The Colossus of Prora may sound like a piece of ancient history, but don’t be fooled by the name. This giant of a building (originally the longest in the world at a massive 4.5km) was built on the holiday island of Rügen by the Nazi party between the two World Wars.

Prora was planned to be an all-inclusive resort on an unprecedented scale, a new kind of tourism for the masses with 20,000 beds. It was the prototype of a handful of mega resorts intended by Adolf Hitler to create a nation of ‘people with strong nerves’, so they wouldn’t fail in a fight.

You can see why this location on the causeway-connected island of Rügen was chosen. The 10km beach here is of magnificent silky white sand, and back in the early 20^th century it was already attracting elite holidaymakers, who built themselves handsome villas in the fashionable spa settlement of Binz, at the beach’s south-eastern end.

Prora, however, was intended for the masses, but it never opened. It was just nearing completion when World War II broke out, and after Germany’s defeat it was garrisoned by Soviet troops, who blew bits of it up, for fun. The Stasi, the secret police, took over the remains for a while, and then for many years it was left to fall apart, shrouded in trees.

But now this sleeping giant has been reborn. In the course of the past decade, the five blocks still standing of the original eight have become a mix of hotel, youth hostel and luxury apartments.  Today, serried rows of glass balconies glint in the sun, each six-storey block slightly different to its neighbour, extending into the distance as far as the eye can see. Swimming pools sit out front, and at its road-served back, there’s newly-planted saplings and an endless repetition of protruding stairwells every 50 metres. There are a couple of spa hotels – the Dormero and the Solitaire – and a sprinkling of coffee shops, restaurants and a supermarket in the centre.

There is, however, very little reference to the building’s history, apart from in the dowdy looking Documentation Centre, where the exhibition MACHTUrlaub (‘make holidays’) fills in the detail. Here you learn how the centralised design was such that guests would have had to walk as far as 2.2km through the interconnected buildings, carrying their luggage, to reach their rooms. And how the daily programme would have included parades and communal games which may not have been described as compulsory, but there would have been informers amongst the holidaymakers, noting the non-participants. It was a matter of ‘have fun, or else’.

Along the shore

The beach itself is serenely unchanged since Prora was conceived, apart from lavish new (slightly military-looking) lifeguard posts, and regular signboards announcing ‘textilfrei’ stretches. During the post-war GDR times, FKK or Freikörperkultur was a big deal for people who wanted to experience some sense of freedom in the face of an unduly repressive state.

The original resort of Binz itself remains a period piece. The sand is demarcated with neat ranks of Strandkörbe, wicker beach chairs, which can be rotated to face the sun whilst turning their backs to the wind. There’s a pier, a bandstand outside the grand Kurhaus, and a shaded shoreside promenade that is lined with stalls selling trinkets and Milchreis, rice pudding with fruit puree.

Inland, villas of distinctive Bäder architecture, a mix of art nouveau and Long Island clapperboard, line its streets behind white picket fences with their ornate wooden balconies, rooftop gables, octagons, lanterns, and domes. Once private properties, with staff, they are now mostly sub-divided into apartments.

Binz is no longer a posh place for holidays, although the key activities are still the same:  a steamer still runs from the end of the pier to the chalk cliffs of the Königsstuhl, or King’s Chair, which were memorably painted by Caspar David Friedrich, the 19^th century Romantic landscape painter who played a big part in making Rügen popular.  And the ‘Raging Roland’ steam train still weaves its way along the coast to subsidiary resorts of Sellin, Baabe and Göhren, chugging past allotments and through thin forests of oak and beech, dappled with sunlight and laced with footpaths.

After months of non-stop work, I convinced my sister Mia to get away for a few days and spend some quality time together, on a luxury trip along the Baltic Coast of Germany.

Our starting point was to be Berlin, but before we set off northwards for our ten-day scenic drive, we had a bit of time in the city for a little sightseeing.

The last time I was in Berlin was back in the winter for a friend’s art exhibition and it rained the entire time, so now, with gorgeous early summer weather, I was excited to walk around a bit. We headed out and hit the classic sights, grabbing a quick lunch at a bistro on Alexanderplatz, a square where much of Berlin’s urban history is captured, and then walking along the remains of the Berlin Wall. Mia had never been to the East Side Gallery before, where the Wall is covered in murals, and that’s one of my favourite places in Berlin. It is such a strong statement.

We were lucky enough to be staying in the Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome, right by the Museum Island, and walked back to the hotel past Berlin’s iconic monuments as the sun started to set. Dinner in the hotel’s La Banca restaurant was a foretaste of the sea: I had salt baked cod with wild herbs.

Next day we hopped into our rented convertible and headed for the coast. The drive was serene and remarkably beautiful, and the Baltic, when it came into sight, was a hue of deep cobalt blue.

Our first stop was Stralsund, a charming Hanseatic town, and the gateway to the beautiful island of Rugen. We took a short walk around the city’s old square before crossing the bridge.

Rugen itself is spectacular and was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. The island is untouched and picturesque, surrounded by vast strands of white sandy or pebble beaches set against chalk white cliffs. In our time here, we went on a hike along the cliff-lined peninsula to Rugen’s easternmost point. We then emerged from amongst the thick trees onto the white sandy south beach, where it was bathed by crystal clear water.

