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The Wadden Sea National Park – first German World Natural Heritage
 

Since June 2009 the UNESCO has registered the Netherlands and the German Wadden Sea as World Natural Heritage.
Therefore the Wadden Sea is the first German natural landscape, which was declared to World Heritage of mankind. In Schleswig-Holstein tourists can experience this unique landscape in frequency of the tides on mudflats hiking tours or during excursions to islands and holms.
With this nomination the Wadden Sea can be compared to the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef. This award is the greatest honor, a landscape can achieve.

The following PDF provides more informationen about the Wadden Sea as UNESCO World Heritage:

Download: Waddensea: World Heritage (english)

Download: Waddenzee: Werelderfgoed (nederlands)
 

A unique nature reserve
 

The Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage and Sea Biosphere Reserve Schleswig-Holstein stretches over 4,430 square kilometres, from the mouth of the Elbe to the Danish border.
Large areas of this unique nature reserve, which is classed as a national park, remain in their original state to this day.

The Wadden Sea National Park Schleswig-Holstein is the largest national park from Sicily to the North Cape. Nowhere else in Europe do so many different birds live as in the Wadden Sea – more than two million water birds and waders roost here in spring and summer alone.
Anyone lying in wait on the dyke with a pair of binoculars will be treated to a unique parade of species passing before their lenses, whilst those exploring the mudflats on foot will be amazed at the diversity of life in the slimy grey matter.

Holiday in rhythm with the tides
 

The tides dictate the rhythm of life on the North Sea coast. Every six hours, the water comes in for high tide and then goes out again for low tide. When the seabed is uncovered at low tide, holiday makers can explore the mysterious world of the mudflats and their inhabitants, accompanied by experienced guides.
The tides are caused by the earth's centrifugal force and the gravity of the moon and the sun: depending on the positions of these heavenly bodies in relation to one another, the tides are more or less pronounced.
There are tide calendars available in the tourist information office which give a more precise overview of the tides.
The mudflats can be discovered in every way imaginable, from literary hikes and Neptune baptisms to punch or full-moon tours. Guided horse rides into the Wadden Sea are another unique experience.

Experience more of the mudflats
 

That’s what young and old visitors can do in the Multimar Wattforum (Wadden Sea Visitor Centre) in Tönning. All the information related to the mudflats is made into a hands-on experience at many interactive stations.
You can also see what lives in the North Sea at high tide: the native sea creatures can be marvelled at in 12 large aquariums and 17 special aquariums.
Another quite special experience is the whale house, which displays a 17.5-metre-long skeleton of a sperm whale.

Multimar Wattforum
Am Robbenberg 1
25832 Tönning

opening times: 1 April to 31 October: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., 1 November to 31 March:10 a.m.–5 p.m., www.multimar-wattforum.de

Is it a bird?

The Wadden Sea National Park is a paradise for ornithologists, who often travel several hundreds of kilometres in order to observe rare birds such as the Terek Sandpiper, the Pectoral Sandpiper and the White-tailed Lapwing. You don’t need to be a bird expert to be fascinated by the diversity of species, however.
There are around 100,000 breeding pairs of seagulls, waders, terns and ducks to marvel at here between April and June.
In spring and late summer, when the migratory birds feed on worms, snails and mussels in preparation for their long journey, the Wadden Sea has the densest bird population in Europe. Red knots, Eider ducks, oystercatchers, Brent Geese and Barnacle Geese are amongst the species which spend this period here.
The best bird-watching spots are on the picnic areas during high tide – or on the bird-watching excursions organised by the Multimar Wattforum, the conservation associations, and certain mudflat guides.

More information
 

Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz,
Nationalpark und Meeresschutz Schleswig-Holstein (LKN)
Tel.: +49 (0) 48 61 - 61 60
Fax: +49 (0) 48 61 - 61 69
eMail: nationalpark@lkn.landsh.de
Internet: www.wattenmeer-nationalpark.de