Heiligendamm: Baltic Sea resort history

Heiligendamm has been a seaside resort on the Baltic Sea since 1793. There are several clear priorities to consider when choosing your destination: the beach and pier, neoclassical buildings, and tours on foot, by bike or on the Molli railway. If you are looking for a hotel in Heiligendamm, you can first decide whether coastal time, local history or excursions should shape your stay.

Beach and pier

Heiligendamm’s beach is wide and fine sandy, with a gentle slope towards the Baltic Sea. The pier is a good place to watch the sunsets and enjoy views of the sea and coast. This means that time by the water can focus both on the beach itself and on the view from the pier.

Neoclassical buildings and local history

By 1870, an impressive neoclassical ensemble of white lodging, bathing and social buildings had been built in Heiligendamm. The present-day Kurhaus was inaugurated in 1817 and became the landmark of the seaside resort. Following many years of reconstruction, the historic ensemble of buildings opened as the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm in 2003.

The Lutheran Church of Heiligendamm is also one of the town’s distinctive historic buildings: it is a listed monument and was solemnly consecrated on 31 July 1904. These dates mark different stages in the town’s history—from the development of the seaside resort and neoclassical ensemble to the reconstruction of the historic building complex.

Hiking, cycling and the Molli railway

A 14.7-kilometre, moderately challenging coastal hike runs from Kühlungsborn through Heiligendamm to Bad Doberan. This makes the town part of a route linking three stops along the coast. When planning the hike, the stated moderate difficulty is a useful guide in addition to the distance.

A cycling tour from Heiligendamm around Lake Conventer passes through the 216-hectare Conventer See nature reserve. The area is of great importance to birds as a breeding and resting site. Heiligendamm’s spa forest covers 74,000 square metres.

The Molli runs daily from Bad Doberan to Heiligendamm station. If you are including the railway in your travel plans, check the timetable before your trip. The 15.4-kilometre Molli journey passes through narrow streets and by meadows and fields on its way to the region’s holiday resorts and excursion destinations.

The tours have different focuses: the coastal hike links Kühlungsborn, Heiligendamm and Bad Doberan on a moderately challenging route; the cycling route passes through the breeding and resting area at Lake Conventer. The Molli journey adds a train trip through the region to these options.

Events and parking

The annual torchlight swim at the Heiligendamm pier combines rescue exercises with an atmospheric torchlight swim in the Baltic Sea. Check the event dates for your travel period.

A parking restriction zone applies throughout the town. On public land, you may park only in parking areas expressly designated and signposted for that purpose. If you are arriving by car, plan your parking in accordance with this requirement.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Reddelich, Retschow, Bartenshagen-Parkentin, Wittenbeck, Hohenfelde, Admannshagen-Bargeshagen, Steffenshagen, Nienhagen.

Back to the main travel overview: Amt Bad Doberan-Land.