Poel Island – Nature, Beaches and Maritime Culture
Accommodation in Poel Island
On Poel Island, beach and nature experiences meet water sports and maritime culture. When choosing the focus of your vacation, it is worth looking at the different activities on offer: birdwatching takes center stage at Gollwitz Beach, while Timmendorf offers water sports during the swimming season. There are also places to explore culture and history, as well as signposted routes that make it possible to reach almost every village on foot or by bicycle.
File:Insel Poel Am Schwarzen Busch Steilkueste 01.jpg
Photo: Jan-Herm Janßen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Beach and Nature Watching
Gollwitz Beach is close to the offshore bird sanctuary island of Langenwerder. From a beach chair, visitors can watch rare bird species there. Langenwerder provides suitable living conditions for wading birds and waterfowl, and also serves as a resting place for migratory birds. Those interested in birdlife can also join guided tours of a nature reserve on the island. Outside the breeding season, from July until approximately October, an ornithologist leads tours weekly. Each tour is limited to 25 visitors.
The Poel Erratic Boulder Garden offers a different perspective on natural history. The rocks on display there were found exclusively on the coasts or in the fields of Poel Island. The garden offers a glimpse into around two billion years of Earth’s history. The island thus brings together the observation of today’s birdlife and the study of much older geological evidence.
Water Sports and Activities
During the swimming season, Timmendorf Beach offers a wide range of water sports, including water skiing, kitesurfing and surfing. Those who prefer kayaking can take part in a six-hour island paddle off the coast of Poel and neighboring islands on Thursdays from May to October. Equipment and an experienced skipper are provided for the group circumnavigation of Poel.
You can also incorporate physical activity on land into your stay: almost every village on Poel Island can be reached on foot or by bicycle via signposted country lanes. Bicycles can be rented in Gollwitz, Kirchdorf, Am Schwarzen Busch, Kaltenhof and Timmendorf-Strand. The village pages for Gollwitz, Wangern and Timmendorf provide further information about individual places on the island.
Church, Shipping and Island History
The island church was built in the first half of the 13th century. The brick church combines Romanesque and Gothic elements; its 47-meter-high tower is a landmark visible from far across the island. In addition to church services, guided tours and visits are offered there, along with numerous concerts.
In Kaltenhof, the Maritime Collection displays historic ship’s lanterns dating from 1906 to the present day, along with numerous old navigational instruments used to steer ships. Another maritime landmark is in Vorwerk: a replica of the “Poeler Kogge” floats on a fire pond. Visitors interested in research and the environment can visit the display garden of Wismar University of Applied Sciences in the Malchow district. It serves as a hands-on research site for students studying biotechnology and renewable resources, and is open to visitors free of charge.
In Kirchdorf, the rampart of the former castle fortification is now used for events and markets, as well as an open-air stage. A memorial in the village of Am Schwarzen Busch and a small permanent special exhibition at the island museum commemorate a disaster in Lübeck Bay.
Getting There and Harbor Villages
The Poel Causeway, with its bridge, crosses the strait known as the “Breitling” and provides access to the island. For guests traveling in their own sailing or motorboats, the larger harbors in Timmendorf, Kirchdorf and Niendorf offer plenty of guest berths, as well as service and supply facilities. You can choose what to focus on during your stay—beaches, nature watching, cycling, water sports or maritime culture—based on your specific interests.
For the main travel overview: Northwest Mecklenburg.
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