Sellin Pier

Sellin Pier (Seebrücke Sellin) in the seaside resort of Sellin on Rügen is one of the most photographed sights on Germany's Baltic coast. A white, turreted pier house in classic resort architecture sits on stilts above the sea, connected to the beach by a wooden walkway. At 394 meters, it's the longest pier on the island, and a must-see if you're spending time on Rügen.

A pier rebuilt from history

Sellin grew into a fashionable seaside resort around 1900. Prince Wilhelm Malte of Putbus laid out the elegant Wilhelmstraße in 1895, and the first pier, around 500 meters long with a restaurant, opened in 1906. Ice floes, storms and a fire repeatedly damaged it, and a replacement from the 1920s was largely destroyed in the harsh winter of 1941/42. Only the pier house survived, serving as a dance hall in East German times until it closed in 1974 and was torn down in 1978.

After German reunification, locals campaigned to bring the pier back. Reconstruction started in 1992 based on the historic designs, and the new pier house opened on April 2, 1998. A diving gondola was added in 2008.

Things to do at Sellin Pier

• Walk out over the Baltic and admire the pier house with its towers and arched windows. Inside are a restaurant, a café and an event hall that hosts weddings.
• Take in the view from the cliff: 85 steps lead down from the 30-meter bluff at the end of Wilhelmstraße. An elevator is available too.
• Ride the diving gondola (Tauchgondel), which descends about 4 meters below the surface so you can look out at the seabed. A visit takes 30 to 40 minutes.
• Come back after dark, when the illuminated pier house glows above the water.

Tickets and opening hours

Walking on the pier is free. The diving gondola costs €12 for adults and €7 for children up to 15, with family tickets from €25. From September 1, 2026, it's open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (as of October 2026). Hours change with the season, so check the gondola's website before you go. Dogs aren't allowed in the gondola.

How to get to Sellin

Sellin is in southeastern Rügen, between Binz and Göhren. From Berlin, the drive takes roughly four hours; from Stralsund, about an hour. By rail, take Deutsche Bahn to Binz or Bergen auf Rügen, then switch to a bus or to the Rasender Roland, a narrow-gauge steam railway that runs between Putbus, Binz, Sellin and Göhren. The Deutschlandticket is valid on regional trains, but the steam railway has its own fares.

Is Sellin Pier worth visiting?

Absolutely, especially at sunrise or in the evening light. One to two hours is enough for the pier and beach; add the gondola and a stroll along Wilhelmstraße's villas for a half-day. Kids enjoy the underwater view, and the elevator makes the pier accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

Nearby

• Granitz Hunting Lodge, a castle-like lodge in the beech forest between Sellin and Binz.
• Binz, Rügen's largest resort, with its long promenade, a few miles north.
• Cape Arkona at the island's northern tip, about an hour's drive.