Islands and Halligen
The coast from List, on Sylt, right in the north of Schleswig-Holstein, to the mouth of the Elbe is a holiday paradise to suit every taste. Anyone taking a ferry over to Amrum, Föhr or Pellworm is accompanied by the call of seagulls and throws all thoughts of everyday life overboard.
Take long walks down Amrum’s wide Kniepsand beach, lose track of time wandering round picturesque Frisian villages on the island of Föhr, explore the wedding island of Pellworm by bicycle or delve straight into the lifestyle of the legendary North Sea beauty spot of Sylt – every island has its own, quite unmistakable character. From the beach on Föhr, the Halligen can be seen far away on the horizon. In total, ten of these ‘floating dreams’, as Theodor Storm once called them, still exist in the Wadden Sea.
Contrary to the North Sea islands, they did not develop from an ice-age Geest core, rather they arose as mud piled up after the two great storm tides of the Middle Ages – this makes them a unique phenomenon worldwide. Anyone taking a holiday on one of the inhabitable Halligen will find themselves almost alone with the wind, waves and unparalleled cloud formations. Even when the land is submerged in a storm tide, no one gets wet feet here, as the houses on the Halligen are built upon dwelling mounds – so-called ‘Warfte’ – for protection.
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North Frisia: Long beaches and raw charm »
On the mainland, green dykes with sheep grazing contently, marshes and salt fields, picturesque fishing villages, huge ‘Haubarg’ farmhouses and small historical towns are waiting to be discovered on foot or by bike.
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Unique nature paradise: the Wadden Sea National Park »
When the North Sea rolls back at low tide, many set off from the islands, Halligen, and various coastal towns directly into the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea, the largest national park from Sicily to the North Cape.
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Dithmarschen: Green and surrounded by water »
Sand moulds left behind by budding castle builders in the summer are washed away by the North Sea in the first autumn storms, down to the beaches of Dithmarschen to the south.
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