when people asked me where we were heading to for our holiday, they give back blank stares when i say, “in prerow.” thing is, the german coast along the east sea is a new destination for holiday merry-makers. until the last recently, the area is host to very few tourists, still being re-built after the german reunification. this is my first venture into the former east germany, and in prerow, i was disappointed to see that there’s not much indication of the gloomy past it had under the DDR control.

Image: http://www.prerow.de

so just where exactly is prerow? if you look at the map of northeast germany, prerow sits on the left tip of a triangular peninsula northeast of rostock. the fischland-darss-zingst region covers the coast along this peninsula and offers kilometers of wide sandy beaches.

why head to the east sea? because there, amidst other tourists, there’s still a lot of space, and it’s perfect for families with small children. i can let jan run around and never really lose sight of him. and unlike in the mediterranean and spanish islands during peak season, you don’t have to get down the beach at 7 am just to reserve a towel-sized space on the beach for you to lie on. however, unlike the place we have been in denmark last year, there are a lot more tourists in prerow. so much that the shops and supermarkets are even open during sundays (the only place i know in germany where even aldi is open on sundays!). the beach is more lively, but not crowded, and probably 80% of the houses in the whole city are holiday apartments!

what to do in prerow? aside from beaching, there are a lot of tracks and paved roads for biking, whether through the woods, along the marshlands, or along the beach. my parents-in-law went to prerow once just to do a biking tour of the area. one may also do some sightseeing while horseback riding (jan went pony-riding for the first time!), or comfortably –although wobbly– seated on a horse-drawn carriage. there’s also a tour along the “bodden” aboard a small cruiser ship. all in all, there’s not much except sightseeing to the nearby towns, and reveling at how different this part of germany is to the western, more inland regions. and that’s precisely what makes it special: there are a few activities, but not much, which guarantees for a totally relaxing holiday. a chance to let the stress of the daily grind dissipate, and spend langurous days without hectic and without even thinking of the time.

next entry: pictures!

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