Cruising guide

Cruising around Rügen

Once around Rügen is the classic of the southern Baltic — open sea on the outside, the Bodden within. The harbours on the round, the distances between them and what to know before you go.

Around the outside or through the inside

There are two versions of the round. Outside means: out of the Strelasund, north across the Bug, around Arkona, down the east coast to Sassnitz and into the Greifswalder Bodden — open sea, little shelter between legs, but the chalk cliffs in return. Inside means Bodden water: sheltered, shallow, with bridge openings setting the rhythm. Most people sail a mixture of the two.

Stralsund as the gateway

Almost every cruise begins or ends in Stralsund: the Rügen bridge is the bottleneck between the Strelasund and the north, the opening times are fixed, and if you miss one you wait. Stralsund itself has the widest choice of harbours in the whole area — it heads the list below.

The Bug and the northern cape

Between Hiddensee and the mainland lies the Bug, a narrow, shallow channel not to be underestimated in an onshore wind. North of it the route passes Wiek and Glowe towards Kap Arkona — the northernmost point of the round and the place where Bodden sailing turns back into sea sailing.

The Greifswalder Bodden

The south side is the quietest stretch: Sellin, Baabe, Lauterbach near Putbus. Shallow, sheltered, short hops. Sail the round in a week and these are the easy days — and with more time, this is where people stay.

Draught and bridges

Two things shape the planning more than the wind: draught and bridges. In the Bodden two metres is a lot, and the channels are buoyed because outside them it ends quickly. The bridge opening times at Stralsund and the Glewitz ferry are worth knowing before you cast off, not halfway there.

The towns in order

Straight-line distances between town centres, worked out from the harbour coordinates — for planning, not for navigation. Listed are the towns with more than one harbour; single harbours in between are not shown.

Stralsund7 harbours15 sm to Hiddensee
Hiddensee4 harbours7.4 sm to Wiek
Wiek3 harbours7.7 sm to Glowe
Glowe3 harbours14 sm to Sellin
Sellin3 harbours0.7 sm to Ostseebad Baabe
Ostseebad Baabe4 harbours7.1 sm to Putbus
Putbus3 harbours

Harbours and towns on the round

There are 53 harbours in this area. These 9 towns have more than one — each has its own page with map and request form.