Insel Rügen (Rügen Island) is the perfect German island. It has drawn tourists throughout the years, from Otto von Bismarck to Sigmund Freud to Albert Einstein, perched above the Baltic Sea on stark white chalk cliffs (Kreidefelsen) and sandy beaches (some clothes-free). During the GDR era, the island was a favourite destination for the wealthy, including Erich Honecker, as well as the famous Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich.

Rügen, the most beautiful island, is Germany's biggest island and offers a diverse choice of activities ranging from swimming and surfing to sailing. The peninsula is home to Nationalpark Jasmund, the country's smallest national park. Königsstuhl (King's Chair), a 118-meter-high viewing platform, is located here. From here, you may observe ancient beech trees and flying birds.

Seaside resorts dot the shoreline as well, including Sassnitz and its museum submarine, Art Nouveau Sellin and its Seebrücke (pier) from 1901, and Binz, the island's main resort. Other highlights can be found in our Rügen town post. Visitors may take the picturesque Alleenstrasse through the center of the island, or they can take Rasender Roland (Racing Roland), the historic steam train that goes around the island.

Location: Rügen, Germany

Cars are prohibited on this little island west of Rügen, and the only way to get around is by bike, horse carriage, or foot - the ideal antidote to city life.

As the largest island inside the national park, Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft, considerable portions of Hiddensee have been declared as nature protection areas. The west shore is distinguished by a lengthy sandy beach surrounded by dunes. When the weather permits, sunbathe in Kloster, Neuendorf, and the kid-friendly, gently sloping Vitte. When the clouds sweep in, keep an eye out for animals on the salt marsh and equip yourself at one of the many fishing settlements.

The name Hedinsey, which means "Island of Hedin," appears in the Prose Edda and the Gesta Danorum penned by Saxo Grammaticus. Hedin, the famous Norwegian monarch, is said to have battled here for a lady or maybe merely for cash. Hedins-Oe ("Hedin's Island") was a frequent name under Danish control. Even in 1880, the island was labeled Hiddensjö on German maps, and Hiddensöe on German vacation guides in 1929. As a result, its full Germanization to Hiddensee is relatively new.

Location: Hiddensee, Germany

Mainau, often known as "The Flower Island," is the most visited tourist destination on Lake Constance, it also is one of the most beautiful islands in Germany.

The little island, located approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Konstanz, has a semitropical environment that led Prince Nikolaus von Esterházy to establish a botanical park in the first half of the nineteenth century. Mainau is presently managed in perpetuity by a foundation formed by the prince and his second wife, and its manager is their daughter, Countess Bettina Bernadotte. The foundation is managed by their son, Count Björn Bernadotte.

Lake Constance (known as Bodensee in German) is Europe's third-largest lake, including islands like the well-known Lindau, which is accessible by bridge, and the smaller, even more, attractive Mainau. This little flowery island is famous for its greenhouse butterfly sanctuary, which is Germany's largest butterfly house. Every year, more than a million people visit.

Stop to smell the almost 10,000 rose bushes or get some shade behind the 150-year-old enormous sequoias and Viktoria lime trees erected by the grand duke in 1862 while traversing the island. There's also a 13th-century baroque mansion from the Teutonic Order of Knights, who ruled the island for about 500 years.

Location: Mainau, 78465, Germany

The interior of spindly Sylt is sparse, yet it has over 40 kilometers of the seashore. The Königin der Nordsee (Queen of the North Sea), located near Germany's northernmost coast, features white sand beaches backed up by beautiful red rocks. Rolling dunes lead to wide beaches where there are usually more seals than people.

There is evidence of human occupancy dating back to 3000 BC in this area, which was once part of Jutland. Some locals still speak the native dialect of Söl'ring, which is a combination of Danish, Dutch, and English, although it is eroding, as is most of the island. The island is distinguished by well-known vacation communities such as Westerland, as well as its own adjacent desolate island of Amrum. This is also the location of Germany's first official nudist beach, which was constructed in 1920.

