Heiligendamm, Germany

Heiligendamm, Germany nestled on the Baltic Sea, was Germany’s first seaside resort and has a royal history as Grand Duke Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg established it in 1793. Located 160 km (99 miles) from Hamburg and 220 km (137 miles) from Berlin it is a perfect holiday getaway or a pre or post business retreat. 

Edward F. Nesta and I traveled to Berlin for ITB (the annual international travel conference) and decided to arrive a few days early and take advantage of Heiligendamm’s close proximity to Berlin and explore this enchanting area.

We took a train from Berlin to Rostock, where a driver from the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm, met us at the station to drive us to the hotel, a stunning property located along the shore of the Baltic Sea, where if our room were any closer to the sea, we would be dipping our toes in the water.

Grand Hotel Heiligendamm

If the hotel name or the name of the town sounds familiar, it is because it gained international presence when the G8 Summit was held at the hotel in 2007. Arriving in early March 2008, spring was evident with visions of crocuses, snowdrops, periwinkles, and primroses gracing the gardens of the attractive houses.

The hotel is a luxurious refuge for guests seeking a seaside retreat, has a castle on its grounds, and five restaurants: Kurhaus Restaurant, Friedrich Franz, Medini’s, Nelson Bar & Lobby Lounge, and Baltic Sushi Bar, and we had the opportunity to experience three out of the five restaurants, and convinced the chefs to share a few of their special recipes with us.

There is a Kid’s Club, a 3000 sq. meter Heiligendamm Spa where we were incredibly pampered, a nearby 27-hole Golf Course, and an Equestrian Center, making the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm perfect at anytime of the year. 

Read about the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Spas, Chefs’ Recipes, and Adventures section.

Grand Hotel Heiligendamm
18209 Heiligendamm, Germany
Telephone:     +49 38203 740 0
Fax:                +49 38203 740 7474
Email:             reservations@grandhotel-heiligendamm.de 
www.GrandHotel-Heiligendamm.com

The area is rich in charm and history, and one of the best ways to soak up the local culture is take a ride on the Molli, a steam driven narrow-gauge railroad established in 1886. The train covers 15.4 km (9.5 miles) and makes stops at Bad Doberan, Heiligendamm, Kühlungsborn, Kühlungsborn-Ost, Kühlungsborn-Mitte, and Kühlungsborn-West.

Molli Train and Conductor

Molli Information and Reservations
Telephone:      +49 38203 415-0
Fax:                 +49 38203 415-12
Email:             info.hdm@molli-bahn.de
www.Molli-Bahn.de

We purchased our tickets at the station located a short stroll opposite the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm and boarded the Molli enroute for Bad Doberan, with 100,000 inhabitants, a large city in comparison to Heiligendamm with 700 inhabitants, and is an architectural delight with gorgeous homes, museums, art galleries, cafes, and interesting shops.

One of the highlights on our list of must visit places, was the Münster Bad Doberan, the largest Gothic church in Germany. Built in the 14^th century as a Cistercian abbey-church, the church is a marvel in red brick High Gothic architecture, and is the most important medieval building in Mecklenberg-Vorpommern.

The cathedral is amazing in its rich detail with notable artifacts throughout, including spectacular stained glass windows, tombs of the Mecklenburg nobility, five chapels, frescoes, ornate woodcarvings, and so much more. Look for the swan with a crown around its neck outside the Münster Bad Doberan and also look for the swan inside.

Münster Bad Doberan

The Münster Bad Doberan is open May – September Monday – Saturday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Sundays and Public holidays from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm; March, April, and October, Monday – Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sundays and Public holidays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm; and from November – February, Monday – Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Sunday and Public holidays from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. Admission is charged. Check their website for further information.

Münster Bad Doberan
Klosterstraße 2
18209 Bad Doberan, Germany
Telephone:      +49 382 03/621 54
Fax:                 +49 382 03/625 28
Email:             verwaltung@muenster-doberan.de
www.Muenster-Doberan.de

After touring the church, we walked around the beautiful grounds and admired the Granary House located opposite the Münster Bad Doberan and the sculpture located throughout the park.

