The Rugard is located in the heart of Rügen and is now a recreation and adventure park with the lookout point. On the southern slope of the 90-meter-high Rugard, Prince Jaromar I had the construction of a church begun around 1180, the model for which was the Lübeck Cathedral - the Marienkirche zu Bergen.
Rugard is a high elevation near the village of Bergen. It is a push moraine formed in the last ice age, on which there was a castle from the 9th century to the 14th century, where the Ranen princes resided. In 1168 the Slavic castle on Rugard was destroyed by the Danes when they began to Christianize the islanders with fire and sword. On the southern slope of the 90-meter-high Rugard, Prince Jaromar I had the construction of a church begun around 1180, the model for which was the Lübeck Cathedral - the Marienkirche zu Bergen. The castle ramparts are partly preserved to this day.
In 1821, Karl Friedrich Schinkel drew a view in his painting "Der Rugard auf Rügen", which shows the Rugard still in an unwooded state. Today it is surrounded by a wooded area, through which a 2.5 km long nature trail has led since 1984. In the 1870s, the tower built on the Rugard was a monument to Ernst Moritz Arndt, who was born on the island of Rügen. The 27 m high landmark of Bergen offers a beautiful view over the city and large parts of the island. In the immediate vicinity is the adventure world "Rugard" with island toboggan run, climbing forest, go-kart and quad track and mini golf course.
