The Baltic Sea Islands

1 - The largest island in the Baltic Sea belongs to Denmark and is called Zealand . It is very densely populated; the capital, Copenhagen, alone has more than 500,000 inhabitants. The Swedish island of Gotland is only half as large. Denmark also includes Funen and Bornholm, while Sweden includes the island of Öland. Åland belongs to Finland, although its official language is Swedish. 2 - There are also many smaller islands and island groups in the Baltic Sea, including some that are uninhabited. The largest German Baltic Sea islands are Fehmarn, Rügen and Usedom.

3 - The island of Fehmarn belongs to the state of Schleswig-Holstein and is separated from the mainland by the 1,300-metre-wide Fehmarn Sound. Since 1963, the island has been connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is part of the “Vogelfluglinie”, the shortest travel route from Hamburg via Copenhagen to Sweden.

4 - Usedom is the second-largest German island in the Baltic Sea. The western part belongs to Germany, the eastern part to Poland. The island has been a popular holiday destination for around 200 years. When Germany was an empire, seaside resorts such as Bansin, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck were established. Tourism is still the island’s most important industry today.

5 - At 926 km², Rügen is Germany’s largest island. Like Usedom, it belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The narrow Strelasund strait separates Rügen from the mainland. From the city of Stralsund, you can reach Rügen by train or car via the Rügen Causeway. Since 2007, there has been a second bridge reserved for road traffic. 6 - The island’s largest town is Bergen. Popular tourist destinations include Sassnitz, Binz, Sellin and Göhren. Rügen’s famous chalk cliffs, such as the 118-metre-high Königsstuhl, and Cape Arkona are especially popular. Along with Usedom, Rügen belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden from 1648 to 1815.