At the entrance of the park, there is a beautiful neo-gothic house built between 1886-1888, once the home of architect G. L. Möckel, which is now the Stadt- und Bädermuseum Bad Doberan (City and Bath Museum) and reflects the history of the area as a seaside resort through paintings, period clothing, and a collection of home and business items. The displays are very interesting, and I especially loved seeing all the old bathing costumes, as well as the antique toys.

     Antique Doll                    Bathing Costumes

The museum is open from September – May 14^th Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Saturday from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, and is closed on Sunday. From May 15^th until September the hours are Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Admission is charged. Check their website for further information.

Stadt- und Bädermuseum (City and Bath Museum)
Beethovenstraße 8
18209 Bad Doberan, Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203 62026
Fax:                 +49 38203 73783
Email:             stadtmuseum@moeckelhaus.de
www.Stadtmuseum.Moeckelhaus.de

The architecture of Bad Doberan had us enthralled as we strolled the streets stopping frequently to admire the homes and buildings. One of the many buildings that captured our interest was the school, Friderico Francisceum, built between 1887-1889 by the architect G. L. Möckel, located across from the Molli train stop, and is an excellent example of neo-gothic architecture.

In the park near up the street from the train station, there are two very interesting buildings, built in Chinese architectural style, the White Pavilion built 1810-1813, and the Red Pavilion built 1808 – 1809. We also found admired a nearby home also built in the Chinese style.

Ehm Welk the author of The Heathens of Kummerow (Die Heiden von Kummerow) lived a fascinating life. We visited the Ehm Welk-Haus Bad Doberan, which was his former residence and has an exhibition of his life.

The museum is open from September 16^th – May 14^th Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Saturday from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, and is closed on Sunday. From May 15^th until September 15^th the hours are Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm, Saturday from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

Ehm Welk-Haus Bad Doberan
Email:   info@bad-doberan-heiligendamm.de

While waiting for the Molli to arrive, I noticed a sign in front of a shop offering regional sanddorn products, and curious as to what sanddorn was, decided to enter Edda’s Tee Lädchen, where I learned that sanddorn is the German word for sea-buckthorns, a bright orange berry that grows on bushes in sandy areas, thrives on salt from the sea, is very high in Vitamin C, and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Browsing the shop I found several sea-buckthorn products including Sanddorn lotions, jams, jellies, liqueurs, and even wine, which I promptly purchased. Now when I have a glass of wine, I can also get 12 times the amount of Vitamin C in oranges.

Edda’s Tee Lädchen
Alexandrineplatz 2
18209 Bad Doberan
Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203-16459

After spending two hours exploring Bad Doberan, we hopped on the Molli to ride to the opposite end to Kühlungsborn West to visit the Molli Museum, which tells the history of the steam trains through interesting displays, and would definitely be of interest to train buffs.

We hopped back on the Molli and rode to the next stop, Kühlungsborn, another seaside resort area, and walked along the pier we discovered the sea-buckthorn (Sanddorn) bushes, which lined the edge of the beaches providing a colorful backdrop as well as protection from the strong winds that blow off the Baltic Sea.

The day was bright and sunny, and although it was not exactly beach weather we noticed several people jogging and walking along the shore, and children playing in the sand, and decided to take a walk on the beach. I was even so adventurous as to place my hand in the Baltic Sea and touch the water. This being early March, that was as close as I wanted to come to sea bathing.

After enjoying a day traveling on the nostalgic Molli, we returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, which by then the wind had picked up, with winter not quite willing to relinquish its power and just as we were entering the hotel there was a quick hail shower.

That evening we a wonderful dinner at the intimate Baltic Sushi Bar at the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm, where Chef Ferlyn Diaz features sashimi, sushi, and curry dishes on the menu. Read about the Baltic Sushi Bar in the Restaurants section.

Baltic Sushi Bar
Grand Hotel Heiligendamm
18209 Heiligendamm, Germany
Telephone:    +49 38203 740 0
Fax:               +49 38203 740 7474
Email:  reservations@grandhotel-heiligendamm.de  
www.GrandHotel-Heiligendamm.com

The next morning at breakfast, I noticed the sanddorn juice, which I had overlooked the day before thinking it was orange juice. It had such a lovely sweet and slightly acidic balance to it that I wished I had purchased more of the sanddorn products when I was in Bad Doberan.

