Hiddensee Island (Vitte, Germany)

Hiddensee is a car-free island in Baltic Sea, located west of Rugen Island (Germany's largest island). Hiddensee's permanent population is around 1,300. Insel Hiddensee is named after the Norwegian king Hedin.

The island is a popular holiday travel destination for German tourists. The island has four villages:

• Grieben (the oldest, smallest and northernmost, has no harbour)
• Kloster (former Cistercian abbey, 1296-1536, has harbour, church, cemetery, Biological Station, Bird Observatory)
• Vitte (main / largest settlement, has ferry landing for boats from Rugen island, Witch's House / Hexenhaus, island's oldest building, tented cinema, puppet theatre)
• Neuendorf (southernmost settlement, has harbour).
• South of Neuendorf is the Gellen bird reserve (part of West Pomeranian Lagoon National Park).

Private motor vehicles are banned on Hiddensee. Island's public transportation and agricultural machinery are the only motorized vehicles, excluding vehicles with electric propulsion. Main transport for goods is horse-drawn carriages. Public bus line connects Grieben, Kloster, Vitte, Neuendorf. Hiddensee can be accessed via ferries from Stralsund and Schaprode (Rügen Island). The ferries stop at Kloster, Vitte and Neuendorf. During summer are offered additional ferry links to Ralswiek, Breege, Wiek and Zingst.

Hiddensee Island cruise terminal