I will be making a quick trip (one week) to visit my son in Berlin. We would like to plan a three-night trip away from the city, perhaps north, with not a whole lot of extra travel. We would like to take a train as travel mode. What are some easy places to visit? Not so much into big attractions; we would prefer a slower-paced trip. Perhaps with hiking and biking. Any suggestions for towns on the Baltic Sea? Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco
14980 posts
Hi,
I would suggest Schwerin, Stralsund (direct from Berlin), Greifswald. For the hiking and biking activities, there'll be other suggestions here.
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
The Baltic coast looks pretty close, but it still takes 3 to 4 hours to get there. The highlights of this area are the preserved Hanseatic towns and the seaside resorts from the 19th century. Since you are more into nature: the best part of the coast is Rügen, Germanys most beautiful island, and the best and poshest resort there is Binz. There even is a direct train from Berlin on weekends, but it still takes 3:40h. Equally popular are the Imperial Spas on Usedom island, which is also called Berlin bathtub. Usedom is less diverse than Rügen, but it offers a 40km long beach. No direct trains, but it also takes 3:40h to get there.
The seaside resort closest to Berlin is Warnemünde (2:40h), a suburb of Rostock. Warnemünde is a nice small town with many fishermens houses and a big sandy beach, but it can be quite busy because all the big cruise ships stop there. On the other hand it is a good base to explore the surroundings.
Closer to Berlin would be the Spreewald btw.. No beach, but hundreds of small waterways that meander through meadows and forests. You can hike, bike, rent a canoe or do guided tours on punted barges. Very popular among Germans.
Posted by
179 posts
Check out the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg_Lake_Plateau