Prora is a site on the German Baltic Sea island of Rugia (Rügen). During the Nazi era the worker's organization Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) began building a huge beach resort hotel for 20,000 people at the shore of the Baltic Sea. The project was almost finished when World War II started, but it was never used as a hotel. In the East German era the site was used as a military base.

In the 90s, parts of it were opened as a museum, but most parts of the megalomanical 4.5-kilometre-long building complex remained empty. Since 2005, various parts were developed to become apartments, youth hostels or event locations (such as the M3 Prora night club). Prora is also known as the Colossus of Rugia.

Maps of the complex in 1945 and today

Prora seen from above

Prora seen from the land side

Prora seen from the sea side

Get in

One way to get to Prora is by car. It is situated on the eastern shore of Rugia between Binz and Sassnitz.

There are two train stations, Prora and Prora Ost. Both are served by the regional trains from Stralsund to Binz.

Cyclists on the Baltic Sea Cycle Route (EuroVelo 10) will pass Prora on their way around Rugia.

Get around

You can get around the site by foot; however, if you want to see the whole building complex from end to end you might want to take the car or a bicycle.

See

A statue of a East German soldier from the time when Prora was a military base

• The buildings and an open air art gallery Colorbeach.
• Dokumentationszentrum Prora, Objektstraße (Block 1, in the centre of the complex next to the former theatre), ☏ +49 38393 13991, info@proradok.de. The museum with some restored hotel rooms and pictures. €6/3. 
• Prora Zentrum, Mukranerstraße 12 (Block 5, in the north of the area by the Youth Hostel). 10 am to 4 pm daily. 
• Rugia Railway & Technology Museum (Eisenbahn & Technik Museum Rügen; ETM) (next to the train station). 

Do

The Baltic Sea beach offers recreation and sports such as kite surfing, jetskiing, banana-boating and stand-up paddling.

Drink

There is a Reading Cafe in the Dokumentationszentrum.

• M3 Miami, Strandstraße 51. 

Sleep

• Youth Hostel Prora, Mukraner Straße 12 (Block 15), ☏ +49 38393 66880, jh-prora@jugendherberge.de. Youth hostel with a camping. 418 in 96 rooms. B&B from €23,50. 

• Campingpark Prora/Rügen. 

• There are also several houses with rooms for rent.

Go next

• Binz
• Sassnitz