Usedom

From our parking space in Greifswald, we set off in the morning to explore the island of Usedom. However, we first made a stop in the Wieck district of Greifswald.

There, we were able to admire an old folding bridge built in the style of the Netherlands, which crosses the Ryck. It opens once an hour for ship traffic.

Not far away, we found another landmark of Greifswald outside the old town: the Eldena Abbey ruins.

It was built in 1199, but lost its significance after the Reformation and fell into further disrepair after being destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. The fact that the ruin is still preserved today is probably thanks to the works of Caspar David Friedrich, who brought attention to it again with his paintings.

We then left Greifswald, but made a stop in Katzow on our way to Usedom, where there is a sculpture park that covers 14 hectares.

The park is freely accessible and we strolled among the more than 70 giant artworks.

We then arrived at Wolgast, the northern gateway to Usedom. We took a first look at the island from the St. Petri church tower, which we climbed up the narrow steps.

We then took a stroll through the town, passing by the town hall with its Baroque facade.

Finally, we reached the harbor, where we noticed that we should set off for Usedom to cross the bridge before it opens.

Our first stop on Usedom was the seaside resort of Zinnowitz. Beautifully renovated hotels adorned the beach promenade. Unfortunately, the sky became increasingly cloudy.

We walked along the 315-meter-long pier, which was only built in 1993.

Unfortunately, it started raining, so we decided to find a restaurant for lunch.

After waiting 40 minutes for our pizza, our parking time had unfortunately expired, so our meal was not quite as relaxed...

Next, we wanted to visit one of the three imperial resorts, Heringsdorf. However, after parking and heading towards the beach, we realized that we had accidentally driven to Bansin.

Since Bansin is also one of the imperial resorts and we were already here, we continued our journey and strolled along the beach promenade here as well.

Finally, we visited the oldest café on Usedom with the melodious name "Asgard" (Garden of the Gods) and enjoyed coffee and cake in a cozy café atmosphere with operetta music.

On the way back, we made a brief stop at Mellenthin Castle from the 16th century, which now houses a restaurant and hotel.

We drove through the southern part of Usedom and then returned to Greifswald.