Ahrenshoop on the Baltic Sea - Holiday in the artists' village by the sea

The Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop is located on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula between Wustrow and Prerow. From Rostock, it’s just 40-50 minutes by car, and from Stralsund, only an hour. The small artists’ village may seem inconspicuous on the map, but here on the Bay of Mecklenburg, several wonderful highlights await you. We were recently back there and immediately felt a full dose of “holiday feeling.” For us, Ahrenshoop in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the epitome of “letting your soul unwind” and “simply switching off”. In the following article, we’ll take you through the Baltic Sea resort and reveal our favorite spots and highlights.

Other vacation spots:

More Holiday destinations:
About the Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop
Arrival in Ahrenshoop
Find and book accommodation
The most beautiful sights in Ahrenshoop
- Althagen harbor
- Ahrenshoop Art Museum
- Mill in Ahrenshoop
- Bunte Stube
- Kunstkaten
- Schiffer’s church
- Ahrenshoop beach
- Path to the high shore
- Hiking along the cliffs
- Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park
Food & drink
More impressions of Ahrenshoop

About the Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop

What we like so much about Ahrenshoop is the relaxed atmosphere, the coziness and picturesqueness between the Baltic Sea and the Bodden. It is said that an artists’ settlement was founded in Ahrenshoop around 1890, and over the years, more and more artists settled here. Even well-known artists came to the Baltic Sea resort to capture the beauty of nature on canvas and paper. And once you look out over the sea and across the dunes, you will understand this magic.

Ostseebad-Ahrenshoop-Duenen-Meer-Strand-Aussicht

Over time, the small fishing village developed into a popular seaside resort, which is still visited by artists today to be inspired by the beautiful scenery. In addition to concerts, readings, and exhibitions, you can even participate in art events in Ahrenshoop (writing workshops, painting courses, pottery classes, historical printing, etc.). On the Art Trail in Ahrenshoop, you can admire the homes of various artists and visit various exhibitions.

Getting to Ahrenshoop

By car:The charming Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop is easily accessible by car. From Berlin, take the A19 towards Rostock and shortly before exiting towards Ribnitz-Damgarten onto the B105 to Stralsund. Shortly before Ribnitz-Damgarten, take the L21 to Dierhagen and Fischland-Darß-Zingst until you finally reach Ahrenshoop. If you’re coming from Hamburg, take the A20 and A19 to Rostock and continue as described above.

By train: You can also travel by train in a really relaxed manner. Coming from Hamburg and Rostock, take the train to Ribnitz-Damgarten. From there, take bus number 210 via the Baltic Sea resort of Dierhagen to Wustrow and Ahrenshoop. More information can be found on the websites: www.bahn.de and www.vvr-bus.de.

By bus: Flixbuses* now even travel to the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. The trip from Berlin to Ahrenshoop costs around €10 and takes just 3 hours 40 minutes. This way, you can travel to Berlin from all over Germany and change there for the bus to Ahrenshoop. The bus departs from Berlin once a day, early in the morning.

Find and book accommodation

Ahrenshoop has only around 720 residents, making it a very manageable place. The range of accommodations is also limited, so you should book early. Since we live in Rostock, we’ve never stayed overnight in Ahrenshoop, but we’ve still looked at a few accommodations online for you. If you can’t find anything in Ahrenshoop, the surrounding towns are also suitable as base camps, such as Prerow, Wustrow, Barth, Zingst, Dierhagen, Born am Darß, and even Ribnitz-Damgarten. Once you’re on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, none of these places are far away.

The Grand Ahrenshoop
Book a room here*

Wellness, luxury, and the Baltic Sea – Welcome to the 4.5-star hotel “The Grand Ahrenshoop.” Here you can expect not only a 360° panoramic view with a roof terrace, but also modern rooms, good food, plenty of activities, and the beach right on your doorstep. You can see the very large hotel from a distance; it’s hard to miss.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 points (336 reviews)

Strandhaus Ahrenshoop
Book a room here*

This 4-star accommodation is located in the north of Ahrenshoop, not far from the Ahrenshooper Holz forest and the sea. The hotel opened in 2015 and offers stylish and comfortable rooms in a maritime country-style, including sea views. Previous guests particularly praise the delicious breakfast and attentive staff.

