Rügen island
Overview
North shores
Arkona Cliffs
Ready to go !
Cape Arkona is one of the most beautiful rides Dorota and me did with Nicolas in the trailer.
Arkona and the Wittow peninsula are the northernmost place on on the Rügen island.
A bicycle trail runs just next to the sea-side on most of it, including Cape Arkona overlooking the sea, and its lighthouse.
The landscapes are constantly stunning during all the ride, going from white fairy-like empty beaches to high chalk cliffs.
And the little harbour of Vitt will remain for sure the prettiest hamlet we've been in the whole island of Rügen.
 Sea panorama |
Trail Description
Near Juliusruh
Dolmen
Trail to Arkona
Sea view
Cap Arkona
Sign
Cap Arkona
Cap Arkona
Cap Arkona
Cap Arkona
Submarine museum
Lighthouse
Sea flora
North shore
North shore
North shore
North shore
North shore
The place where we chose to start this ride is Julishruh, just at the stripe of land of glowe, that links the Wittow peninsula to the rest of the island.
Here is a large car park on which we can leave the car without any problem.
From there, we cross the road and instead of following the main road to Altenkirchen, we head to the secondary at the junction on the right. This is a small road for a short distance as long as there are houses, but rapidly becomes a track only for bikes.
As we cycle, the track gets closer to the seaside and we get the first sights. Soon after we pass a small junction appears the first viewpoint over the sea and smal cliffs. Cape Arkona is already visible far on the north !
We pass another little road on the left leading to Nobbin, and then we reach the eponymous prehistoric dolmen (Großsteingrab Nobbin).
Soon after we turn right at the junction Goorer berg, and pass the hamlet of Goor. Another viewpoint allows seeing that Cape Arkona gets closer.
The track suddenly goes down into a sort of gully and we enter suddenly and unexpectedly the little harbour of Vitt. We are immediately charmed by the picturesque houses, and buying a smoked fish or some souvenir in one of them is more than tempting.
The colorful fishing boats on the little pebbles beach is a must-do photography, and after this break, we head on the trail again, passing the strange octogonal-shaped church of Vitt at last.
The amount of tourists in increasingly growing as we get nearer the Cape Arkona, near which stands the lighthouse. The cape itself is a bare hill protected with a fence. 3€ are necessary to visit it, but the cashdesk is not open all day so it's likely you will be able early or later in the day. Which we did at 17pm. The cape view is not so special after all...
 Trail to Cape Arkona |
Near Cape Arkona are located a couple of restaurants, a submarine museum (!) and another lighthouse (one was not enough !).
Then the trail suddenly changes its direction and we now head along the north coast, going west. For a while, the height of the overhang is decreasing, then we pass few steep trails ("uferabstieg ") that give access to a large beach below, Hostienfief.
The beach is one of the most beautiful one can find on Rügen. Wide, desertic, it is only spead by few large granitic erratic boulders. The sand is white and immaculate, the blue water pure.
By good weather, like the day we did it, one can distinguish several shores far ahead on the horizon. We wondered wether we were able to see Denmark, Sweden, or the danish Bornholm island.
As we continue further west on the trail that overlooks the beach, the large bicycle path becomes at one point a singletrack, near the Schwarbe forrest. Obviously cycling there is less popular.
We could have chosen to get back to our starting point crossing the peninsula via its middle and Middelhagen. Without the trailer of Nicolas, we could have continued till the west end too and get back to Juliusruh similarly. But we enjoyed so much that ride that we just decided to return exactly the way we came from, to enjoy once more these fantastic landscapes...
 Cape Arkona map |
 North shore |  North shore |
Getting There
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
Vitt
The only possibility to drive non-stop to Juliusruh is through Sassnitz and Glowe. However, another possibility to reach the peninsula is possible on the west side over the channel of Wittower Fähre, operated by regular ferries.
This little map shows the situation of these locations. For more indications about orientation on the Rügen island, refer to the parent page.
View Larger Map
 Panoramic view of Vitt |
When to Bike
North shore
North shore
 Beach games |
 Well deserved meal |
 Pumping water |
 On a throne ! |
 Arrival |