Sylt is a popular destination for jet setters and backpackers due to its beautiful beach. The island's western and northern coasts include about 40 kilometers of sandy white beaches. Swimmers, surfers, and sunbathers throng the beach during peak season, and the famed Strandkorb beach chairs line up in the sand. But Sylt's allure extends beyond its limitless beaches.

Sylt's enchantment captivates both first-time and repeats visitors. Thatched-roof homes coexist with seas of long grass that sway with the breeze. Wild rose carpets with exquisite pink flowers cascade across the countryside. Sunsets generate flashes of color in the sky and on the ocean in the crystal-clean North Sea air. When you fall in love with Sylt, you will be in love for the rest of your life.

Location: 25980 Sylt, Germany

The island of Föhr (one of the most beautiful islands in Germany), located just below Sylt and the Danish border, is Germany's second-biggest North Sea island and a popular seaside getaway. But don't be fooled by this description; at only 12 by 7 kilometers, it's still rather little.

The Wadden Sea, one of the country's must-see UNESCO sites, surrounds the island. It is the world's biggest continuous system of intertidal sand and mudflats, located in a unique tidal basin. Visitors may stroll from island to island in millimeter-deep water, scarcely getting their footwear wet. Keep an eye out for oysters and their much rarer bounty, pearls, as you go.

The seagrass meadows protect the various creatures that live on Föhr, including harbor seals, porpoises, and migrating birds. Visit during the Migratory Bird Days in October, when an estimated 10-12 million birds pass through the island.

On this one-of-a-kind island, there are several things for people of all ages to enjoy. With the Gulf Stream warming the islands' waters, the younger or more energetic members of the family may enjoy the 15 kilometers of white sandy beach and participate in a growing variety of popular water sports. Have a different night out if you're visiting in the summer. Enjoy a chilled bottle of wine with a beach BBQ before retiring for the night in one of Föhr's distinctive beach sleeping baskets.

Location: Föhr, 25938, Germany

Some of Berlin's top museums may go unnoticed since they are located on an island. Museumsinsel is nestled in the heart of the city, accessed only by huge bridges. The island is one of the capital's only three UNESCO World Heritage sites.

This ancient collection of five world-class museums exhibits everything from the famed bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti to great European paintings. Each museum was erected during the reign of a different Prussian monarch and reflects the style of the time. The legendary Pergamon has undergone multiple long-term restorations and will reopen in 2024.

Along with the museums, the reconstructed Berlin Palace is now under construction and will house the Berlin Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. Museum Island was designed from the outset to be not just a site where the art of all types and epochs is brought together, but also an inner-city environment for tourists to linger. The Colonnade Courtyard combines all of these planned functions: as a public garden, it is a pleasant place to spend time, but it also showcases sculptures to pique visitors' interest in the Alte Nationalgalerie's enormous collection. In this sense, the Colonnade Courtyard serves as both an open-air museum and a recreational place.

Location: Museum Island, Berlin, Germany

In the Baltic, Usedom has long been shared between Germany and Poland, it is one of the most beautiful islands in Germany. The majority of the island is part of the German district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, while the eastern quarter (including the biggest city of Winoujcie) is part of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Despite its northern position, it is one of the sunniest places in Germany and calls itself the Sonneninsel (Sunny Island). Visitors may park their strandkorbs (German beach chairs) along the 45-kilometer shoreline and enjoy the facilities at resorts such as Drei Kaiserbäder, Bernsteinbäder, Ostseebäder, and Zempin. Scenic piers allow you to stroll directly out onto the water.

When you're done with the beach, take advantage of the many bicycle pathways, horseback riding trails, and thermal baths. With 50,000 plants neatly grouped in 14 regional zones such as Latin, German, and Polish, Usedoms Botanischer Garten Mellenthin is worth leaving the beach.

There is no need to leave the sea when you retire at night. The ancient lighthouse on the island is approximately 100 years old and has been converted into a three-level private mini-hotel. It has 24-foot ceilings, a wooden Jacuzzi, and a wrap-around balcony with a one-of-a-kind vista.

Location: Chausseeberg 1, 17429 Mellenthin, Germany