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    Wadden Sea National Park
    Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Germany

    Wadden Sea National Park

    Point of InterestNatureUNESCO

    The Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park was established in 1985 and, with 4,410 square kilometers, is by far Germany's largest national park.

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    9. Wadden Sea National Park
    The Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park was established in 1985 and, with 4,410 square kilometers, is by far Germany's largest national park. Since 2009, the Wadden Sea has been a UNESCO World Heritage site; approximately 30 percent of its area periodically falls dry at low tide.In spring and autumn, around ten million migratory birds rest in the Wadden Sea. In 2017, about 13,000 seals were counted. The best way to experience the seabed is on a guided mudflat hike; the main information center is the Multimar Wattforum in Tönning.

    Sights in Wadden Sea National Park

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Katinger Watt
    Park

    1Katinger Watt

    This approximately 1,500-hectare area on the Eider, created by land reclamation, is a breeding and resting ground for white-tailed eagles, lapwings, barnacle geese, and whooper swans. In the Lina-Hähnle-Haus, the NABU Nature Center provides information; a nature trail and an observation tower invite exploration.
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    Multimar Wattforum
    Museum

    2Multimar Wattforum

    Opened in 1999, the Multimar Wattforum in Tönning is the largest information center for the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. In the Walhaus (Whale House), a replica of a 17.5-meter-long sperm whale hangs, and through a 6 by 6 meter panoramic window, you look into a basin with around 250,000 liters of water.
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    Eider Barrage
    Attraction

    3Eider Barrage

    Inaugurated in 1973, the Eider Barrage at the Eider's mouth is Germany's largest coastal protection structure, safeguarding the hinterland from North Sea storm surges. Above its 236-meter-long road tunnel, a footpath offers views of the west coast and the Eider.
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    Nearby

    St. Peter-Ording

    St. Peter-Ording

    Sankt Peter-Ording is in southwestern Eiderstedt peninsula, Nordfriesland, a seaside resort since 1877. The town's districts are Böhl, Dorf, Bad, and Ording. It is the terminus of the railway from Husum.In front of the town lies a beach up to 12 kilometers long, becoming 2 kilometers wide at low tide. Landmarks include the 1911-built pile dwellings and the 1095-meter-long pier in the Bad district.
    North Sea Coast, Islands

    North Sea Coast, Islands

    Between Ostfriesland and the Danish border, islands, Halligen, and vast beaches line the German North Sea coast. Since 2009, the Wadden Sea has been a UNESCO World Heritage site; the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park alone, covering 4,410 square kilometers, is by far Germany's largest national park.You can travel here from Sylt, the largest North Frisian island, to Norderney, Germany's oldest North Sea resort, walk a beach up to 12 km long in St. Peter-Ording, or explore the seabed at low tide on a guided mudflat tour.
    Sylt

    Sylt

    Sylt is the largest North Frisian and northernmost German island, 38 kilometers long and 12.6 kilometers wide at its broadest point. You reach it via the 11 km Hindenburgdamm (opened 1927) by train or car shuttle from Niebüll, or by ferry from Rømø to List.An almost 40-kilometer-long sandy beach stretches along the west side. Between Wenningstedt and Kampen, the approx. 30-meter-high Red Cliff glows, with the Uwe-Düne, the island's highest point, rising directly behind it. Westerland is the main town, while Keitum boasts old captain's houses.
    Rømø

    Rømø

    Rømø is the southernmost Danish island in the Wadden Sea, directly north of Sylt. To the west lies Lakolk's kilometre-wide beach, where cars are permitted, and to the east, the mudflats. In between are dune heath, pine forest, and small villages with thatched captain's houses from the whaling era.

    Blankenese & Övelgönne

    Blankenese was a fishing village, first documented in 1301. Later, captains and pilots lived here; today, it is one of Hamburg's most affluent districts. In 1938, it became part of Hamburg along with Altona. The old village center is formed by the Treppenviertel on the steep Elbe slope with winding stairs and alleys, above which rises the 74.7-meter-high Süllberg. Upriver, in Othmarschen, lies Övelgönne with its kilometer-long Elbe beach and the museum harbor at Neumühlen pier.You descend the 170 steps of the Strandtreppe to the Strandweg, stroll through parks like the Römischer Garten, and watch the ships on the Elbe from the Elbe beach. You reach Blankenese with the S1; the small bus 488, the "Bergziege," runs through the steep streets. To Övelgönne, the HADAG Ferry 62 takes you from the Landungsbrücken to Neumühlen.