Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [582]
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Getting There & Away
Ferries (and Wattwanderungen) leave from Nessmersiel. Ferries take 30 minutes. Departures depend on the tides, which means day trips aren’t always possible. Tickets are €13 one way or €16.50/25 for a same-day/open return. Bikes cost €5 each way and luggage is usually free. More details are available from Reederei Baltrum ( Baltrum 04939-9130, Nessmersiel 04931-938 3400; www.baltrum-linie.de, in German).
To get to Nessmersiel change from the train in Norden to a bus (€3.60, 20 minutes).
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NORDERNEY
‘Queen of the East Frisian Islands’, Norderney was Germany’s first North Sea resort. Founded in 1797 by Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, it became one of the most famous bathing destinations in Europe, after Crown Prince Georg V of Hanover made it his summer residence, and personalities such as Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and composer Robert Schumann visited in the 19th century.
Now ‘Lüttje Welt’ – ‘Little World’, as the 6200 islanders call Norderney for the way fog makes it seem like it’s the only place on earth – is complementing its image of tradition and history with some decidedly modern touches. Its wonderful art-deco Kurtheater was built as a private theatre in 1893 but with the advent of film it morphed gradually from 1923 into a cinema, which is what it is mainly used for today. Another gem is the neoclassical Conversationshaus (1840), which today houses the tourist office.
The jewel in the crown is indisputably the Bade:haus ( 04932-891 162, 891 141; Am Kurplatz 3; pool/sauna per 4hr €13/19; 9.30am-9.30pm, women only from 2pm Wed), in the former art-nouveau sea-water baths. This sleek stone-and-glass complex is now an enormous thalassotherapy centre, with warm and cold swimming pools, a rooftop sauna with views over the island, relaxation areas where you can lie back on lounges and drink Frisian tea, and much more – all split between the ‘Wasserebene’ (Water Level), where you can bathe in the pools or bob around in the wave pool, and the ‘Feuerebene’ (Fire Level) zone for saunas.
Norderney’s tourist office ( 04932-891 131, 891 132, room reservations 04932-891 300; Conversationshaus; core hours 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat, 11am-1pm Sun, closed Sun Nov–mid-Mar) can provide more details or book rooms. A harbour service centre ( 04932-927 237; 9am-6pm) has information but no room-booking service.
The Nationalpark-Haus ( 04932-2001; www.nationalparkhaus-norderney.de, in German; Am Hafen 1; admission free; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun), directly on the harbour, has a small exhibition and regularly offers walks into the Wadden Sea (check ahead, as visitor hours are shorter in some months).
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Getting There & Away
To get to Norderney you have to catch the ferry in Norddeich. Reederei Frisia ( 04931-9870; www.reederei-frisia.de, in German; adult/child return €17/8.50, bikes €7.50) leaves Norddeich every one to two hours roughly from 6am to 6pm daily (later some days in summer). The journey takes 50 minutes and any DB office can provide details.
There are trains (€7.60 to €9.70, 40 minutes) from Emden to Norddeich Mole, the ferry landing stage.
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JUIST
Juist, shaped like a snake, is 17km long and only 500m wide. The only ways to travel are by bike, horse-drawn carriage or on your own two feet. Here, you’re often alone with the screeching seagulls, the wild sea and the howling winds. Forest, brambles and elderberry bushes blanket large sections of the island.
One peculiarity of Juist is the idyllic Hammersee – a bird sanctuary and the only freshwater lake on all the islands (no swimming). In 1651 Juist was torn in two by a storm tide, but in the early 20th century it was decided to close off the channel with dunes, eventually creating a freshwater lake. There’s also the Juister