Established in 1793, Heiligendamm is the oldest seaside spa town in continental Europe. It lies on the north coast of Germany overlooking the Baltic Sea and was once a playground for emperors and the nobility. Heiligendamm’s elegant whitewashed buildings have earned it the nickname “White Pearl”.
Stroll along the Strandpromenade Heiligendamm to admire the town’s Historicist and Classicist-style mansions and spa buildings, such as Villa Seestern, Villa Perle and the beautiful Grand Hotel. A 200-metre-long pier extends into the Baltic Sea and offers magnificent views back toward Heiligendamm and its sandy beach.
No visit to Heiligendamm is complete without a ride on the Molli, a steam-powered, narrow-gauge railway that connects south-east to Bad Doberan and west to Kühlungsborn. It passes by one of the oldest racecourses in Europe and ends at the Molli Museum, where you’ll find old signal boxes and an original steam engine boiler on display.
Getting there
Heiligendamm is around 20 minutes’ drive from Rostock and 45 minutes from Rostock–Laage Airport, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. Regular buses connect to Heiligendamm and the town is compact enough to explore on foot or by bicycle.