Rugen is famous as a spa destination, and our hotel, the Travel Charme Kurhaus Binz, housed the splendid Puria Spa, so after an active day we could sign up for the likes of Hawaiian hot stone treatment.

After Rugen, we turned the car towards Hamburg, stopping in Schwerin to visit the city’s castle, a veritable Disneyland, complete with turrets, fortifications and elongated spires.

And then we were in Hamburg itself, a fashionable and artistic city, which provided the perfect final destination. Our trip ended with some dazzling shopping and a great dinner in the Jacob’s Hotel restaurant, which has two Michelin stars.

Nicole Harris is a travel and lifestyle journalist for Luxuria Magazine, a publication of Europe Luxury Car Hire. 

But it also has a difficult balance to strike in when and where to bring that history to the fore.

As a nation, it has some very telling self-flagellating visitor attractions, where no punches are pulled. I’m thinking particularly of the Holocaust Memorial right in the centre of Berlin, and the Documentation Centre in the former party rally grounds in Nuremberg, whose exhibits analyse the way in Hitler and the Nazi party manipulated the national psyche.

But now the German Youth Hostel Association has been criticised for its use of history in the promotion of a new youth hostel in the former national socialist holiday centre at Prora, up on the island of Rügen on the Baltic coast.

Prora is an extraordinary 4.5km-long construction, designed by Hitler’s architect Albert Speer, and it was planned to offer holidays for up to 20,000 people at a time, in the era of National Socialism. In the end, it was never finished, and would probably have been knocked down if it hadn’t been so immense. Now, however, part of it has been refurbished and opened as a massive youth hostel, with 400 beds. It’s a great location, backing a massive sandy beach, and it’s not surprising that the hostel is almost completely sold out for the summer season.

So far, no real problem. Unfortunately, however, a group of neo-Nazis has apparently praised the initiative for continuing Hitler’s strategy of providing cheap holidays, and now voices are being raised elsewhere to the effect that this was never a suitable place for having holidays. And even more voices are suggesting that the Youth Hostel Association should never have mentioned that the hostel is ‘in the world-famous Prora KdF buildings’ (KdF stands for the Nazi organization ‘Kraft durch Freude’ meaning strength through joy).

So what were they meant to do with Prora? Leave the place to rot, and try to pretend it didn’t exist? Nobody died here. Brutal though its architecture may be, its reopening as a place of accessible recreation is well-intentioned, and I think it’s good to see it being used. Visitors, German or otherwise, can choose to come here – or choose to stay away, if they feel strongly about it. But to criticise the hostel organisation as if it had some hidden fascistic motive is just plain wrong.

Prora’s page:  http://www.jugendherbergen-mv.de/Jugendherbergen/Prora%20mit%20Zeltplatz720/Portraet

The Baltic Coast with its 2,000 km of sandy beaches is the kind of place people come to again and again. The scenery is varied and includes high cliffs, forests and green lands. Islands like Usedom or Rügen are perfect for beach holidays and don’t worry, you don’t have to take your clothes off if you’re not so inclined.

Rügen, Germany’s biggest German island,  connected to the mainland via a dam, is famous for its limestone cliffs that feature in the works of the romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. Beaches are wide and white such as the Schaabe with beautiful dunes and 10km of sands, or the beach at the resort of Binz with shallow waters, making it suitable for children. From here, sunbathers have also great views on the white cliffs nearby. Speaking of sun, Rügen has on average 30 percent more sun than the rest of Germany. And yes, it can get really hot here.

A real jewel is Hiddensee, a tiny island just off Rügen, with a stunning lighthouse, 15km of beaches and no cars at all – verboten. The idea here is to first rent yourself a Strandkorb, one of the roofed wicker beach chairs to be found on every German beach and invented in the 19^th century by one Wilhem Bartelmann in Rostock. And then simply relax. No stress, just nature and peace.

Usedom, a bit further east off the Baltic Coast and also known as “Berlin’s bathtub”, has fantastic beaches and is very much liked by families. The Kaiserbäder (Emperor’s spas) Heringsdorf, Ahlbeck and Bansin were frequently visited by Wilhelm II, hence the name “Emperor’s spas”, and have beautiful promenades, lined by magnificent villas. The promenade connecting Ahlbeck and Heringsdorf is a particular treat for a relaxed stroll with lots of elegant architecture on the way. In Heringsdorf, Ahlbeck, Bansin and Zinnowitz visitors can also admire the famous piers, the Seebrücken.

Breathtaking landscape and a quiet pace of life

Very much recommended by locals is also the Darß peninsula with nice beaches between Prerow and Zingst. The landscape here is breathtaking and the pace of life quiet. Apart from the islands, the mainland of the Baltic Coast offers plenty of beaching options as well. Timmendorfer Strand is arguably the most famous Baltic beach, 6 km long and with a wealth of sports and leisure facilities. The beach at Nienhagen is a favourite for divers and nature lovers and next to the Gespensterwald (ghost forest) with interesting flora and fauna.

And there’s, of course, Heiligendamm. The small seaside resort , also called “white town by the sea” because of the ubiquity of white buildings lining the sea, and its Grand Hotel Heiligendamm have seen many a celebrity, past and present. Most recently, the participants of the G8 summit in 2008 managed to squeeze into one gigantic, specially made Strandkorb there. You can get one all by yourself. All you need to do is choose a favourite beach.