Ummanz: Nature, Culture and Water Sports

Ummanz is an island off the western coast of Rügen, in the Schaproder Bodden lagoon, and is part of the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park. The Bodden waters, protected nature, cultural sites and water sports offer different ways to shape your stay. If you want to bring together several interests on a trip with others, you can plan your days around nature watching, island history or activities on the water, for example.

Bodden Landscapes and Nature Watching

In Tankow, a wooden birdwatching hut offers views across salt meadows and Bodden waters. In autumn, cranes stop there during their southward migration. The season makes this a special natural moment: if you travel in autumn, you can factor it into your daily plans. You can also enjoy nature watching by bicycle. Ummanz can be circled on paved roads; a specific option on foot is the 17.1-kilometre circular hike “Around the Island of Ummanz,” listed as taking 4 hours and 30 minutes. This lets you choose between a bike ride and a longer hike without treating the two routes as equivalent.

Water Sports and Time at the Beach

Suhrendorf offers a range of experiences on the water: the village is a popular spot for surfers and kite surfers, and it also has a fine sandy beach for swimming. The UMMAII water sports station offers windsurfing, wing foiling and kitesurfing lessons, and rents out SUP boards and canoes. Guided canoe tours are available for groups. This means you can choose between lessons, your own paddling trips and time at the beach, all in one place. As the station’s seasonal operations may change, check the latest information in advance if you want to plan your days around it.

Horse-riding lessons, riding badges and rides through the countryside are also available on Ummanz. Together with cycling and water activities, these broaden the options for a stay that is not built around just one daily routine. Which of these activities takes centre stage depends on your interests; the options described can be considered different ways to shape your trip.

Church, Settlement History and Craftsmanship

In Waase, St. Mary’s Church houses a late Gothic carved Antwerp altarpiece dating from 1520. Freesenort is the oldest settlement on Ummanz and was first mentioned in a document in 1319. Four listed buildings still stand there. Among them is a Low German hall house believed to date from the 17th century, with a sugarloaf-shaped roof. The church and historic houses offer different points of interest if you want to include architectural and island history in your trip alongside nature and the water.

The “Insel Schatz Ummanz” National Park exhibition is free, bilingual in German and English, and wheelchair accessible. In Wusse, Ummanz-Keramik makes carefully hand-painted ceramics featuring motifs typical of the local landscape. During opening hours, you can watch the ceramicists at work in the studio. As opening hours may change, it is helpful to check the latest visitor information in advance. For further guidance, the Ummanz Visitor Centre provides brochures, flyers and maps, as well as information and tips for stays and day trips.

The visitor centre also sells regional products and souvenirs, including local honey and handicrafts. The selection of individual products may vary. If you would like to take home a handcrafted or culinary souvenir, you can plan this stop as an addition to your nature and culture interests.

Choosing Ummanz as a Destination

A bridge connects Ummanz with Rügen’s Muttland area and leads to the main village of the municipality. The island offers a variety of themes to help guide your accommodation search and plans for a trip with others.

In the wider Vorpommern-Rügen destination, the Störtebeker Festival is a well-known point of interest. There are an estimated 60 museums in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen. These regional cultural highlights place Ummanz in the wider context of the destination.

Discover More Destinations

Schaprode, Neuenkirchen, Kluis, Altefähr, Rambin, Gingst, Samtens, Dreschvitz

For the wider travel overview: Amt West-Rügen.