Beach sailors dash across the fine sand of Ording, kite surfers seek their luck out among the waves, and from the pile dwellings so typical of St. Peter-Ording you have a great view of the North Sea. The largest town on the Eiderstedt peninsula, often just called SPO by the locals, is one of the most attractive vacation destinations in Schleswig-Holstein.
The beach of St. Peter-Ording is 12 kilometers long and up to 2 kilometers wide - so the conditions for one or even several beautiful days at the beach are given. A total of five beaches, each with its own character, extend parallel to the dike and the individual districts of SPO. Everywhere you will see the pile dwellings so typical for the island, the lifeguard stations and probably also a lot of kite surfers and beach sailors. A special experience are horseback rides along the beaches. To move high on horseback through the unique nature of the Wadden Sea, remains long in the memory and is bookable on SPO for beginners, advanced, children and adults.
SPO is divided into four districts - Böhl, village, bath and Ording. In St. Peter bath is the lively center of the island. Here you will find, among other things, the dune spa, the pier, the dune house and the adventure promenade with a variety of culinary and shopping opportunities. Well-preserved thatched roof houses, some museum offers and the church St. Peter wait in the district Village on you. Biggest highlight in Ording is the beach where every year numerous water and beach sports enthusiasts gather for major events such as the kite festival or beach volleyball. Quiet and relaxed goes in Böhl to. The landmark is the lighthouse, which is over 120 years old.
Typical for SPO are the pile dwellings up to seven meters high. For over 100 years, the wooden huts on stilts have shaped the beach image of the districts of Ording, Bad, Dorf and Böhl. The first pile dwelling, the "Giftbude", was opened in 1911. The name, by the way, does not suggest any criminal activities, but rather pointed out to bathers in a North German manner that there was "wat geev", something to buy here. Today, you can enjoy island specialties with the best view of the North Sea in five pile dwelling restaurants.
Also eye-catching from afar fall the lighthouses of the Eiderstedt peninsula. In Westerhever stands probably the most famous lighthouse in Germany. Surrounded by salt marshes, in clear weather you have the opportunity to discover almost all the church spires of the peninsula from its platform at a height of 41 meters. The lighthouse is about 2.5 kilometers from the outer dike and can only be reached by bike or on foot. In SPO itself you will find the Böhler lighthouse, built in 1892 from red-brown bricks - a worthwhile destination for walks, especially in the evening hours.
Sandbanks, dunes and salt marshes characterize the region of Eiderstedt, which was formed by the joining of two islands and a peninsula. During the breeding season you can observe countless birds there. Among the greatest attractions are the Eider barrage, the largest German coastal protection structure, the Westerheversand lighthouse, numerous Museums and churches as well as the Multimar Wattforum in Toenning.
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to St. Peter-Ording: Plan arrival.
Cover photo: Landmark of SPO in the sunset - pile house on the beach of St.Peter-Ording © Joachim - stock.adobe.com
