Advertisement

Buy your own Baltic Sea harbour for just €38,500

Author thumbnail
Buy your own Baltic Sea harbour for just €38,500
Photo: DPA

An abandoned harbour on a scenic Baltic Sea island will be auctioned off this Saturday. With bids starting at only €38,500, the 9,600-square metre property is expected to garner lots of attention. But its fate post-sale is causing concern.

Advertisement

The stretch of coast, which used to be a hub for fishermen, lies on the pristine coast on the eastern German island of Rügen. It lies derelict and as the property listing states, is dotted with tumble-down shacks in need of renovation.

Click here for shots of the bay

With the auction starting on Saturday, Die Welt newspaper reported that 12 people had submitted written offers and some 438 had registered interest.

Yet who ends up with the pretty patch is causing concern for Germany's Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU). Head of the Rügen branch Marlies Preller called selling the land a “missed opportunity” to protect such areas.

The group is concerned that the Dranske region – where the harbour is – faces pressure from rich investors to sell the land to them before granting them building permission.

The little fishing harbour would, NABU boss Preller said, likely fit the bill for gas pipe firm Nord Stream who have been looking for a spot to develop for two years already.

Click here for The Local's property listings

Whoever lands the lot will face problems if they plan on building on it though, as what can be done on the patch is restricted. Development is not allowed, according to the area's planning authority, and obtaining the land “in the hope of building on it would be very risky,” a spokeswoman from the office said.

The Local/jcw

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also