a little too perfect – but thankfully Binz did not exhibit the overly manicured efforts of big business. Instead of box stores, each shop encountered had a unique and local flavor that made you willing to open your pocketbook or simply window shop without regret.
The other wonder of Binz, of course, is the nature. The beaches are white and sandy, and it is surrounded by national parks. On our 2nd day, we visited the Nature Center, which had about a mile long path that wound high up in the air through the forest. There were ropes courses and information panels and a huge tower that took you up a steep and winding ramp (which replicated an eagle’s nest) for sweeping views of the forest, lakes, and ocean. Our final day was sunny and sharp, and you could clearly see the white cliffs tucked into the forest as you dug your toes into the cool sand and watched the crazy kids run into the freezing cold Baltic Sea. The promenade had filled up for the weekend (finally some younger people were seen sauntering about or playing volleyball on the beach), and live music filled the open-air verandas as German cover bands belted tunes in both English and German. One thing, I have to hand it to the Germans we encountered – rain or shine, we always saw people walking about with a big cone of gelato in their hands. Overall, if you are already in Germany and looking for a lovely town to unwind and eat well, then Binz is your spot!
Here it is...your moment of zen for the week!
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