Rating: 4 out of 5 points (39 reviews)

Romantikhotel Namenlos
Book a room here*

Cool name, right? This hotel is located just 50 meters from the beach and directly in front of the dunes in Ahrenshoop. Two hotels and two guesthouses in country-style with typical thatched roofs, as well as sea views, a garden, terrace, sauna, and solarium await you here.

Rating: 4 out of 5 points (69 reviews)

Hotel Seezeichen Ahrenshoop
Book a room here*

The 4-star Hotel Seezeichen is located directly on Dorfstraße and just a few meters from the sea. Look forward to a fitness center, a terrace with sea views, a garden, a sauna, and modern rooms. Previous guests particularly praise the location, the delicious breakfast in the morning, and the spacious rooms.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 points (61 reviews)

Guesthouses & Hotels

On the Baltic Sea resort of Ahrenshoop website, you will find an overview of other hotels, guesthouses, and vacation apartments. Also check out www.ahrenshooper-ferien.de, where you’ll also find various accommodations in the region.

The Most Beautiful Sights in Ahrenshoop

Although Ahrenshoop is very small, there’s still plenty to see. You can stroll leisurely through the town on foot or rent a bike (bike rental shop 8) and explore Wustrow as well as Ahrenshoop. Ahrenshoop is worth a day trip, but of course, it’s also worth a longer vacation by the sea. In the following section, we’ll take you on our virtual tour of the Baltic Sea resort.

Althagen Harbor

We started our last tour at the Althagen Harbor. Here on the Saaler Bodden, we were able to park our car for just €6 (day ticket €6, per hour €1). Since 1900, fishermen have been sailing here in their traditional Zees boats (up to 10 meters long) to catch fish. Today, the harbor is used almost exclusively for tourism. On-site, you’ll find a restaurant, a smokehouse, and the opportunity to cruise across the Saaler Bodden on a passenger ship or a Zees boat.

Ahrenshoop Art Museum

From the harbor in Althagen, we strolled toward Ahrenshoop Village Street. Just a few minutes’ walk from the harbor, you’ll reach the Ahrenshoop Art Museum, which opened in August 2013. In the museum, you can admire more than 800 paintings and sculptures by artists who often visited the region or even lived and worked in Ahrenshoop and the surrounding area (Source: www.kunstmuseum-ahrenshoop.de). We didn’t visit the museum ourselves, as it was still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. But even the building’s architecture is worth seeing. Admission is €10 for adults, with reduced admission for children, students, and schoolchildren.

Mill in Ahrenshoop

We continued along Dorfstraße, which awaits you with several restaurants, cafés, hotels, and shops. One of our highlights in Ahrenshoop is the beautiful mill, which is tucked away a bit further down a side street (Feldweg 7). Right at the entrance, you’ll be greeted by loving details, such as an old rusty bicycle in front of a red house facade with flowers or the typical traditional thatched houses. Just a few meters separate you from the mill and the adjacent small sheep pasture.

We made ourselves comfortable outside in the garden and ordered a coffee. You can enjoy various fair-trade coffees, organic teas, homemade cakes, bread specialties, soups, and other snacks. In bad weather, you can sit inside the mill. According to the website, the mill itself also offers courses, exhibitions, and readings. The mill’s website is the best place to find out about upcoming events. By the way: On the upper floors of the mill, there is an exclusive holiday apartment with space for up to 3 people (€150 per night).

