From Baabe to Zinnovitz
Tuesday 21 July
We have planned several days ago to take a boat from Rügen to
Usedom, but it is difficult to get information about that particular route.
There are at least three companies offering trips to localities in Rügen,
but the jump to another island as far away as Usedom is apparently not
something to advertise. We get the receptionist at the hotel to call the
line we believe is the right one and find out that there is a boat at 3,30
from the pier at Sellin to Zinnovitz on Usedom.
Some part of the day is spent in sheltering from a thunder storm and
taking a slow walk along the promenade between Baabe and Sellin before
we catch the boat at the imposing new pier at Sellin with the just-opened
new restaurant halfway along the pier which looks like an exact replica
of something built at the start of the century.
The trip to Usedom takes about three hours, and we arrive at the pier
at Zinnovitz in the early evening. This is another "Ostseebad" with lovely
buildings from the turn of the century, many of which are beautifully renovated.
We find our lodgings at one such, a large, lofty room where we read in
the hotel folder that this house was restored to the family who owned it
before the end of World War II after "die Wende" in 1990. (160 DM).
Walking around the town after dinner, we see the name "Vineta" in several
locations, a name that recalls the myth of the sunken city which is connected
with Usedom and was used by Selma Lagerlöf in her book about Niels
Holgersen's travels as well as in the more recent "The Pope's Rhinoceros".
by Laurence Norfolk.
Wednesday 22 July
When we started out from Rostock, we had no clear idea of how to get
back to Denmark, but as the wind has been blowing us steadily in an easterly
direction, we decide to end our trip at Swinoujscie at the Polish eastern
end of Usedom and take the ferry to Copenhagen from there. However, it
proves quite impossible to get any information about the Polferries line
from any of the German tourist offices, they all tell us that we must go
to Poland to find out. So that is what we do. There's a good cyclepath
along the coast from Zinnovitz through a fine beechwood to Koserow and
from there to Kolpinsee and to Ostseebad Heringsdorf, another lovely old
beach resort, much renovated. From Heringsdorf there is only a small distance
to Ahlbeck and beyond to the Polish border. We pass into Poland at a crossing
point for bicycles and pedestrians with no fuss at all, and immediately
we are in a different world. Swinoujscie is a large noisy town with a busy
harbour, no holiday resort this. We find a tourist office where they help
us to find a hotel room, and tell us, finally, when the ferry leaves for
Copenhagen, which is tomorrow at 10. The hotel is not up to the standard
we have become used to, no private bath here, but the price is very reasonable.
Thursday 23 July
Swinoujscie is situated on both sides of the river Swina with a small
ferry connecting the two sides which goes every 20 minutes free of charge.
The harbour for the big ferries is on the other side from our hotel, so
we start out in the morning with a small ferry-ride and find out way to
the large boat which sails to Copenhagen. It's a big modern boat with many
facilities, and we have a pleasant trip, arriving in Copenhagen around
6. As we turn towards home, it starts raining heavily, so we end as we
began, though with much good weather in between.
General remarks.
It all started with a radio program on the Danish channel 1 praising
the beauties of the island of Hiddensee. This gave us the idea of looking
at the Baltic coast of the former East Germany. We had no particular expectations,
except perhaps that it might be difficult to find accomodation and good
bicycle paths in the former DDR. In this we were pleasantly surprised.
In fact, the area was perfect for a bike trip, combining plenty of bicycle
routes mostly in good condition with easily accessible accomodation. We
went there at the height of the season with very many German tourists about
and still managed to find lodgings every day without too much difficulty.
It was not cheap by any means, as perhaps we expect former socialist states
to be, but neither was it more expensive than similar holiday resorts in
northern Europe.