Sights - technical attractions

Alongside the Baltic coast two narrow gauge trains will transport you back to the late 19th century. The "Rasende Roland" is in operation on the island of Ruegen and the "Molli" steams along between Bad Doberan and Kuehlungsborn West.

The Molli is both a technical monument and tourist attraction. This steam powered train runs on a 900 mm (2ft 11½ in) gauge and its first line was opened in 1886. Today it covers a total distance of 15.4 km with a running time of 40 minutes. It takes you along a beautiful linden tree-lined avenue, past the oldest horse racing track in Europe, right into the "white city" of Heiligendamm, along the cliffs and before finally reaching its destination in Kuehlungsborn. The tour is best enjoyed in the restaurant car savouring coffee and cake. There is another highlight for the enthusiast. Join a certificated course over several days and get an honorary degree as train driver, conductor or station inspector at the end.

The Rasender Roland on the island of Ruegen began its operation in 1895. Not only is this historic narrow gauge train a museum on wheels but also an important part in the local transport system. The railway runs regularly (every other hour) from Goehren by way of Baabe and Sellin to Binz and back. During the summer months it changes to a 3 track system beginning in Putbus and arriving in Lauterbach/pier. Why not combine rail and boat to make it an unforgettable day trip. You can board the ship in either Binz or Lauterbach.

The astronomical clock is to be found in St. Marienkirche (St. Mary's church) in Rostock. This medieval clock is known to be the only one of its kind still in working condition, with its original clockworks dating back to 1472. Needless to say, it has to be serviced on a regular basis and wound up daily.

The clock shows amongst others the date, time of the day, position of the sun, moon phases, zodiac, month, the first letter of the day of the week and the time of sunrise.
The calendar is round and has a diameter of 2 metres. It runs clockwise and takes a year to turn round its own axis once. The zodiacs running round the calendar like a ring are independent of the date.

Due to lack of space, the other parts of the calendar have to be changed every now and then. Since going into operation it had to be renewed five times already, at last in January 2018.

Embark on an extraordinary underwater adventure into the depths of the Baltic Sea. Futuristic, turquoise, Jules Verne's "Nautilus" look-alike constructions take you into the amazing underwater world of the Baltic and back without getting wet. Starting points are the end of the piers in Heringsdorf (island of Usedom), Sellin (island of Ruegen) and Groemitz.

Once in the diving capsule, depending on visibility and season, there is a wealth of animals and plants to discover. Hold your breath watching fishes, prawns, algae and jellyfish floating by graciously. 3D-films take you on a journey through the Baltic Sea and tropical coral reefs alike. Learn more about the biotope sea, its flora, fauna and threats.

The capsule lowers 25-30 visitors 3-4 metres down into the water, roughly a metre above the bottom of the sea. Are you worried about seasickness? You needn't be! Due to its being balanced on a steel pillar, there are hardly any horizontal movements, the culprit of seasickness.
The first "diving gondola" was brought into operation in Zinnowitz in 2006. Sellin, Groemitz and Zingst followed in 2008, 2009 and 2013 respectively.

The Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) is the most heavily used artificial seaway in the world. With over 40,000 vessels passing through every year it puts the Panama and Suez Canals on the second and third spots correspondingly. It was officially opened in 1895 and offers a timesaving and safer route avoiding Skagen and the storm-prone seas.

In Kiel-Holtenau you can go on a guided tour including visits of the lock as well as the canal exhibition.
Around 30 km inland, the Kiel Canal surprises with a "flying" ferry (currently out of service). It is located at, the tallest landmark of the town of Rendsburg, the rail viaduct. The ferry had its 90th birthday in December 2003 and together with the rail viaduct they were declared listed monuments in 1988.
The crossing of the 135m-wide Kiel Canal takes a mere 1.5 minutes. It transports up to 6 cars and 60 pedestrians at a time and leaves the banks every 7.5 minutes. Shipping is the only constraint to its timetable. When a ship has a distance of 800 metres or less, the ferry has to wait. As with all Canal crossings, it is free of charge.

The Peenemuende Historical Technical museum is located in the north of the island of Usedom. The museum found its home on the former Peenemuende military test site which was in operation between 1936 and 1945. On 1,500 m² the exhibition provides an insight into the history of German aerospace industry concentrating on the development of rocket and aviation technology.

The military employed and instructed experts in rocket engineering to develop new missiles known as the buzz bomb Fi 103, rocket A4 and "Vengeance Weapons" V1 and V2. The construction and production of these rockets were extremely dangerous and thousands of slave labourers, concentration camp inmates and prisoners of war, who provided the work, died in the process.
The successful launch of the first buzz bomb in 1942 is still considered a major step in technical development of the 20th century. The rocket referred to as A4/V2 marked the basis for all later military and civil rocket technology.

On the site you can walk around planes, helicopters and a missile carrier of the GDR's National People's Army.
Just round the corner guests of the museum will find Peenemuende harbour and Juliett U-461. This gigantic submarine can also be visited.