Sagard: Local History and Chalk Trails

Sagard offers a clear connection to local history and themed trails when choosing a hotel. In the town itself, Brunnenaue and St. Michael’s Church recall the area’s history; the northern section of the “Romantic Rügen” themed trail begins and ends here. Other destinations are in the associated municipal area: the Rügen Chalk Museum is in Gummanz, while the Quoltitz Sacrificial Stone adds insight into the geology and past of the Jasmund Peninsula.

Brunnenaue and St. Michael’s Church

Brunnenaue is a small, idyllic park in the heart of Sagard. The town’s historic bathing establishment was located there. In 1795, the pastor of Sagard founded Rügen’s first bathing establishment at Brunnenaue, next to the church. This site thus brings together a specific founding story and the development of bathing culture.

St. Michael’s Church was built around 1210 as a single-nave, late Romanesque hall church without a tower, and is one of the oldest places of worship on Rügen. “Single-nave” describes a church with one nave; together with its late Romanesque design, the date provides a clear link to the island’s early church architecture. Brunnenaue and the church therefore offer two distinct points of reference for exploring Sagard’s local history.

The “Romantic Rügen” themed trail

The northern section of the “Romantic Rügen” themed trail begins and ends in Sagard. It is 16 kilometres long and runs through the interior of the Jasmund Peninsula. The route length and the return to Sagard are particularly relevant when planning; the time required depends on your own pace. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

After starting in Sagard, the described route passes active chalk quarries. This operational status may change. The combination of the route and chalk landscape gives this section its own character: the focus is not only on local history, but also on chalk quarrying in the interior of Jasmund.

Rügen Chalk Museum in Gummanz

The Rügen Chalk Museum is in Gummanz, within the associated municipal area. It explores chalk, its extraction on Rügen and the fossils embedded in it. The grounds include an open-air museum with a chalk quarry, a chalk lake, a nature trail and a viewpoint overlooking the chalk cliffs. The trail starts at the museum, loops around the Gummanz chalk quarry and leads to the “Little Königsstuhl.”

Fossil hunting is also part of the visit: with a little luck, you can find your first fossils in the “digging box” in the outdoor area. Fossils you bring with you can be identified there. Searching for and identifying fossils are two different ways to explore the finds; the exhibition complements them by explaining the connection between chalk, quarrying and fossils. The museum and its grounds are accessible and suitable for pushchairs. If this information is important for your plans, confirm accessibility in advance.

Glacial erratics and burial mounds

The Quoltitz Sacrificial Stone is also within the associated municipal area. This enormous granite erratic of Scandinavian origin weighs more than 70 tonnes. Traces of early human working can be seen on it, probably dating back to the Bronze Age. The stone thus combines a geological feature with archaeological traces whose dating remains explicitly uncertain.

The Dobberworth is also near Sagard. This burial mound is 12 metres high and the largest on Rügen. The geographic distinction helps put these destinations in context: Brunnenaue, the church and the trailhead are in Sagard; the Chalk Museum and Sacrificial Stone are within the associated municipal area, while the Dobberworth is near Sagard.

Plan your journey

For bus travel, a VVR route description lists line 13 from Sassnitz, Glowe and Wittow to Sagard, and line 12 from Bergen to Sagard. Check the route and timetable before travelling. The description of the themed trail also mentions travelling by train from Sassnitz or Bergen; check the current timetable here as well.

Discover more destinations: Wiek on Rügen, Putgarten, Altenkirchen, Glowe, Dranske, Breege, Lohme.

Return to the main travel overview: Amt Nord-Rügen.