tourism
Floating above the earth – the royal road on Rügen released
The skywalk over the chalk cliffs of the Baltic Sea island of Rügen is released with an opening tour of the guests of honour. photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
The view of Rügen from the Königsstuhl is spectacular. Visitors can now convince themselves of this again. This is made possible by a new skywalk over Germany’s most famous chalk cliff.
After almost two years of construction, the island of Rügen, along with its well-known chalk cliffs, has one more attraction. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) opened the new viewing platform above the Königsstuhl on Saturday and was one of the first guests to walk the 185-metre-long elliptical circular path.
“I’m convinced that the Skywalk will be a new magnet for visitors, and not just in the high season,” said Schwesig at the “historic date” for her.
The so-called Königsweg is held up by a huge guy pole and hovers over the 118 meter high Königsstuhl, the largest chalk cliff in Germany. The new platform is a heavenly path that is second to none and gives a clear view of the Baltic Sea, chalk coast and cliff forests, said Schwesig. “I’m sure once you’ve walked the Skywalk, you’ll always have this enchanting sight in your heart. This is where sky and water come together.”
The previous vantage point on the rock was cordoned off last September to protect the area from erosion. According to information from the Schwerin Ministry of Economics on Saturday, the total expenditure for the project amounted to around 11.37 million euros.
Simultaneously with the opening of the Skywalk, the modernized exhibition of the National Park Center was reopened after a five-month renovation period. According to the National Park Center, around 300,000 visitors usually come to the Königsstuhl every year.