A highlight of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania coast: the Stralsund city harbor
The inventory immediately after the fall of the wall was sobering: no private marinas, ailing city ports, only a few good club ports shaped the landscape. Service was a foreign concept, some curious "Wessi" crew turned away disappointed after a first visit.
But almost all the returning crews agreed on one thing: The area, especially in the Bodden around Rügen, Hiddensee or Zingst, is a dream. With untouched nature that could no longer be found in the west, spectacular landscapes such as the chalk cliffs of Rügen, a rich fauna and flora.
And so began one of the most gratifying success stories of the reunification. In less than 20 years, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania rose to become the number 1 holiday destination for Germans. Modern marinas emerged slowly at first, then in rapid succession and gave sailors a new type of marina, which, combined with holiday resorts, should bring advantages to both sailors and shore vacationers.
Stralsund before the fall of the wall at the end of the eighties
In the last part of the big YACHT series on the fall of the Berlin Wall, this route to the top is described. Contemporary witnesses report how cruising sailors experienced the ports of the GDR, how investors explored the coast in the first "gold rush mood", how the projects differed - and where the country is headed today.
Now in the new YACHT, issue 24.