Prora is a site on the German Baltic Sea island of Rügen. During the Nazi era the worker's organization Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) began building a huge beach resort hotel for 20,000 people at the shore of the Baltic Sea. The project was almost finished when World War II started, but it was never used as a hotel. In the East German era the site was used as a military base.
In the 1990s, parts of it were opened as a museum, but most parts of the megalomaniacal 4.5-kilometre-long building complex remained empty. Since 2005, various parts were developed to become apartments, youth hostels or event locations (such as the M3 Prora night club). Prora is also known as the Colossus of Rügen.
One way to get to Prora is by car. It is situated on the eastern shore of Rügen between Binz and Sassnitz.
There are two train stations, Prora and Prora Ost. Both are served by the regional trains from Stralsund to Binz.
Cyclists on the Baltic Sea Cycle Route (EuroVelo 10) will pass Prora on their way around Rügen.
You can get around the site by foot; however, if you want to see the whole building complex from end to end you might want to take a car or bicycle.
The building itself is the main attraction.
The Baltic Sea beach offers recreation and sports such as kite surfing, jetskiing, banana-boating and stand-up paddling.
There is a Reading Cafe in the Dokumentationszentrum.
Primary administrative division