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Four women, three days and 1,000 ideas of how the perfect weekend together should be spent. Sina thinks we should go to the beach, Eva wants to embrace nature, Odile is hoping to absorb some culture. We all need a bit of rest and relaxation, but there should also be some activities, not to mention lots of delicious food and wine – oh, and a beautiful sunset… I’m imagining us in the midst of oily bodies on a beach somewhere in the south of Europe, or trying to catch our breath as we trek across the Alps, or admiring late Renaissance art, when Eva comes up with a brilliant idea: “Why don’t we just go to Rügen?!” We all agree immediately. With something for everyone, Rügen seems like the perfect location for our reunion: an island where we can explore, relax and share experiences. And just as Enid Blyton’s Fantastic Five wouldn’t dream of going on an adventure without their dog, Timmy, we turn to the Opel Zafira – our trusty friend on wheels.

Day 1

We meet at the Jasmar Resort in Sagard, a hotel with an adjoining spa, a beautiful manor house and a fine selection of restaurants. We’re so excited to see each other again and it’s not long before we’ve thrown our cases into the rooms and a mountain of bags into the car. Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry! We’re lucky that the Zafira has such a huge luggage area – that’s always really handy when girls like us travel together. We shoot off towards Schaabe, a landbridge between Glowe and Juliusruh that separates the Jasmunder Bodden from the Baltic Sea. Here, nestled between the forest and the sea, is one of the most stunning beaches on the whole island. We immediately swap our shoes for flip flops and the tell-tale signs of everyday stress disappear from our faces as we head through the pinewoods leading up to the beach. This is a place where you can swim, chill out, watch the world go by, and take a walk while listening to the waves – or, in our case, catch up on exciting updates from friends you haven’t seen for a while. The wind drops by every so often to listen in to our stories and even the odd seagull glances down at us before quickly turning its attention back to the fish.

We are feeling hungry by the time we get back to the car and decide to find somewhere for lunch. We drive along Jasmund’s idyllic north shore, with luscious fields surrounding us on either side. Is it really possible that we are only a few hours away from home? Time seems to stand still here; no one seems to know the meaning of the word “hurry”. Maybe that’s why, on the spur of the moment, we decide to pull into a country lane. Before we know it we’re crossing the flower-filled meadows like boisterous school girls, with nothing to distract us but the occasional bleating of sheep and a sky that couldn’t be more beautiful if it tried. There are still flowers in our hair when we reach the Bisdamitz Estate – an organic farmstead with a shop, a small restaurant and holiday lets for people who enjoy life in the country. Guests can sample products from the farm’s own dairy or devour one of the daily lunchtime specials.

With our energy levels replenished, we make our way to Cape Arkona and it soon becomes clear why this is one of Rügen’s most popular tourist attractions: the cape’s three lighthouses are incredibly impressive, the view is remarkable and, with its round Slavic chapel, the little fishing village of Vitt is truly picturesque. A small railway runs from Putgarten to Vitt, spewing curious visitors into the fishing village at intervals of fifteen minutes. With the village made up of just thirteen little thatched cottages, it’s no wonder that the number of tourists soon greatly exceeds the number of inhabitants. That’s why we only manage to take a walk along the steep coastal path and have a quick look at the Schinkel Tower before heading back to Putgarten. We find refuge from the hustle and bustle of Arkona in the Helene-Weigel-Haus garden cafe, a real oasis where we taste the best rhubarb cake of our lives. We all agree that this must be the most beautiful garden on the whole island and then proceed to while away the rest of our afternoon in the shade of its cherry trees.

When we finally get back to the car, we decide to take a look around the Jasmund National Park. This June, the park’s beech forest was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and you can’t help but wonder if the trees aren’t just a little proud of this title, as they stand so tall against the wind. Although not far away, we agree that it would be better to visit the legendary chalk cliffs on day three and drive on to Sassnitz, the island’s second largest city, surrounded by a forest and the sea. As we stroll along Sassnitz harbour, we watch seagulls following the excursion boats that are heading towards the chalk cliffs and pass stalls selling smoked fish and sea-buckthorn. In addition to fish and chalk, Rügen is also known for its sea-buckthorn – commonly called “The Lemon of the North”. We try, and buy, our fair share before continuing on to the old town armed with a selection of jams and juices. The only thing missing from our day is a really beautiful sunset and we have heard that there is no better place to see one than in Lohme, a quaint little fishing village. Lohme itself is surreal, the kind of place you see in picture books. Then there is the Lohme Panorama Hotel and restaurant terrace, located 70 metres above the coast. The sea view from here is just unbelievable. And as if that weren’t enough in itself, the restaurant’s wine is delicious and the Rügen fish platter a culinary masterpiece. The ingredients are sourced from local organic farms and the fish is fresh from the ocean. We sit and talk about our wonderful day as the sun slowly sets.