Great Summer Travel Escapes: Fehmarn, Germany

I should have been born in Europe. I have been all over the world, but the area around the Baltic Sea is where I feel truly at home. Taking the Scandlines Ferry from Denmark to Germany is one of favorite activities when it comes to short get-aways. Just down the road a few kilometers from where the ferry docks at Puttgarten, Germany is a delightful little spot called Fehmarn. Since this is off the radar for most American vacationers, you can take advantage of not having to deal with them and get a real feel for Germany in an idyllic setting.

Fehmarn is in Northern Germany and sits right there on the Baltic sea. This means it has fabulous beaches. American's may not be aware of the place, but it is a favored destination for Europeans in general, and Scandinavians in particular. To beat the crowds, then, be sure to plan your vacation to not coincide with a Swedish holiday. We come in droves during those. heh. Such was the case Wednesday, June 6: National Day in Sweden. The ferries to Germany were jam-packed. Even though it was a hot day, we skipped the beach this time and headed to the most excellent shopping streets downtown.

Fehmarn is a very old historic town and the buildings all show that. Once in awhile I like sleek, glass, and modern places... but usually I much prefer this Medieval feel. The rich history of the Hanseatic area is just palpable and adds a great deal to my enjoyment whilst dropping my Euros everywhere. I should say that although the Euro is the currency of Germany, many of the shops will accept Swedish or Danish Kronor as well since that is the main tourist demographic for Fehmarn. Only paper money, though. No foreign coins.

As with other spots throughout Germany, the folks in Fehmarn speak enough English that you can get done whatever it is you want to do with little hassle, but do please try to at least learn the basics of Deutsch. Its only polite to be able to at least try to speak the language of the country you are visiting. Even if you speak it badly, they will appreciate the effort and you will find that you make a lot of points for effort.

The main reason for this trip was shopping, and shop I did! Inside those delightfully old buildings are wonders and deals galore. Since this is a sea-side village, you can find all manner of nautical themed items. Our sun Room is decorated with ships and beachy stuff so we added a few things to that room this trip for unbelievably low prices. My husband reverted to childhood when he found a huge wooden ship for only 25eu. He had bought one of similar size when we were in Galveston for twice the price. So do stop into all of those small shops. you never know what kind of killer deal will await you inside.

Dittman's is full of touristy stuff if you need to pick up a t-shirt, travel plates, ashtrays, shot glasses... you know, tourist crap. I had a ball in there since I am indeed the quintessential tourist. I love that stuff. The schlockier the better, I say.

Attax has some awesome German-made clothing for not outrageous prices. that was my first stop, and I came away with a really cute pair of jeans shorts for around 20eu. I had been looking for the perfect pair for months, and there they were. I am wearing them as I type this. They are very well made and just cute as hell. It was hard for my husband to pull me away from this shop. they just have the cutest stuff everywhere!

Buchhandlung is a book store with a few German touristy things, and is where I picked up a wonderful calendar for my daughter, the German-at-heart. She is going to love the shots of Fehmarn in this one.

The main store I head for in Fehmarn is called Stolz. I would compare it to Wal-Mart in the US, but it is much, much better than that. It is a huge place with two stories and is packed to the brim with great prices on clothing, shoes, tourist crap, bedding, towels, beach stuff... oh hell if you need it you can probably get it at Stolz. You can't miss it. It sits on the corner right next to Rathaus; a very popular chain with some really good weinerschnitzel. I think we spent about 2 hours in Stolz this trip and I won't even try to list all the great buys we walked away with.

But speaking of schnitzels, any trip to Germany has to include at least one meal of the wonderful stuff. We selected Landhaus this day for our late lunch and were not the least bit disappointed. Great prices, great jaegerschnitzel, and excellent service while sitting on the sidewalk watching people. I highly recommend this place when you get hungry.

If you are looking for great deals on booze, well, you are in Germany. you can hardly throw a rock without finding somewhere to buy cheap booze. Still, one of the best places is just on the edge of Fehmarn as you enter the mainland part of the place (most of it is on an island). The name of the place is Fleggaard. Again, you can't miss it. They have tables set up to taste various wines and booze before you buy, too, so you just may want to designate a driver before walking in... Another good place is just down the road towards town and on the first side-street to the left. This is Calle, and is like a big ol' booze warehouse. And yes, we stopped both places on our way into the shopping district. Men.

I know I only mentioned the beach in passing so far, but do not discount driving across Fehmarn's gorgeous suspension bridge to the island part while you're here. Trust me when I say you may as well go ahead and make a hotel reservation because you are just going to love the place. There is enough to keep every member of the family entertained, besides the beautiful sand.

Germany has a lot to offer when it comes to vacation travel plans, but if you want to get away from the bigger cities like I do, then by all means set your radar on Fehmarn. The place is just bursting at the seams with fabulocity.