Viewers of the dark German crime drama Nordic Murders on Walter Presents may not know it by its real name Der Usedom-Krimi. They might also not be attracted to the area where it is filmed because of the persistently dank, rainy weather that its complicated and mildly eccentric plots take place in, but that would be an error caused by the fact that each series has to be filmed out of the tourist season. Usedom on the Baltic coast of North East Germany is in fact a glorious Island with a wealth of attractions.
With a multitude of lakes and dense woodland and copious facilities for holiday makers, the coast of the island boasts a series of quaint and extremely well-maintained fishing villages that double up as holiday resorts. Places such as Heringsdorf, Koserow and Ahlbeck are all connected by an astonishingly efficient public transport system which consists of modern, well-maintained trains on which you can travel entirely free. Well, there is a small caveat, but it is a small one. As in many areas of Europe, visitors have to pay a daily tourist tax of three euros which is designed to maintain the comprehensive and beautifully designed cycleways, roads, parks and the piers which adorn each of the resorts. I guess some of this fee goes towards subsidising the railways but it really is a very small price to pay.
Cycling is a delightful way to travel around, with every community connected by cycle paths. We took advantage of a brilliant pick-up / drop-off app-controlled system that allowed us to leave the bikes at a remote station and get the train back. Four hours’ hire for two of us cost just 14 euros.
The most prominent small town is Heringsdorf, a prosperous-feeling resort with smart hotels and designer outlets and also, as everywhere else on the island, numerous food stands featuring the ubiquitous Fischbrötchen, or fresh fish in crusty rolls which are the local speciality. Smart fresh fish restaurants cater for fine diners too. On the day we visited, a delightful jazz festival called Jazz We Can was taking place in the shady Goethe-Park, featuring a number of award-winning German virtuoso jazz guitarists. We sat in deckchairs with beer and Bratwurst in hand. Also in Heringsdorf there is a thermal bath complex, again excellent value for money and featuring a range of pools, saunas and steam rooms.
As we hiked and cycled round the Island we fantasised about some of the sinister-looking bunkers and dark corners which might have been locations in Nordic Murders. We caused great amusement among the locals after identifying ourselves as crime tourists. The hospitality providers on Usedom are far more used to catering for the needs of people using the comprehensive spa facilities that provide respite care for people with private medical insurance.
Arguably the most exciting attraction to visit on the island is the impressive tree-top walk known as Baumwipfelpfad. Here, even people like me who suffer from vertigo can feel safe, as it is constructed in such a way that the ascent is very gradual, indeed even wheelchair-friendly. Helpful information boards identify the bird and plant life visible from the main tower, and the only thing you potentially might have to battle with would be high winds.
Beautifully appointed campsites abound all over the island, which is an island really only in the sense that Portsmouth is an island, accessed by a short bridge with no sea crossing necessary. The most appealing thing about Usedom is the endless soft, white sands that stretch for miles and miles. The beaches are so copious that the sea front areas never get overcrowded, despite the Island’s popularity in summer. You need to be fit – we found a beach near Koserow only accessible via a hundred-step steel staircase. You can hire one of the ubiquitous Strandkörbe (beach baskets) for a small fee, or if you feel particularly bold, you can strip off on one of the numerous nudist beaches.
A more sobering but deeply atmospheric outing that you can undertake is a visit to the most northerly terminus of the railway line, which is situated in the village of Peenemünde. Here it was that in 1937 the world’s first liquid-propellant rocket, the V2, was invented and manufactured, sadly with warlike intentions. Before it had much opportunity to be developed, the buildings were adapted to become centres of slave labour in which Nazi atrocities took place. It is now maintained as a very moving museum which is not necessarily for the faint-hearted. As you step off the train you realize that even though it is a terminus, the ancient tracks continue on through the grass and disappear through iron gates towards the frightening buildings, reminiscent of other such memorials as Auschwitz and Dachau.
A day trip over the border to Swinemünde in Poland is worth the effort. Part of Pomerania and known as Świnoujście in Polish, the port city and health resort boasts Poland’s longest beach and a ferry port with routes to Sweden and Denmark. Huge markets cater for bargain-hunters taking advantage of Poland’s cheaper prices.
If you don’t want to camp, there is a range of accommodation to suit any budget. Getting to Usedom by train is a doddle and not too challenging on the pocket, with connections from Hannover, Hamburg and Berlin, all of which are accessible from the UK by Eurostar and all of which have airports.
So if you like the idea of a beautiful beach holiday without having to battle the soaring temperatures and tourist hordes of Southern Europe, this is a highly attractive alternative. What’s more, in real life you’re unlikely to be murdered.
