Baltrum
The island off the coast of East Frisia is located in the middle of the chain of seven inhabited East Frisian islands. Baltrum has about 600 inhabitants.
Healthy sea air, kilometers of sandy beaches, numerous play facilities for children and no cars far and wide - many islands in the North Sea and Baltic Sea are among the ideal destinations for a relaxing family or wellness vacation. We introduce you to seven (almost) car-free islands on the German coast.
Table of contents
1. Langeoog
2. Juist
3. Baltrum
4. Spiekeroog
5. Wangerooge
6. Heligoland
7. Hiddensee
The island off the coast of East Frisia is located in the middle of the chain of seven inhabited East Frisian islands. Baltrum has about 600 inhabitants.
On the about 20 km2 large island live about 1800 people. The neighboring islands are Spiekeroog in the east and Baltrum in the west. Parts of the island and the mudflats around the island belong to the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park.
The longest of the East Frisian islands, at 17 kilometers, lies between Borkum in the west and Norderney in the east. A good 1500 people live here.
The 18.25 km2 large island with its 800 permanent inhabitants is the only one of the East Frisian islands without an airfield. Spiekeroog lies between Langeoog and Wangerooge
The island in the National Park in the Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony is the easternmost of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands. The island is an official North Sea spa and has a good 1200 inhabitants.
The 4.2 km2 large North Sea island with its side island, called Dune, has about 1300 inhabitants. The biggest attraction is the Lange Anna, a 47 m high freestanding rock, and the guillemot rock populated by thousands of sea birds.
The 19 km² Baltic Sea island is located just west of Rügen. Hiddensee is known for its long sandy beach. This stretches on the west side almost the entire length of the island.
Wild dune landscapes, flowering pastures and a 14-kilometer-long sandy beach - Langeoog is a wonderfully pristine and natural North Sea island. Its landmark is the water tower built in 1909. From here you have a great view over the dunes, the village and the beach. The best way to get to know the fascinating flora and fauna of the island is to hike along the two nature trails "Osterhook" and "Flinthörn". On the way, with a little luck, you can observe seals on their moorings, as well as huge flocks of water birds. And all this in the midst of largely untouched nature. Langeoog is also the most child-friendly of the North Sea islands. A large playhouse, miniature golf, pony rides and a youth center by the sea provide the necessary variety on vacation. www.langeoog.de
Hoof beats instead of loud engines - around 50 teams and 100 horses serve as cabs, buses, airport shuttles, food trucks and garbage collectors on Juist. In addition, the "2 horsepower harbor engines" are ideally suited to give guests a first impression of Töwerland, as Juist is also called, during a tour of the island. The longest of the East Frisian islands, at 17 kilometers, is only 500 meters wide in some places. Juist is tide-dependent and can only be reached by boat at high tide, which keeps visitor numbers pleasantly low. Guided mudflat walks by the National Park House open up a unique natural area full of life to you. In addition, Juist is also a health island thanks to the fresh sea air and numerous certified Thalasso offers. www.juist.de
Just five kilometers long and just under one and a half kilometers wide is the smallest of the East Frisian islands in terms of area, which is located in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site. The ferry ride from the harbor in Neßmersiel to Baltrum takes about 30 minutes and offers a first vacation highlight with the passing of the eastern tip of the neighboring island of Norderney and the seals lying there. You can expect short distances, numerous small hiking trails, lots of fresh sea air and tranquility far away from any car noise and everyday city hustle and bustle. The most stylish way to explore the car-free island is in a horse-drawn carriage. Don't miss a trip to the east end of the island. Nowhere else can you experience the vastness of the sea and the tranquility of the island better than there. www.baltrum.de
Endless dune landscapes, wide salt marshes, listed Frisian houses and all this without disturbing car traffic - on Spiekeroog you will be able to leave everyday life behind you in no time. In the idyllic village center, small stores, individual boutiques, inviting cafés and the oldest church of all the East Frisian islands await your visit. Fine-grained, white sand, beach chairs and a mostly free sports offer make the 15-kilometer-long beach the most popular destination on the island. Three adventure playgrounds, the children's playhouse Trockendock, the InselBad (island pool) and the Circus Tausendtraum (circus dream of a thousand) provide great fun for the little vacationers. And thanks to the car-free streets, the handcart is one of the most popular means of transport for the little ones. www.spiekeroog.de
Active island, family island, recreation island and in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea: On the easternmost of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands, you can relax in the best possible way. You can spend entire vacation days here just on the beach with surfing, kiting, stand-up paddling, Nordic walking and fitness courses, or relax wonderfully thanks to the numerous Thalasso therapies and wellness offers on offer. Car-free roads, short distances and offers such as children's wristbands with beach chair numbers and contact details also allow families with smaller children to enjoy carefree days. If the weather is bad, we recommend a stroll through the island village, a visit to the museum in the Old Lighthouse or the National Park House Rosenhaus. www.wangerooge.de
If Germany's only high seas island is your one of the rare cars approaches, then it is accompanied only by a quiet electric whirring and probably belongs to the cab fleet of the island. Own motor vehicles and even bicycles are prohibited on the island. But that doesn't matter, everything on Helgoland is actually easily accessible on foot. Among the most beautiful sights are the colorfully painted lobster stalls at the inland harbor and the "Lange Anna," a 47-meter-high surf pier made of red sandstone in the northwest of Helgoland, on which numerous seabirds breed. In addition, numerous seals and grey seals live on the north and south beaches of the island. The marine mammals are now so accustomed to people that visitors are allowed to come within 30 meters of the animals. www.helgoland.de
Be it monasteryThe cultural center of the island with Gerhart Hauptmann House, museum of local history and island church, the listed fishing village of Neuendorf, Grieben, the oldest settlement on Hiddensee or Vitte, the secret capital - there is a lot to discover on Hiddensee. If you want to explore the charming island in the Baltic Sea, it is best to take a bicycle or a carriage. Cars are taboo on Hiddensee, only the school bus and a few supply vehicles are allowed on the few paved roads. In addition, the island has been a popular artists' domicile since the beginning of the last century. In addition to various exhibitions, you have the opportunity to discover works of art on very different themes along the way. www.seebad-hiddensee.de
Cover photo: Relaxed to the beach - cars don't play a major role on most of the East Frisian Islands © Doris Oberfrank-List/Shutterstock.com