Wild Rügen - Tourism vs. nature conservation | DW Documentary

Rügen is one of Germany’s most popular travel destinations, and one of its most sensitive natural areas. As millions of visitors flock to the beaches and chalk cliffs here each year, nature conservation and tourism inevitably conflict.

The documentary highlights the fragile balance between nature conservation and tourism —and the impact of this on animals, plants, and the local people. Rügen is home to some of Germany’s last remaining untouched coastal and forest landscapes. This unique natural environment is increasingly under threat. Problems include overcrowded beaches, illegal trails, RV campsites at the edge of the forest, nighttime drone flights, and dogs running loose in protected areas.

The documentary follows rangers from the Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve in their daily struggle to enforce rules and protect habitats—often meeting resistance from visitors who confuse freedom with being allowed to do whatever they want.

"Wild Rügen - Tourism vs. Nature Conservation” features stunning nature footage. But it also explores the downside of successful tourism. The documentary asks: How much pressure can an island withstand? And how can we succeed in preserving Rügen’s wild beauty, without shutting out those who want to experience it?


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