Rugard

The Rugard, at 91 m above sea level (NN), is the highest elevation in the central region of the German Baltic Sea island of Rügen. This push end moraine was formed in the last ice age and lies on the northeastern perimeter of the town of Bergen auf Rügen. There was probably a castle here from the 9th century to the year 1325 A.D., in which princes of the Slavic Rani tribe resided. These princes ruled Rügen and parts of the adjacent mainland. The Slavic name Rugard (German: Rujanenburg) dates to that period. The site had an inner and outer ward and covered an area of 2.3 hectares.

When the Rani's princely line ended in 1325 with the death of Wizlaw III, the castle lost its importance and fell into disrepair. Some of its ramparts have survived, however, and may still be made out today. In the Middle Ages there was a mill here and the area was used for agriculture. Until 1830, when Prince Wilhelm Malte I of Putbus (1783-1854) had the ramparts reforested, the Rugard was treeless. Karl Friedrich Schinkel captured its former appearance in his 1821 painting Der Rugard auf Rügen ("The Rugard on Rügen").

Over time, a forest grew up, consisting mainly of spruce and pine trees, interrupted by small stands of oak, birch and poplar as well as many other deciduous and coniferous trees. The native beech is barely represented. In 1984, a 2.5 km nature trail was established that runs through the Rugard Forest (Rugardwald) where visitors are able to learn about the variety of animal and plant life in this historic countryside from the various information boards.

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Wikipedia