Helgoland or Heligoland as it is called in English is located in the southeastern corner of the North Sea and about three hours’ sailing time from Cuxhaven at the mouth of the River Elbe. It is Germany’s only high-sea island.

Helgoland consists of red sandstone standing out against the North Sea and has a very healthy offshore climate ideal for people with allergies as it is almost free of pollen. And because of Helgoland being an almost car free island it is free of air pollution too.

Lange Anna © flickr/Timo Kamph

Helgoland is very popular with day-trippers as you can easily get there by plane from Cuxhaven, Hamburg or other places as well as by boot from Cuxhaven (summer and winter) and numerous other places in summer. And because of Helgoland being a duty-free zone it is ideal for shopping tours. You can purchase tobacco, alcohol, electronics and many more.

But Helgoland has of course more to offer. You can stroll around on the main island, which is divided up in Oberland, Mittleland and Unterland on three different levels, connected with stairs and an elevator,  and enjoy the tranquility go on a guided tour in the old bunker. On Oberland you can also see the old lighthouse with a height of 35 metres which is the only building that survived British bombings during WW2.

At the north end of Helgoland you can see Helgolands landmark ‘Lang Anna’ a stack of red sandstone with a height of 47 metres. Nearby you can also find the ‘Lummenfelsen’, the world’s smallest wildlife preserve with thousands of guillmots and other seabirds.

Or you visit the small sand island Düne (Dune) that was separated from the main island in 1720. There you can enjoy a day on one of the beaches or simply stroll around.

And after a having explored the island you should enjoy a good meal in one of the island’s restaurants. Helgoland is famous for its fresh lobster and the ‘Knieper’, pincers of the great crab. But you can of course also get all kinds of fresh fish and meat.

The North Frisian Islands lie off the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Did you know that Sylt the most northern and probably most popular of the North Frisian Island lies on the same latitude as Southern Alaska? About 8000 years ago Sylt was separated from the mainland and can now be reached via the Hindenburgdamm causeway which is only accessible to trains. But of course you can take your car on the train.

Sylt © flickr/micha 1968

Sylt also is the largest of the North Frisian Islands and the fourth largest German island. Sylt is well known for its 40 kilometres of sandy beaches, coastal mudflats, unspoiled dunes, flowering heath and its thatched Frisian cottages and beautiful gardens. Sylt also offers a variety of walking and cycling trains as well as great water sports facilities. The lively centre of Sylt is Westerland but there are of course many other villages to see: Keitum and Morsum with the historical churches, the Morsum Cliff which shows geological history of five million years on a height of only 21 metres. The family resort Wenningstedt and Kampen with the Kampen lighthouse located between Kampen and Wenningstedt.
Tinnum Castle (Tinnumburg)was possibly built as a pagan holy site in the 1st century BC.  The island of Sylt still has its own dialect called Söl’ring with elements of Danish, Dutch and English.

Föhr is the second largest German North Sea island and lies in the heart of the Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea) National Park. With more than half of the island being marshland it has a lot to offer for bird watchers, hikers and cyclists. Wyk on the south eastern shore is the island’s main town.

Föhr © flickr/elbfoto

Amrum has wide sandy beaches and magnificent sand dunes which are up to 30 meters high. But in the heart of Amrum you also find dark forests and heathland. The island’s villages are located on the eastern shore with the health resort of Wittdün being the most important. In the village of Nebel visitors can see richly decorated 18th century tombstones. But there are also Bronze Age tombs and an excavated Viking cemetery that can be seen on the island.

Pellworm is an island full of unspoiled nature with marshland, meadows and fields. In spring and autumn visitors can watch migratory birds. By night visitors can not only sea the beams from the lighthouse but also the stars in the sky which is remarkably clear.

Nordstrand peninsula is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is surrounded by a dyke.  Nordstrand is perfect for cycling tours and you can also go on horse-drawn cart trips along the sea bed.

And last but not least there are the North Frisian Hallig islands. The marshy islands are a result of tides and storm floods. There used to be hundreds of Hallig islands but now only 10 still exist. On the small islands in the ocean visitors can find peace and relaxation but also get an impression of how powerful nature can be.

One thing visitors should experience when visiting the North Frisian Islands is a walk in the mudflats. But make sure you are accompanied by an expert tour guide because descending fogs and rapidly rising tides are always a great danger.

Wilhelmshaven didn’t get its name before 1869. It is located on the western side of the Jadebusen, a bay of the North Sea in Lower Saxony.

