Sylt Travel Guide

Urlaub auf Sylt
[ source: Flickr]

Sylt Overview

Sylt is northernmost German island, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein and well known for the distinct shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is its largest island. The island is known for its tourist resorts Westerland (Westerland vacation rentals | Westerland travel guide), Kampen (Kampen vacation rentals | Kampen travel guide), and Wenningstedt-Braderup (Wenningstedt-Braderup vacation rentals | Wenningstedt-Braderup travel guide), as well as for its sandy beach of 40 km length. It is frequently covered by media in connection with its exposed situation in the North Sea and its ongoing loss of land during storm surges. Since 1927 Sylt is connected to the mainland by the Hindenburgdamm rail causeway. Sylt attracts almost 800,000 visitors per year.

With 99.14 km², Sylt is the fourth-largest German island and the largest North Sea island. Sylt is situated at 9 to 16 km off the mainland, being connected there by the Hindenburgdamm causeway. Southeast of Sylt are the islands Föhr and Amrum (Amrum vacation rentals | Amrum travel guide), to the north lies the Danish island Rømø. The island of Sylt extends for 38 km in a north-south direction and on its northern peak at Königshafen is only 320 m wide. Its widest distance, from the town of Westerland in the west to the eastern Nössespitze near Morsum, measures 12.6 km. The western and northwestern shore contains a 40 km sand beach, and to the east of Sylt is the Wadden Sea, which belongs to the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and mostly falls dry during low tide.

The island's shape has constantly shifted over time, a process which is still ongoing today. The northern and southern spits of Sylt are exclusively made up of unfertile sand deposits, while the central part with the municipalities of Westerland, Wenningstedt-Braderup and Sylt-Ost consists of a geestland core, which becomes apparent in the form of the Red Cliff of Wenningstedt. The geestland facing the Wadden Sea gradually turns into fertile marshland around Sylt-Ost. Today sources show that Sylt has only been an island since the Grote Mandrenke flood of 1362. The so called Uwe-Düne (Uwe Dune) is the island's highest elevation with 52.5 m above sea level.

[ source: Wikipedia ]

Things to See in Sylt

There is a nordic walking park, one of the largest in Germany.

Tinnum castle (Tinnumburg) is a circular parapet with a diameter of 120 meters and a height of 8 meters. It was built in the 1st century BC, likely as a pagan holy site.

Keitum has a historical church (St. Severin church), dating back to the 1200s. The green cliff is also located near Keitum (Keitum vacation rentals | Keitum travel guide). The village has been the economical and social center of the island until tourism started to get higher importance and Westerland (Westerland vacation rentals | Westerland travel guide), the islands onliest town, started to expand. From the old days are still many beautiful frisian houses left which were build by the towns seafarers especially during the whalehunting time (1650-1850).

Munmarsch has been the main port of the Island. Ferries from Hoyer (today in Denmark) landed here. When the "Hindenburg Damm" was finished in the 1920s, the town lost its importance. A marina is today located at the old port.

Morsum has a historical church (St. Martin church), dating back to the same era as the one in Keitum. Morsum is also known for its morsum cliff, that shows the geological history of the last five million years on its height of 21 meters. It has been under landscape conservation since 1923.

Sylt is connected to the German mainland by the Hindenburgdamm, a causeway with a railway line on top. The passenger trains connect Westerland to Niebüll or Klanxbüll, and there is also the option of taking one's car onto the train at Niebüll. Furthermore, Ferry services to the nearby Danish island of Rømø exist. Beyond, Sylt Airport serves the region.