Hikes in Gustow

The seventh Rügen hike by Caspar David Friedrich ran through the inland of the island of Rügen from Sassnitz to Stralsund. During this route, the "Fischer Sketchbook" was created.

Chalk cliffs, sea breeze, and wide beaches: Hiking on Rügen becomes a journey of discovery. Every step opens up new views over the Baltic Sea, bays, and ancient beech forests.

On this section of the seventh Rügen hike by Caspar David Friedrich, we walk along water, through charming villages, across fields, and through forests.

This easy hike leads us along quiet paths and trails to the Prosnitzer Schanzen and the Strelasund.

​Even the cemetery at the foot of the Gustow Church surprises visitors with a unique historical feature. Vast fields and small groves then accompany us past the former Kajahn manor house to the coast of the Strelasund, where you can take a refreshing break for a swim at the ancient Prosnitz fort.> The hike begins at the 13th-century Gustow Church ( 01 ). Inside the building, the wall paintings—dated to around 1420—are particularly impressive. In the cemetery, a massive, 2.50-meter-high granite memorial stone stands out, commemorating Pastor Thomas Norenberg, who was murdered in 1510. According to legend, he was likely killed by a drunken farmer. We turn our backs on the Mordwangenstein and follow the through road slightly uphill. After 300 m, we follow the bike and hiking trail sign to the left and let the red line guide us toward “Gutshaus Kajahn.” The slightly uphill bike path eventually leads past several benches offering scenic views. A short while later, the sign for “Hotel Gutshaus Kajahn” directs us to the right onto an unpaved dirt road. Soon we reach the idyllically situated and welcoming estate—the former Prosnitz Manor 02 from the early 19th century—which we’ll pass again toward the end of the hike. The route now heads toward the small access road, follows it to the left, and soon takes the left at the signposted junction (yellow dot toward “Prosnitzer Schanze”). The narrow road turns into a dirt path that runs close to the Kemlade 03 —a side bay of the Strelasund. Swans, water rails, tufted ducks, and great crested grebes nest here in the reed beds. We now stay on the path—which is quite sandy in places—and eventually reach a paved road near a few houses. Later, our tour continues to the right here. For now, however, we follow the local sign toward “Prosnitzer Schanze” to the left. The route soon reaches the Strelasund and turns slightly to the right there along a somewhat indistinct path for a short distance. Immediately, the tour comes upon a small clearing bordered on the Bodden side by earthen ramparts that are barely recognizable—the Prosnitzer Schanze 04. The former strategic importance of this site is no longer apparent at first glance. In any case, the swimming spot is a great place for a longer break. We finally return to the signpost and follow the small paved road. After just under a kilometer, we keep to the right at the signpost (yellow dot pointing toward “Gutshaus Kajahn”). The beer garden at Gutshaus 02 invites us to linger before we hike back along the familiar path to the Gustow Church 01.

Join us on a hike from Stralsund to the seaside resorts of Rügen. You will pass places where, 200 years ago, the painter Caspar David Friedrich captured the island's landscape on his sketchpad. Admire the stunningly beautiful coastline of the island leading to the Greifswald Bodden. At the end of your hike, enjoy the expansive view of the sea.

Starting in the church village of Gustow, with its thatched-roof houses along the Deutsche Alleenstraße, this scenic hike leads through fields and woodlands to the Prosnitzer Schanze, a fortification built during the Thirty Years’ War at the narrowest point of the Strelasund; today, it is a popular spot for swimming.▶ The starting point is the stately brick church inGustow01, which houses Gothic murals dating from around 1420. A short walk through the cemetery is also worth taking. In addition to several richly decorated tombstones and 19th-century cast-iron grave crosses, the cemetery features a granite “Mordwange”—a memorial stone commemorating Pastor Norenberch, who was murdered in 1510.From the church, the blue-line markings of the European Hiking Trail E 10 lead southward through the fields to the Hotel Gutshaus Kajahn. While the long-distance hiking trail branches off eastward here, we follow a road straight ahead to the Prosnitz Manor, built in the early 19th century, and shortly thereafter reach small, overgrown hills along the Strelasund: the remains ofthe ProsnitzSchanze02. From the Prosnitz Schanze, the trail follows the partially overgrown shore northward toward Gustower Wiek. Meadows invite you to take a break, and there are several idyllic swimming spots. Finally, the dirt road veers inland and reaches the Prosnitz vacation community. There, we follow the scenic access road through the fields back toGustow01, where another of the manor houses characteristic of the area invites us to stop for a well-maintained break: a former milk house serves as the landmark of the inn of the same name.

Kommen Sie mit auf eine Wanderung von Stralsund zu den Seebädern Rügens. Sie kommen an Orte, wo vor 200 Jahren der Maler Caspar David Friedrich die Landschaft der Insel auf seinem Skizzenblock festgehalten hat. Bewundern Sie den traumhaft schönen Küstenverlauf der Insel hin zum Greifswalder Bodden. Am Ende Ihrer Wanderung genießen Sie den weiten Blick auf das Meer.

Kommen Sie mit auf eine Wanderung von Stralsund zu den Seebädern Rügens. Sie kommen an Orte, wo vor 200 Jahren der Maler Caspar David Friedrich die Landschaft der Insel auf seinem Skizzenblock festgehalten hat. Bewundern Sie den traumhaft schönen Küstenverlauf der Insel hin zum Greifswalder Bodden. Am Ende Ihrer Wanderung genießen Sie den weiten Blick auf das Meer.

Kommen Sie mit auf eine Wanderung von Stralsund zu den Seebädern Rügens. Sie kommen an Orte, wo vor 200 Jahren der Maler Caspar David Friedrich die Landschaft der Insel auf seinem Skizzenblock festgehalten hat. Bewundern Sie den traumhaft schönen Küstenverlauf der Insel hin zum Greifswalder Bodden. Am Ende Ihrer Wanderung genießen Sie den weiten Blick auf das Meer.