White chalk cliffs with rustling beech forests above the emerald-green Baltic Sea; rapeseed fields along the lagoon shores and endless sandy beaches with beach baskets: With 1,500 kilometers of coastline, Rügen, Germany's largest island, invites the creation of myths. But Rügen is actually an entire archipelago made up of a dozen islands and peninsulas. And the Rüganer is a myth as well: there are Wittower, Jasmunder, Mönchguter, Ummanzer, Hiddenseer, and Muttländer. The author, who grew up on Rügen and still returns as often as possible, follows in the footsteps of Caspar David Friedrich and recounts ancient fishing legends and historically significant Baltic Sea resorts.