Sellin is a resort town on the German island of Rügen, which we actually stumbled upon. And what a find!!! It's known for its Baltic Sea beaches and Seebrücke (pier), with a 1920s-style pavilion. Sellin was first mentioned in the late 1200s and became one of the most important spa towns on the Baltic Sea in the 1800s. Wilhelmstrasse is a street lined with grand, resort-style villas. Dating from the 19th century, the Rügen narrow-gauge railway links Sellin to nearby towns. The Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve has beech forests and sea cliffs and shelters rare species like gray seals.
Much like Binz, a neighboring town, Sellin has undergone a huge transformation since the reunification of Germany. However, it still has its old-time charm and resort architecture. In terms of important residents, Albert Einstein spent a summer living in Sellin!
And Sellin has the longest pier on Rügen: 394 metres, which is spectacular!!! It is absolutely stunning – especially when viewed from high above (there are 100 stairs leading to the pier). Unfortunately, this is not the original pier. The first pier with a restaurant was built in 1906 but subjected to both ice damage and fire damage. It was rebuilt in 1925 but, once again, was badly damaged by ice in the winter of 1941/1942. While the pier wasn’t fully destroyed, over time it was neglected and ignored, causing it to be completely demolished in 1978. In 1991, after German reunified, efforts began to rebuild the pier. It officially opened again in 1998 and was based on the original designs of the 1906 and 1925 pier.