Helgoland Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Heligoland Overview
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea. Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands (population 1,650) are located in the Heligoland Bight (part of the German Bight) in the southeastern corner of the North Sea. They are the only German islands not in the immediate vicinity of the mainland and are approximately three hours' sailing time from Cuxhaven (Cuxhaven vacation rentals | Cuxhaven travel guide) at the mouth of the River Elbe.
In addition to German, the local population, who are ethnic Frisians, speak the Heligolandic dialect of the North Frisian language called Halunder. Heligoland was formerly called Heyligeland, or "holy land," possibly due to the island's long association with the god Forseti. Although culturally closer to North Frisia in the German district of Nordfriesland, the two islands are part of the district of Pinneberg (Pinneberg vacation rentals | Pinneberg travel guide) in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The main island has a good harbour and is frequented mostly by sailing yachts.
Where to stay in Helgoland?
Check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Helgoland vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Heligoland
Lange Anna, a 47 m high freestanding rock, and populated by thousands of seabirds
Museum Helgoland mit James-Krüss-Museum
Richtfunkturm Helgoland
Leuchtturm
St.-Nicolai-Kirche
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Helgoland
There are very few cars on Heligoland. There is a special section (§50) in the German traffic laws (Straßenverkehrsordnung [StVO]) prohibiting the use of automobiles and bicycles on the island. No other region in Germany has any exceptions to the general laws in the StVO, although other North Sea islands, such as Baltrum, have also banned the public from using cars and bicycles.
City street
[ source: Wikipedia]
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Helgoland. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Helgoland: Heligoland (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Helgoland
More about the History of Helgoland
n 1807, Heligoland was seized by the British during the Napoleonic Wars. It became a centre of smuggling and espionage against Napoleon. Thousands of Germans fled to Britain and to the King's German Legion via Heligoland. In 1826, Heligoland became a seaside spa and soon it turned into a popular tourist resort for upper-class people. The island also attracted artists and writers, especially from Germany and even Austria who enjoyed the freedom of the benignly ruled (British) island, including Heinrich Heine and August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben. It was a refuge for revolutionaries of the 1830 and 1848 German revolutions.
Helgoland has an important place in the history of the study of ornithology, and especially the understanding of migration. The book Heligoland, an Ornithological Observatory by Heinrich Gätke, published in German in 1890 and in English in 1895, described an astonishing array of vagrant birds on the island and was a major influence on the future studies of bird migration, in Britain in particular.
Heligoland is now a holiday resort and enjoys a tax-exempt status, as it is part of the EU but excluded from the EU VAT area and customs union, and consequently, much of the economy is founded on sales of cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and perfumes to tourists who visit the islands.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Helgoland Travel Guide special...
This Helgoland travel guide provides you with an overview of Helgoland, Helgoland pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Helgoland destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
