In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Berlin chic crowd was already drawn to the island and the imperial baths. The nobility and elite couldn't resist the nautical charm, fine sand and salty breeze. Nobility and rank created summer residences, mansions and domiciles in the style of the Renaissance, Classicism or the Baroque in Ahlbeck, Herinsdorf or Bansin. The style icons of spa architecture are still there today, with their whitewashed facades, small turrets, curved gables and filigree ornaments, lined up like pearls on a chain. If you stroll along the kilometer-long promenade from pier to pier, you can still feel the splendor of the past of the imperial baths - they are reminiscent of times when carriages still pulled through the streets, the emperor personally came on flying visits, family, men's and women's baths existed and you waded into the cool water while still in your bathing suit. Even then, the Grand Dame in Ahlbeck, the oldest pier in Germany, was a magnet for visitors. And even today, their wooden planks lead weightlessly over the shallow surf of the Baltic Sea.
And because we are proud of our past, we also celebrate it accordingly: During the annual week of spa architecture, the longing for architecture is illuminated from all sides - with lectures, films, guided tours, tours, music evenings, light illuminations, painting courses, documentation and wind installations. But also at the Heringsdorfer Kaisertage we embark on a journey through time into the long-forgotten history of the seaside resort. At this street festival, even the emperor and empress do the honors in person.
This year, a special event leads to the beginnings of the fishing colony and through the heyday of bathing culture: 201 years of Heringsdorf. Whether the former village, historic handicrafts or rustling clothes - history will be written on June 05th and 06th again in the year 1820.
Historical
The villas and palaces of the nobility and the elite of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were built just a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea. Even today you can stroll past them between the Baltic Sea and the coastal forest. Incidentally, this chapter of history can also be wonderfully discovered on a guided tour.
Unique
With their columns and bay windows, turrets and balustrades, stucco decorations and outside staircases, the houses are reminiscent of a time long past. But every house, every villa and every residence has its own story to tell. From Ahlbeck to Bansin you can embark on a unique search for clues in the imperial baths.
Diverse
Nowhere else is there such an abundance and variety of resort architecture as in Ahlbeck Heringsdorf Bansin. Whether it's a summer residence in classicism, a manor house in Renaissance style, a magnificent palace in Art Nouveau style or a fairytale castle in Baroque style. In the imperial baths you will find a veritable hodgepodge of villas of the most varied color and design.