Usedom Imperial Resorts

Bansin, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck sit in a row on Usedom's eastern coast and are called the Kaiserbäder because the imperial family and German high society summered there from the 1870s; their white villas in Bäderarchitektur, with verandas, towers and fretwork, line a promenade that runs about twelve kilometres through all three and on to the Polish border, described as the longest seaside promenade in Europe. Ahlbeck's pier of 1899 keeps four green-roofed towers and is the oldest surviving pier on the German Baltic. Usedom is among the sunniest places in Germany, which is why the resorts grew here.

What you actually see

• The twelve-kilometre promenade - a continuous seafront through three resorts.
• The Ahlbeck pier - an 1899 structure with four towers, the oldest surviving.
• The white villas - resort architecture from the imperial summer seasons.
• The sunshine - among the highest recorded totals in Germany.

When to go

May to September; July and August are crowded and expensive. The promenade continues over the Polish border to Świnoujście, which is walkable.

Honest expectations

High summer is very busy and prices reflect it. Many villas are hotels and apartments, not visitable. The Baltic stays cold into June.

Nearby

The Polish border is at the eastern end; Peenemünde is at the island's north.