Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [579]
Hotel Pension Stöber ( 5580; www.hotel-stoeber.de, in German; Hohnholzstrasse 10; s €40-45, d €68-74; ) In a leafy neighbourhood a 10-minute walk south of the centre, this whitewashed building has traditionally German rustic rooms.
Am Elisabethufer ( 949 640; www.jever-hotel-pension.de; Elisabethufer 9a; s €42-48, d €72-78; ) Frilly lampshades, floral duvet covers and an assortment of knick-knacks are par for the course in Jever’s Pensionen, and exactly what you’ll find in this attractive and comfortable place with free internet (using an adapter in the power socket) and wi-fi. From the tourist office, it’s a short walk north along Von-Thünen-Ufer.
Im Schützenhof ( 9370; www.schuetzenhof-jever.de, in German; Schützenhofstrasse 47; s €44-55, d €74-90; ) For something a little more upmarket, this hotel, a 10-minute walk south (away from the centre) of the train station, has comfortable modern rooms. It’s favoured for local celebrations because of its excellent restaurant, Zitronengras.
Balu ( 700 709; Kattrepel 1a; mains €10-19; 5.30pm-midnight) Whitewashed walls and tasteful decoration give this African restaurant understated style. Tex-Mex and Italian fare are also on the menu, and once the kitchen settles down, Moses, who comes from Nigeria and runs Balu with his German wife, strolls around for a chat with his guests – even about Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, if Nigerian writers happen to be one of your interests.
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WALKING TO THE ISLANDS
When the tide recedes on Germany’s North Sea coast, it exposes the mudflats connecting the mainland to the East Frisian Islands, and that’s when hikers and nature lovers make their way barefoot to Baltrum and its sister ‘isles’. This involves wallowing in mud or wading knee-deep in seawater, but it’s one of the most popular outdoor activities in this flat, mountainless region. The Wadden Sea in the Netherlands and Germany became a World Heritage Site in 2009.
Wattwandern, as such trekking through the Wadden Sea National Park is called, can be dangerous as the tide follows channels that will cut you off from the mainland unless you have a guide who knows the tide times and routes. Tourist offices in Jever and Emden can provide details of state-approved ones, including Martin Rieken ( 04941-8260; www.wattfuehrer-rieken.de, in German) and Johann Behrends ( 04944-913 875; www.wattwandern-johann.de, in German). Or call Strandkasse Schillig ( 04426-987 174), a central office in Schillig for organising hikes on the Wadden Sea, and they can help you find a guide.
Coastal tours cost from €7 to €10, but if a ferry is needed for one leg of the trip, count on paying about €25. Necessary gear includes shorts or short trousers and possibly socks or trainers (although many guides recommend going barefoot). In winter, gumboots are necessary.
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Haus der Getreuen ( 3010; Schlachtstrasse 1; mains €13.50-22.50; ) With a historic dining room and outside seating, Haus der Getreuen is well known for its good regional dishes, especially fish.
For a drink, the area around Markt offers a few options.
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Getting There & Around
The train trip to Jever from Bremen (€15.70, two hours) involves at least one change, in Sande, and sometimes one in Oldenburg, too. Ask the tourist office for the free Urlauberbus map (see the boxed text, Click here). By road, take the exit to the B210 from the A29 (direction: Wilhelmshaven).
Jever is small enough to explore on foot.
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EAST FRISIAN ISLANDS
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Trying to remember the sequence of the seven East Frisian Islands, Germans – with a wink of the eye – recite the following mnemonic device: ‘Welcher Seemann liegt bei Nanni im Bett?’ (which translates rather saucily as ‘Which seaman is lying in bed with Nanni?’).
Lined up in an archipelago off the coast of Lower Saxony like diamonds in a tiara, the islands are (east to west): Wangerooge, Spiekeroog, Langeoog, Baltrum, Norder-ney, Juist and Borkum. Their long sandy beaches,