In Wilhelmshaven you can do lots of things like swimming, cycling or enjoying the cultural facilities of the city. And especially this year in June and July many sailing ships can be seen.

Sailing ship©flickr/Stefan Friedle

One of the city’s landmarks is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke (Emperor William Bridge), the largest swing-bridge in Europe. It was built from 1905 to 1907 and has a length of 159 metres and a width of 8 metres.  In 2007 the Deutsche Post released a 1.45 Euro stamp to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the bridge.

In 1983 the last steam-powered ship that had been laying buoys, the “Kapitän Meyer” shut down its service. But now being anchored it is a popular place for marriage ceremonies.

If you want to see windmills, you don’t have to travel as far as the Netherlands. The Kopperhörner Mill was built in 1839 on a site where mills used to be since 1547. If the weather is good you can see it in action. It is open to the public ever first Sunday of the month from May to October.

In the Wattenmeerhaus you can get lots of information about the Wadden Sea National Park of Lower Saxony. Here you can really experience the wadden sea and find out about the lives of lugworms or cockels and experiment with salt.

You can see many historical buildings in Wilhelmshaven. There is the beautiful brick building of “Werfttor 1” (Shipyard Gate 1). Its round arch double gate once used to be the main gate of the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard). There still is an old letter box with the label “Kaiserliche Werft” which is still in use today.

The Robert-Koch-Haus is a three-storey building with sand stone ornaments and a magnificent carillon in the upper gable. You can here it every day at 8 am, noon and 6 pm.

The city hall also is worth a visit with its very unique architecture. The clinker construction was built in 77 weeks from 1928 to 1929. Even today the tower with a height of 49 metres is still used as a water reservoir. From there you have a great view of Wilhelmshaven and the Jadebusen. Open to public from Monday to Friday.

The south side of the city is most suitable for a nice stroll. The Wind Watchers of the local artist Klaus Evenburg can be found at the Fliegerdeich. They are symbols of the forces of nature, wind and sea.

Of course there is even more to discover in Wilhelmshaven. There are the Aquarium Wilhelmshaven, the German Naval Museum, the Kurpark, and the NordseePassage with its shopping facilities and the Piratenmüseum, the Pirate Museum. In the old industrial building of the Pumpwerk (pumping station) many artists perform.

In the whale.worlds exhibition in the Costal Museum you can see a whale that was washed up the East Frisian island of Baltrum in 1984. Its skeleton and the plasticised organs are very impressive.

Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein is located in the very North of Germany.

The town is well know for its nationwide database of traffic violators, the beer, “Flensburger Pilsener” also called “Flens”, the handball team “SG Flensburg-Handewitt”, for being the centre of the Danish minority in Germany, the Naval Academy at Mürwik, and last but not least for the erotic mail-order companies, Beate Uhse and Orion.

Flensburg ©Julia Höfer-von Seelen

But Flensburg is much more than that; it is a beautiful town and a travel destination worth visiting. Flensburg lies at the Flensburg Fjord and on the Danish border. Because of being so near to Denmark Flensburg has its own Scandinavian flair, the old town is very picturesque and the harbour used to be very important in former times. Now only few big ships still come here, but there is still a big shipyard building mostly RoRo ships, and in the historic part of the harbour you can see old sailing ships and see how ships were produced in the past.

Flensburg © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

In Flensburg you can find nice quiet spots if you want to relax, museums like the Harbour Museum, the Maritime Museum and the unique Rum Museum of Germany, you find many restaurants offering excellent food, and you also find fantastic shopping facilities. You can go on day trips to the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the beautiful Schlei region and Denmark. Come to Flensburg to experience the beauty of the town and the frankness of the people living here, you will for sure love it.

Especially for those who are seeking peace and quiet and love the nature the East Frisian Islands are a great travel destination, as in winter there are far less tourists than in summer.

And on the isle of Borkum you can do guided mud flat walking-tours in winter as well as in summer. You can also fly to the isle of Juist one of the car free islands.

Juist©flickr/gerriet

Here you can have an island tour by horse carriage. In winter it is much easier than in summer to get to know the local people and maybe you can even try the local like “Bosseln”, some sort of ball game combined with a walk across the island. And can you imagine anything better than having a nice cup of East Frisian Tea after a long walk on beautifully empty beaches. They for sure have their own special beauty in summer as well as in winter. The East Frisian Islands are located in the North Sea on the German coast.

Borkum©flickr/froutes