Suche
Mein Konto
Bernstein Resort Pütnitz: Delays bring multi-million dollar project to a standstill
Schwerin: Delays at the Bernstein Resort on Pütnitz – construction planning expected by 2026, opening now for 2028.
Bernstein Resort Pütnitz: Delays bring multi-million dollar project to a standstill
In northern Germany, more precisely on the Pütnitz peninsula near Ribnitz-Damgarten, work is currently underway on the country's largest tourism project: the Bernstein holiday resort. There is always news about the ambitious project, but its implementation is taking much longer than originally planned. Northern Courier reports that currently only around a quarter of the funding has been accessed. In addition, full building rights are not expected before 2026, although the original plan was for 2024 or even the end of 2025.
Factors such as the complex clearance of contaminated sites and the cleanup of the area, which served as a military airport until 1994, stand in the way of the project. The ammunition clearance work, which has been underway since autumn 2022, is already well advanced; in particular, ammunition remains from the Second World War have been discovered. The city of Ribnitz-Damgarten, which owns the site, is planning intensive action: renovation work is planned after the growing season in October 2025.
A complex project
The project itself covers an area of 250 hectares and requires a total investment of around 350 million euros. The main investor is Center Parcs, which, in addition to holiday accommodation, is also planning a sports and adventure world called “Pangea Island” through Supreme GmbH. In addition, a new riding stable is being launched by the Bernsteinreiter. The master plan should be completed by the end of 2025 in order to then create the draft development plan. The city assumes that a legally binding development plan will be available by the end of 2025, which building authority manager Heiko Körner describes as “sporty, but achievable”.
Despite these optimistic plans, the project remains controversial. A citizens' initiative is mobilizing and expressing concerns about possible traffic chaos and environmental damage. However, these concerns were dismissed by the city, which points to the positive developments and emphasizes sustainable tourism for the region. In addition to the funding already mentioned from the joint task to “improve the regional economic structure”, around 33.2 million euros of GRW funds will be made available until June 30, 2027.
Sustainability in focus
A forward-looking element of the project is the focus on sustainable development, which is also achieved through initiatives of the Federal Environment Agency is underlined. The challenges of climate change should be addressed through responsible tourism. Various specialist conferences on sustainable tourism development are planned to provide good examples and solutions to problems. The cooperation between organizations from the fields of nature, environmental and tourism should also be ensured.
In summary, it remains to be seen how the project will develop. Pütnitz could soon become a piece of the mosaic in the sustainable tourism development in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania if the challenges can be overcome and the citizens are brought on board. The path is rocky, but the view could be worth it.