Baltic Shores (Germany): White wild beaches, dramatic cliffs, lonely lighthouses & Disney castles

WHY GO? Let’s discover Germany’s wild north! We hike along endless stretches of unspoiled white beaches framed by the baltic sea and ghostly forests. We encounter a lonely lighthouse or two. Together we wander through a UNESCO heritage forest sitting on top of dramatic chalk cliffs that plunge into the emerald waters of the Baltic Sea. The cherry on top of our nature adventure is our visit to one of the most Disney-like castles in Germany – Schloss Schwerin and our stay in the charming Hanseatic harbor town of Stralsund. WHAT'S THE PLAN? Day 1: We take a train to the seaside town of Sassnitz (through Stralsund) to discover Rügen island and hike in UNESCO listed national park Jasmund along the stunning white chalk cliffs that reach up to 100 meters while surrounded by beech forests. We hike almost the entire Jasmund National park, finishing up at the KÖNIGSSTUHL National Park centre where we catch our bus back to Sassnitz and grab a bite / drink before catching our train to Stralsund where we stay for the next 2 nights. Day 2: We visit Westrand, where we hike along one of Europe’s most beautiful but lesser known beaches. We’ll say hello to a lonely lighthouse and walk 400m into the Baltic Sea on a pier. We finish in the cute former sea faring village of Prerow. Day 3: We checkout of the hotel, followed by a quick tour of Stralsund. Post the tour, we get some lunch by the sea and then catch a train to the picturesque castle of Schwerin. Schwerin castle sits on an island surrounded by lakes & forests, which all contributes to give it that stunning appearance. We meet our local guide outside the train station and then proceed getting enthralled by his stories about this magical castle town with the tour finishing right by the castle. Post the guided tour, we grab a bite / drink and admire the Castle gardens before heading back to Berlin. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS? - Schwerin Castle: Castle surrounded by lakes & forests that just makes it look like something from a fairytale. - Stralsund: Historical town from the medieval ages that is also UNESCO World Heritage listed famous for its old town & historical architecture. Also houses the historic German tall ship Gorch Fack built in 1933. - Jasmund National Park: Famous for containing Germany’s largest chalk cliffs & UNESCO beech forest - Weststrand: Voted as one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches, the wild, willfully untamed Weststrand is a beautiful, but lesser-known beach that stretches endlessly, combined with a coastal forest to make this a gem waiting to be explored. - Darßer Lighthouse: A giant landmark that has been standing here over 150 years guiding sailors to safety in this rough coast. WHAT DOES THE TRIP FEE INCLUDE? - Shared Accommodation in a 3-star hotel in Stralsund for two nights - Guided hike of Jasmund National Park - Guided Westrand beach hike - Public transport for the entire duration of the trip. - Schwerin guided tour in English (local guide) A bit about me, Maddy here, I am a Kiwi Indian living presently in Berlin having moved here in May last year with my partner from Sydney. Having lived in 5 countries & travelled to just under 40 countries covering 4 continents featuring numerous solo trips and creating new friendships along the way, I can say with a lot of assurance, you are going to have a great time on my trips. On my trips, I am looking to mix up Urban exploring with Nature hikes & trails to give a more complete travel experience. All group expenses will be managed using Splitwise, so please have the Splitwise app downloaded prior to your trip to make it easy to track & settle any group related expenses incurred during the trip.