From the deserted Danish Riviera to the unspoilt beaches of Poland, our readers share their favourite, more chilled European coastlines
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Spend some time on Rügen, Germany’s largest island, on its Baltic coast. White sandy beaches and darker history await. Visit Lauterbach, by the sea. From there, catch the coastal ferry to the tiny fishing village of Baabe, a near three-mile (5km) walk/cycle through rolling countryside and catch the “Raging Roland” steam train back again. Not far away, you can walk the cliffs that inspired Caspar David Friedrich. For a very different day, visit Prora and its massive beachside concrete apartment blocks, originally planned as a Nazi holiday complex, before becoming a Soviet army barracks, and now a part ruin, part reunification commercial and residential redevelopment.
Richard
Who needs the scorching Med when you have the Danish Riviera. The water is clean and refreshing. No wetsuits allowed – you’ll be laughed off the beach. Danish summer hols are in July so you’ll have the beach to yourself in August. Book a summer cottage near Gilleleje, a charming fishing village about an hour from Copenhagen. Denmark is expensive, so self-catering is best. Ice-cream at Hansens. Lunch in Gilleleje harbour. Culture at Louisiana modern art museum and Hamlet’s Castle in Helsingør. And day trips to Copenhagen.