Bunte Stube

The walk through Ahrenshoop continues. From the mill, we marched back to the village street and on to the Bunte Stube. This shop has been around since 1922 and once served as a cultural meeting place for artists and art lovers in Ahrenshoop. Today, you’ll find a well-stocked shop with books, artwork, souvenirs, and all sorts of beautiful things. The building catches the eye even from afar with its red facade and enormous blue lettering.

Kunstkaten

From the Bunte Stube, it’s only a few meters to the Kunstkaten. This is a “traditional exhibition house” that opened in 1909. You can recognize the building by its blue facade and the typical Fischland style with its thatched roof. Various exhibitions, lectures, readings, concerts, and other events take place at the Kunstkaten throughout the year. Admission is only €2.50–€3.50, depending on the season.

Schifferkirche

Just before Café Namenlos and the Hotel The Grand Ahrenshoop, turn right on the village street toward the Schifferkirche. This church was modeled after a boat and symbolizes the proximity to the sea and seafaring. This pretty church was consecrated in 1951 and is made of many local building materials. You can visit this place of silence and contemplation from June to September every Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from October to May every Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ahrenshoop Beach

From the Schifferkirche, you can now cross over to the other side, to the sea. The Baltic Sea is beautiful at any time of year, and it is certainly idyllic here on the beach in Ahrenshoop, even in winter. We were here on the beach during the Corona period, among other things, and couldn’t comprehend the view without any people. Simply beautiful! The beach in Ahrenshoop is picture-perfect and invites you to swim and sunbathe. During the season, you can rent a beach chair here and relax. The shallow entry makes the beach suitable for children. There are also dog beaches on site; more information can be found here: Dogs in Ahrenshoop.

Path to the High Shore

The most beautiful view, in our opinion, is from the viewing platform “Path to the High Shore.” You can sit on the wooden walkway and enjoy the picturesque view over the green dunes. Binoculars even let you spot the Darß Lighthouse (visible even without binoculars with good eyesight). The viewing point is located on the southern edge of town, and the view clearly shows why so many artists once came to Ahrenshoop. From here You can take a hike along the cliffs to Wustrow. We’ll do this hike next time and add our information here.

Hiking along the cliffs

The hike along the cliffs between Wustrow and Ahrenshoop is highly recommended. We recently set out and hiked from Wustrow to Ahrenshoop and back along the Bodden side (15.5 km & 5:45 h). The short path between Wustrow and Ahrenshoop is only around 4 kilometers long and takes you along the cliffs. There are a few great viewpoints from where you can look out over the coast and the sea. The path is flat, so you won’t have to expect any great exertion. Plan on about 45 to 60 minutes for this hike if you want to take it easy and take a break with a view every now and then.

Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park

If you’re already in the area, you shouldn’t miss a visit to the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. The best place to start is from the beach parking lot in Prerow and take a hike through the park. Various natural landscapes await you, from meadows, dunes, and beaches to to forests. It took us around 4.5 hours to complete the stunningly beautiful circular hike to the Darß Lighthouse and back. Highly recommended! More here: All about the park & hikes.

Food & Drink

After a long walk through Ahrenshoop, we were looking for a snack. In Ahrenshoop, there are several cafés and restaurants, such as the Restaurant Schifferwiege, the Fischkaten, the The smokehouse at Althagen harbor, the Zur Robbe restaurant, and the Pieni café. All establishments have very good Google reviews and were also well-attended on the day of our visit.

We ended up at the Ahrenshooper Fischhus snack bar, where we ordered a fish sandwich and currywurst (€3-5). Right next door, there are crepes and ice cream. Of course, you pay significantly less here than in the restaurants in town. To finish off, we had homemade ice cream at the Eis Brandenburger. It’s best to just go with the flow and choose a restaurant yourself. We’re definitely not food bloggers and don’t place much value on eating in fancy and trendy establishments.

More impressions from Ahrenshoop

We really hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments. We’ll try to respond as quickly as possible. Please also check out our many other reports from Germany and Europe.