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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
Disembark, please!
As many as 3,000 day-tourists come daily to Heligoland. From the mainland across the Wadden Sea the boat trip takes about 3 hours. The ships don't dock in the harbor, they anchor in the bay. For 200 years tourists have been brought ashore by traditional robust oak boats. They have been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural World Heritage since 2018. An association is working to preserve them.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
Colorful reception
This colorful harbor promenade welcomes all newcomers to the island. The lobster huts were originally used by fishermen as storage houses, today they house restaurants, stores and souvenir shops. Those still a little seasick from the crossing, which can happen in rough seas, can first take some time to recover here before continuing on their journey.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
Delicacies from the sea
Heligoland is a great place for seafood. Lobster fishermen are still here, and crabs are also pulled out of the sea. "Knieper", is what they call crab claws. They are considered a delicacy here and are served with delicious dips. The guests are sometimes given a hammer to help them get to grips with the concrete-hard shells.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
Red landmark
An easy hiking path leads over a rock plateau to the "Lange Anna". The needle rock at the northwestern tip of the island is Heligoland's landmark — and a nesting place of many bird species. In June and July a seabird known locally as Lummen raise their young here and on the nearby Lummen Rock. They make their first flight attempts in the evening — one of the many natural spectacles on the island.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
The other world inside the rocks
Few today suspect that the rock has a huge bunker system running through it. It was built by the Nazis during World War II, who converted Heligoland into a sea base and fortress. The civilian protection bunker, the only one that has survived, can be visited nowadays. All other military installations were destroyed by the British Air Force in 1947.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
The beginnings of tourism
The Heligoland from before the Second World War now only exists on postcards. Heligoland was turned into a seaside spa in 1826 and tourism developed into a solid source of income until World War II brought everything to a standstill. When the island was returned to German control in 1952 and inhabitants were allowed to go back, the tourism industry within a few years picked up speed again.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
A unique feature for Germany: duty free shopping
From a customs point of view, Heligoland is considered a foreign country and is not subject to EU tax law. Guests can shop duty-free and without value added tax. This special regulation dates back to when Heligoland was British (1807-1890). When it was handed over to the German Reich, it was decided that the tax exemptions introduced under English rule should be retained, which still apply today.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
A hidden gem
The smaller neighboring island of "Düne" can only be reached by ferry. A devastating storm tide separated it from the main island almost 300 years ago. It has an airport, a campsite, holiday bungalows and many beaches. This is used on the one hand by bathers in the summer. On the other hand, it is also home to the largest colony of grey seals in the North Sea.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
A nursery for grey seals
In winter, hordes of amateur photographers set off for Düne island. This is when the adorable seal babies are born. Wooden paths and viewing platforms provide a good view of the animals — at a respectable distance. They must not be disturbed under any circumstances. Those who book a nature tour are on the safe side. Rangers bring tourists close to the animals — but never too close.
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10 reasons to visit Heligoland
A free light show in the evening
Some manage to be at the right place, at the right time. At the end of the cliff path, which leads to the Lange Anna, the view looks west. It is the best place to watch the sunset. The low setting sun makes the sky and the red sandstone rocks glow. But only overnight guests get to experience this as the day tourists are long gone to make their way back to the mainland.
Author: Anne Termèche
The northernmost of all German states calls itself the land between the seas. While the North Sea coast is only thinly settled, the state's three biggest cities, Flensburg, Kiel and Lübeck, lie on the Baltic Sea coast. A green, flat state, rich in protected nature reserves, extends between the North and Baltic Seas.
Sylt
Vacations on the North Sea between crashing luxury and Frisian coziness, wild surf and gentle Wadden Sea — on Sylt guests can relax wonderfully. As early as the middle of the 19th century, the first visitors came to the North Sea island for a swim; today there are almost one million guests annually.
Timmendorf Beach
There's a whiff of Sylt on the Baltic Sea in Timmendorfer Strand, one of the most fashionable seaside resorts on the Baltic. Its three piers are very distinctive. At 150 meters, the Seeschlösschenbrücke is the longest and, with the Japanese tea house at its end, the most unusual.
Hanseatic City of Lübeck
600 years ago, Lübeck was one of the most important trading centers in northern Europe. Water, magnificent red-brick houses and churches are still part of the cityscape today. The city is world-famous for a culinary specialty: marzipan.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
River island
Lübeck‘s Old Town lies on an island surrounded by the Trave River, which flows into the Baltic Sea about 20 kilometers further downstream. Historical ships lie in port in the Museum Harbour on the Trave, among them many traditional sailing vessels. Tourists can take day trips on some of them.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
The Holsten Gate
It’s Lübeck’s main landmark, and in addition, a structure so famous that it was stamped on two-euro coins in 2006. The Holsten Gate was built in the 15th century to protect the city against foreign conquest. Nowadays its walls, some of which are up to 3.50 meters thick, enclose a museum detailing the city’s history.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Brick buildings
Lübeck’s Old Town boasts many elaborately ornamented brick buildings - like the Burgtor, the northern city gate, with the customs house. The entire Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. The use of baked red bricks as building materials arrived in northern Europe in the 12th century. It led to the emergence of the northern German Brick Gothic architectural style.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Alleyways and courtyards
Seafaring and trade made Lübeck rich in the Middle Ages. More and more people flocked to the city, but space on the Old Town island was limited, so courtyards behind the main buildings were built up. Small, two story buildings and narrow lanes resulted. Nowadays, small alleys still lead from the main streets into the jumble of the courtyards — ideal places to explore!
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Seafaring tradition
Lübeck’s ship’s captains used to meet here. The Schiffergesellschaft is the former seafarers‘ guild house. Nowadays the gabled building, which dates from 1535, houses a restaurant with a maritime theme. Regional cuisine is served. Of course, that includes seafood dishes in many variations.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Marzipan
This sweetmeat made of almonds and sugar originated in the Orient, but it has a long tradition in Lübeck. Here confectioners always had the ingredients to hand, because the city was an important commercial center. Goods from around the world were available here. To this day, Lübeck is famed for its marzipan.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Thomas Mann
At the young age of 22, Thomas Mann wrote “Buddenbrooks,” about the rise and fall of a Lübeck merchant’s family. Later the writer was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature for the work. A museum in Lübeck is devoted to him: the Buddenbrookhaus is furnished as a setting for his novel.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
The European Hanseatic League Museum
Lübeck is considered the "queen of the Hanseatic League”. In the Middle Ages the city played a major role in organizing the northern German merchants’ confederation. It’s no wonder, then, that in 2015 the European Hanseatic League Museum was opened in Lübeck. Specially decorated rooms illustrate the way life was lived at the time the League flourished.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
The nearby Baltic Sea
What was good for the Hanseatic League merchants is still good for Lübeck: its proximity to the sea. The seaside resort of Travemünde is a district of Lübeck. As its name implies, it lies at the mouth of the Trave, where the river flows into the Baltic. After sightseeing in the Old Town, just come here, get yourself a Strandkorb — a roofed wicker beach chair - and enjoy the sea breeze.
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10 reasons to visit Lübeck
Yuletide wonderland
Lübeck is considered northern Germany’s Christmas town. Several Christmas markets invite you to buy presents and drink mulled wine in the Old Town. The biggest is the historical Christmas market in front of the town hall. The building, which dates from 1308, frames the decorated marketplace.
Author: Christina Deicke (ms)
Kiel, the state capital
Cruise ships can berth right in the middle of Kiel, and increasing numbers of tourists are using that mode of transport to visit this venerable seafaring city. Its closeness to the sea is constantly evident on land as well.
Your trip to Germany
Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We've got them: Tips for Germany — state by state.
