North Sea: The best hiking trails for your holidays!
The North Sea coast is known for its unique flora and fauna. Explore the biotope of the Wadden Sea on guided hikes or discover the many facets of the North Sea on your own. Especially on the German and Dutch coasts, a wide variety of exciting hiking routes awaits you.
Table of contents
North Sea - 8 special hiking trails
Guided tour to Rungholt
At low tide, an extraordinary adventure awaits you on the North Frisian west coast. As soon as the water around the Nordstrand peninsula has receded, the seabed with its diverse treasures is revealed to you. Then is the perfect time to search for remnants of the sunken village of Rungholt during a mudflat hike. The professional mudflat tour promises discovery and educational fun for the whole family. Children, in particular, love digging in the mud to find crabs, shells, and lugworms. The special thing about this hiking tour: ancient pottery, house ruins, and wells from the 14th-century flooded Rungholt are hidden in the mudflats.
Circular hiking trail through the salt marshes of Fedderwardersiel
The starting point of the 10-kilometer hike in the Langwarder Groden is the Feldhauser Deich between Fedderwardersiel and Langwarden. You reach observation stands via boardwalks, from which you can follow the bustling activity of the birdlife in the salt marshes. Information boards provide details about fauna and flora. The bird colony in the salt marshes of the Wadden Sea is colorful. In this important resting area during bird migration and home to breeding birds, you can observe shelducks, avocets, spoonbills, oystercatchers, and curlews. At the National Park House Fedderwardersiel, you can learn interesting facts about life in and around the mudflats. The house also offers guided tours into the salt marshes.
Panorama circular trail
The panoramic circular trail invites you to explore the unique rock formations of the Morsum Cliff over 3.5 kilometers. You stroll on sandy-soft paths through the Sylt heathland, with benches along the way inviting you to linger. Follow the wooden boardwalk and discover native animal species and the fascinating color diversity of the earth layers. You can already feel the proximity to this extraordinary landscape at the Nösitisch parking lot. From here, the signage leads you to the viewing platform and further through the brown dunes of the Morsum Cliff. The path continues down to the Wadden Sea and finally through a distinctive desert landscape back to the Nösitisch parking lot.
Round to the Plistumer Lighthouse
The best starting point for a hike to the Pilstumer Lighthouse is the tranquil fishing village of Greetsiel. Walk from the parking lot on Greetsieler Straße first to the Stieltief, an artificially created body of water. Soon, the distinctive red-yellow Pilstumer Lighthouse comes into view. It was put into operation in 1891. At certain times, you can visit the Pilstumer Lighthouse. Climb the 28 steps like Otto Waalkes in the film "Otto – the Extra-Frisian." The comedy was filmed exactly in this lighthouse. After the visit, the hiking trail continues along the Wadden Sea. It goes back across the fields of the Pilstumer Tief.
Husum – Mildstedt – Husum
The marketplace serves as the starting point and destination for a circular hike around the storm city of Husum. From here, you first discover the Husum old town with its picturesque houses. The hike takes you through the Mildstedt biotope to Mildstedt and back again. In total, you cover 14 kilometers. You can make a detour to Husum Castle, where the crocuses are in full bloom in March and April. On your hike to Mildstedt, you discover the charming marshland. The return journey takes you over the outskirts of Husum to the city center, where you can refresh yourself.
Schlei-Eider-Elbe Hiking Trail
If you follow the marking with the white St. Andrew's cross, you will not stray from the path on the hiking trail. The Schlei-Eider-Elbe hiking trail stretches over 260 kilometers. The distance is divided into 12 stages. At the destinations of each section, you will find accommodation options in hotels and guesthouses. You should bring some stamina for the Schlei-Eider-Elbe hiking trail. After all, you are on the move for up to eight hours a day. Numerous attractions such as the Viking Museum Haithabu at Gottorf Castle or the stork village Bergenhusen are along the route. It is worth taking a break at the romantic Rantzauer Lake.
Wittenberg Heath
Due to its location south of Rissen, the approximately 67-hectare Wittenbergen Heath is easily accessible by public transport of the Hamburg Transport Association. You can excellently arrive by ferry, combining a view from the water of the Hamburg panorama with a subsequent walk in the Wittenbergen Heath. Influenced by the tide, the Elbe shore zones are among the most nutrient-rich landscapes in northern Germany. On your walk, you will encounter rare plants, such as the endangered snake's head fritillary. Paths lead through wide Elbe meadows, along rugged cliffs, and over Hamburg's last natural beach. The view often extends to the offshore Elbe island Nesssand.
Freudenthal Way
The Lüneburg Heath is unique with its purple plant carpet in August. Hike on the Freudenthalweg, which crosses the region from Hamburg to Verden over 151 kilometers. On the 170 m high Wilseder Berg, enjoy magnificent panoramic views. In Wilsede, the Heath Museum "Dat ole Huus" depicts the everyday life of the heath farmers. In Soltau, the thermal baths of the same name invite you to relaxing wellness for tired muscles. The little hikers also have their fun in the Toy Museum. Along the Böhme, you reach the Lüne Monastery Walsrode from the 10th century. At the endpoint Verden, the entertaining Magic Park makes eyes light up for young and old.