Villas on the Beach - circa 1900 - Travel - Architecture in Germany

My friend Lydia invited me to come along for a vacation to the Peninsula of Usedom; touting it's beaches and seaside resort charm. I agreed to come, if she promised she would have a word with the weather gods.

Germany can be miserable in March and April, but we enjoyed record breaking warm temperatures and had a grand time.....

Let me take you on a photo tour to see the architecture of the seaside villas on Usedom in Germany and while there, I'd like to show you the best seafood restaurant on the peninsula. For a photo tour of the beach and all other resort attractions please visit my article called, "A walk along beach boulevard in Germany" .

 A little history:

The Peninsula of Usedom is about two hours by train from Berlin and once upon a time, circa 1900, it was the "In Place" for well heeled Berlin families, to own a villa at the beach for their summer vacation. Some villas survived the times, the wars and even becoming East Germany for a while.

Of course, things fell apart when it became East Germany, since no paint or shingle or window could be procured to fix up those beauties. After the wall came down, there was a lot of sorting out as to which Villa belonged to whom and a few are still left to deteriorate, because ownership is still being debated by the courts or the families have no money to restore such grand houses back to their former glory.

If you prefer, you can take a carriage ride to see all the villas as a guided tour.

I loved the Italianate style of this one!

This was one of my favorites!

The variety of building styles made it a fascinating tour.

Below: A little Victorian, a little Gothic, a little Gingerbread - great colors too!

Then there were those who favored a castle theme for their vacation spread!

It is now still a private villa, turned restaurant on the first floor.

It was an enjoyable walk along beach boulevard and in between sightseeing we headed off through the park for some shopping in one of the villages.

A figurine that adorned the corner of a villa in Heringsdorf, turned shop downstairs.

Next on the agenda was lunch.

We found the best seafood restaurant on the boulevard! We liked it so much we made a special trip and returned the next day.

This villa is now the Aurelia hotel. The rooms were a tad more than we were willing to pay, but for a weekend..........

We ate outside, entertained by live piano music on the patio.

The restaurant is called St. Hubertus and specializes in seafood, using century old recipes with almost forgotten methods of preparation, all fresh organic ingredients. 

I had eel, a secret recipe, prepared on a bed of straw. The delicious herb sauce, served separately, was simply out of this world, my taste buds are still singing it's praises. 

My friend Lydia.

Below: This Bavarian looking Gingerbread villa was directly next door.

I had to smile at the beach chairs in the garden, they looked so out of place to me.

Mix of styles was the order of the day.

I liked the colors and the beautiful gate and eagle ornamentation.  

We ended our tour at the cafe a little ways down the boulevard.

Usedom has become a popular summer vacation spot for tourists from all over Europe.

Big bucks have been poured into this jewel by the sea and it sparkles one again, with spas, a casino, a beautiful beach and beautiful architecture. I was impressed with the variety of arts and musical entertainment offered, alas, mostly in the summer months.

Many villas have turned hotel or restaurant, but many have remained in private hands.

For a photo tour of the beach and the seaside resort attractions, you may visit my article called, "A walk on beach boulevard - in Germany".

I hope you have enjoyed your tour - it was my pleasure to have you along!

All images taken by Rose H. with an Olympus D-540 digital camera in April 2007.