The Grand Hotel Heiligendamm has a beautiful 27-hole golf course consisting of an 18-hole and a 9-hole course located a short drive from the hotel. As avid golfers, we were thrilled with the opportunity to have an early morning tee time and get a head start on the spring golfing season.

However, winter decided to exert its power during the night leaving a dusting of snow that blanketed the ground, and with bitter cold weather, golfing was out of the question.

All was not lost, instead of golfing, we had a perfectly enjoyable morning horseback riding at Gut Vorder Bollhagen in the indoor academy, and admiring the Holstein horses and the one-day old foal, Anubia. Read about Gut Vorder Bollhagen in the Adventures section.

Gut Vorder Bollhagen
Hauptstraße 1
18209 Vorder Bollhagen
Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203/7 33 591
Fax:                 +49 38203/7 33 593
Contact:          Horst Schuessler
Email:             horst.schuessler@t-online.de
Email:             info@gutvorderbollhagen.de
www.GutVorderBollhagen.de

When we returned to the hotel we noticed a chapel along the walkway and decided to make a stop. Located in a wooded area, the Waldekapelle is a charming piece of history. Although it was not open, we did take a look outside and photograph it.

Since the weather was sunny, we took advantage of this opportunity to walk along the pier, which we could see from the terrace of our suite. Standing on the pier not only provided us with an excellent view of the surrounding area, but also gave us an appreciation of the Baltic Sea as the waves crashed against the pier.

We also took a stroll along the sandy beach stopping frequently to admire the colored rocks and pebbles that the sea had strewn along the shore. Finding a heart-shaped rock was the highlight of our walk, and was like an admiring kiss from the sea.

After spending a good portion of the day outside in the chilly weather, we were eager to experience the 3,000 square meter Heiligendamm Spa, which won the Spa Diamond 2007 Award. This Spa has all the bells and whistles that one would expect in a luxury Spa with highly specialized treatments, and so much more, including an ice room to refresh oneself after using one of the saunas, Caldarium, or hammams. Read about the Heiligendamm Spa in the Spas section.

Heiligendamm Spa 
Grand Hotel Heiligendamm
18209 Heiligendamm, Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203 740 0
Fax:                 +49 38203 740 7474
Email:  reservations@grandhotel-heiligendamm.de
www.GrandHotel-Heiligendamm.com

In the evening we had dinner at the Nelson Bar & Lobby Lounge at the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm where we experienced Fondue Chinoise. Read about the Nelson Bar & Lobby Lounge in the Restaurants section.

Nelson Bar & Lobby Lounge
Grand Hotel Heiligendamm
18209 Heiligendamm, Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203 740 0
Fax:                 +49 38203 740 7474
Email:  reservations@grandhotel-heiligendamm.de
www.GrandHotel-Heiligendamm.com

After a delicious breakfast, which now included my favorite sanddorn juice, the driver from the  Grand Hotel Heiligendamm whisked us away in the BMW limo to the train station in Rostock, where we boarded a train for the 2-hour 41-minute ride back to Berlin.

With so much to offer in Heiligendamm, what are you waiting for to visit?

Important information for Germany:

The currency for Germany is the Euro. As of March 2008, the exchange rate was 1 US Dollar (USD) to 0.65 Euro. The Euro is divided into 100 cents. Euro coins are available in the following denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 Euro. Banknotes are available in the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro (€).

The electric current in Germany is 220 volts, and has 2 round pin sockets, so it is advisable to bring your own adapters. Time in Heiligendamm is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 6+ hours Eastern Standard Time in the United States.

While many Germans speak English, it is always helpful to have some basic language knowledge when traveling.

Guide to pronunciation:  

ß = strong S sound (like a hiss)
j = sounds like y
ie = sounds like ea
ü = sounds like ou
w = sounds like v

Basic Vocabulary

Health

Food

Beverages

Read other articles on Heiligendamm and the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm in the Hotels and Resorts, Spas, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Adventures sections.

Read other articles on Germany in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Spas, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Performances sections.

For information on Heiligendamm and Bad Doberan, please visit the website, www.Bad-Doberan-Heiligendamm.de.

© May 2008. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.