Jasmund National Park

The Jasmund National Park offers visitors very diverse scenery within a small area. A chalky landscape with marshes, wetlands and dry grassland, the park's most dramatic feature are the chalk cliffs at the Königsstuhl, immortalised by the painter Caspar David Friedrich. The national park also includes beech forests that have existed since the 13th century. They grow on the Stubnitz plateau, which is composed mainly of chalk and was formed during the ice age.

The Königsstuhl is the tallest cliff, but the entire coastline - 10 kilometres in length and up to 117 metres in height - is equally impressive. A combination of active and inactive cliffs, it illustrates the dynamics of coastal erosion. The cliffs are a hallmark of the region and are the largest geological exposure in northern Germany. As well as white writing chalk, observant visitors can find ice-age sediments and fossils on the beach.

A range of walks, cycling tours, excursions and seminars offer visitors a choice of ways to explore the region's beautiful woodland.

The national park's rich flora and fauna includes the house martin, which breeds in the chalk reefs, and the rare sea eagle.

The amazing chalk landscape is not the Stubnitz region's only attraction. Visitors can also discover more about the mythical figures associated with the area. The national park organises regular guided tours on themes such as Hertha, the Germanic goddess, and Störtebecker, a pirate said to have buried treasure here.

Granitz Hunting Lodge south of Binz and "Racing Roland", Rügen's narrow-gauge steam railway, are just two examples of the region's many cultural attractions.

Highlights:

• Cape Arkona and the village of Vitt
• Sassnitz fishing port and fishing museum
• Pirates' gorge in Sassnitz
• Greifswald municipal museum with Caspar David Friedrich exhibition
• Historical craft workshops in Gingst
• Grümbke lookout tower near Neuenkirchen

Activities:
The wide range of guided tours on offer includes daily tours (April to September) from Hagen car park to the Königsstuhl and from Sassnitz to the Wissower Klinken cliffs. There are exhibitions at the national park visitor centre at the Königsstuhl and at Granitz hunting lodge near Sellin. The South-East Rügen biosphere reserve also organises walks, cycle tours and excursions.