Copyright: Nadja’s Germany
Sylt – A hidden jewel in Northern Germany
Have you heard of Sylt – one of Germany’s most exquisite places to be?
Perhaps you have no idea where it is. Of course, Munich and Hamburg are very elegant cities – each with their stunning architecture and fabulous lifestyles. However, there is another spot that attracts many German celebrities as well as those who simply love being surrounded by beautiful nature. Its name is Sylt and it’s is the most northerly of the North Frisian Islands situated on Germany’s North Sea coast, close to the Danish border.
The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of my favourite places to go in Germany. I love Sylt Island for its impressive landscape and wide sandy beaches. The island is 38km long and has a very distinctive shape. I still remember the car sticker shaped like the island in the nineties saying ‘I was there’, which many Germans proudly displayed in their cars! However, the shape of the island is constantly changing as the tides and storms attack its vulnerable coastline.
Copyright: Nadja’s Germany
Picturesque villages and stunning nature
The villages on Sylt Island are really very picturesque. Westerland is one of the more built-up and touristy villages on the island and where you’ll find the airport and the car train bringing visitors across from the mainland.
Kampen is very up-market with its grand houses and elegant centre full of designer boutiques, top-quality restaurants, bars and cafés.
Wenningstedt-Braderup is a lovely village but can be fairly busy during the summer. A quieter place is Keitum with its charming streets and typical houses.
The idyllic village of Rantum is situated where the island is only around 600m wide. Here you’ll find the open sea along the western edge of the village and marshland to the east. Its picture-postcard harbour is the perfect place to relax but still close enough to the hustle and bustle of the island’s centre.
Munkmarsch is one of the smallest villages on Sylt Island and ideal for those who enjoy being in a tranquil setting surrounded by nature. Its small harbour is the ideal place to sit and take in the beautiful surroundings.
Copyright: Axel Thom
How to get there
Sylt Island is located quite far north – so if you’re driving, it would mean quite a long drive. The island is connected to the mainland via the Hindenburg Dam where you can either catch a car or passenger train across to the island. Trains are fairly frequent, so you shouldn’t have too many problems getting one.
Another option is to fly. Sylt Air, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Ryanair all offer direct flights (particularly between April and October) from Munich, Mannheim, Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart. If you are flying from the UK, why not have a stop-over in one of Germany’s fantastic cities like Cologne?
I have created an itinerary that combines a stay on Sylt Island with a city break. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Click here to see the itinerary.
Here you can watch a Sylt video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFgxtQLMDUE