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Travel story: Islands and Halligen of North Frisia

team on tour

Islands and Halligen in North Frisia

Protective dykes, the unique mudflats and islands such as Föhr and Amrum characterise the vastness of North Friesland. The journey begins in Husum, the grey town by the sea, as the poet Theodor Storm called it, and leads along the North Sea coast to the offshore islands and Halligen.

Day 1: Individual arrival in Husum

On Tuesday 7th May, the long-awaited cycle tour ‘Islands and Halligen of North Friesland’ was finally on the agenda. My mum had wanted to visit the islands of Amrum and Föhr for a long time. When she discovered this trip in our programme in December, she was all the more delighted and it was clear: we were off in May.

My mum picked me up at 11am and we drove to Husum by car, full of anticipation.

When we arrived at the first hotel, we were able to check in straight away and move into our room. We were allowed to leave the car at the hotel for the week, in a separate car park behind the hotel so that it couldn't be seen from the road.

The e-bikes we had booked were already waiting in the bike garage so that we could use them for a trip to Friedrichstadt in the afternoon. We cycled for about an hour along small paths past fields and forests until we reached the dreamy town. With its many winding alleyways and dreamy shop windows, Friedrichstadt is an inviting place for a stroll. As we strolled along, we discovered Kajüte 1876, a restaurant right on the water. The nice lady conjured up two tarte flambées to order, which were hard to beat in terms of flavour. Back in Husum, we ended the evening in a cosy atmosphere at the hotel bar.

Day 2 & 3: Föhr

We started the day with a hearty breakfast at the hotel. The hotel offered a wide selection of different foods, teas and juices.

After checking out, we collected our bikes from the bike garage and set off. Within a few minutes we reached the dyke, which accompanied us from then on. On one side the Wadden Sea, on the other little lambs sunbathing or playing with their mates. There's hardly anything better for North Sea fans.

The included ferry tickets are not time-bound, so we opted for a late afternoon departure. This gave us time to take a detour via Nordstrand. A cute peninsula that is perfect for travelling through. During a break with a view of the North Sea, we enjoyed home-made roast potatoes and a cool apple spritzer. We continued along the dyke, watching the cute furry noses and accompanied by the barking of the sheep, and finally reached the ferry terminal after around 55 kilometres. Just in time for the ferry to load, so we were able to push our e-bikes straight on board and get a seat by the window inside. The ferry has a panoramic glass front at the front and rear, which offered a view of the gently rushing sea as far as the horizon.

When we arrived on Föhr, we looked for a restaurant and found ‘La Rocca’ right on the promenade. An Italian restaurant with excellent service and an appealing menu.

Round trip Föhr & Whiskey Distillery

After a delicious breakfast, we started our tour of Föhr. We had already researched what we wanted to visit beforehand. A great recommendation, as Föhr has a lot to offer. Via Alkersum to Dunsum, we travelled through idyllic meadow landscapes and dreamy villages to Dunsum. Hinrichsen's Farm is located here.

A visit here is highly recommended for all whiskey and/or animal lovers. The farm opened its own distillery a few years ago and the whiskey can be tasted and purchased either at a tasting or on request on site. As a whiskey lover, I naturally also bought one - if you're worried about the transport, the friendly staff packed the whiskey several times so that nothing happened.

Almost all the animal products in the small restaurant come from the farm's own sheep, chickens and cows. Changes to individual dishes are accepted on request, so there should be something for everyone. In terms of flavour, we can definitely recommend lunch. If you also want to get active, you can play a round on the neighbouring football golf course or alternatively cuddle with the mini sheep and watch the chickens.

We then travelled back to Wyk via Utersum, Borgsum and Nieblum, where, after a short break, we set off for a stroll through the town. However, most of the shops were already closed, so we stopped for dinner at a small family-run pizzeria. As half of the dishes were no longer available or could only be ordered in parts, I can't give a recommendation here.

Day 4 & 5: Exploration on Amrum

As we wanted to catch the ferry to Amrum at 10 a.m., we started the day with a quick breakfast and then drove straight to the ferry terminal.

The ferry arrives in Wittdün, so we had to drive once across the island to our hotel in Norddorf. As we had the best weather, we were able to get a good overview of Amrum. By chance, Mum's best friend and her husband were also on holiday on this beautiful island. We set off together to stop for coffee and cake. When we arrived at the cute Frisian café, there was already a queue of people waiting outside. We were lucky and managed to get a table so that we could sit together in a cosy atmosphere. The homemade cakes tasted heavenly, all cake lovers should definitely stop by here and take a break.

Afterwards, we took a walk through Nebel along various little houses and across the cemetery. In the evening, we said our goodbyes and made our way home to Norddorf.

Back in Norddorf, we stopped off at the hotel restaurant, which offered a variety of asparagus dishes typical of the season. After a short digestive walk, we decided to end the day and return to the hotel.

Excursion to Hallig Hooge

We started our second day on Amrum with a bike ride to Wittdün, where the ferry to Hallig Hooge departs from. Full of joy, we parked our e-bikes and walked to the ship. After a short wait, we were allowed on board and arrived on the small Hallig after a 40-minute journey. The ferry only sails here twice a day - so it's important to keep an eye on the time! Due to the limited time, we boarded a carriage, which took us to the main wharf in about 3 minutes. There are two small shops, a café, a supermarket, a kiosk and a small museum here. As is typical for Hallig, there are more sheep than people here, which made for a pleasantly peaceful atmosphere.

After a stay of around 1.5 hours, we were taken to the Hallig church. A small church with the Lord's Prayer in Low German and a shell floor. The neighbouring cemetery was also rather small, so there was still time for a walk along the fields.

Due to the fixed ferry times, we were back on Amrum by the afternoon, so there was time for a late lunch in Wittdün right on the beach and a stroll through Wittdün. We took a relaxed cycle tour across the island back to Norddorf, where we spontaneously decided to go for another stroll. Our hotel was right next to the shopping centre, so we left our bikes at the hotel.

Day 6: Husum

The day started with a 2.5-hour ferry journey back to Dagebüll via Föhr. We were lucky and once again found a seat right by the window so that we could snuggle up and enjoy the view of the endless expanse of the North Sea. Once we arrived in Dagebüll, we chose to walk back along the dyke, where we were once again watched by the little fur noses. Halfway along, we left the cycle path along the dyke and turned off in the direction of Bredstedt. We cannot recommend this route as it mostly runs alongside the B5 motorway. It's better to take the way back along the dyke - with the sheep and the Wadden Sea, it's never boring anyway.

Back in Husum, we set off on foot into Husum and looked for a restaurant. We found what we were looking for in a sushi shop and enjoyed a cosy end to the trip.

Anyone who has been paying attention knows that one thing is still missing in Husum: the Christmas House. You can buy Christmas items here all year round, so of course we took a detour before stopping off at the hotel. Due to the time of day, it was already closed, but you can still admire a lot from the outside. A must for Christmas lovers.

Day 7: Departure

The last morning began with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, followed by check-out. After loading everything into the car, we made our way home - with a stopover in Friedrichstadt. Here we strolled through the last few shops.

On one side the Wadden Sea, on the other little lambs sunbathing or playing with their mates. There's hardly anything better for North Sea fans.

Phyllis Wiechmann

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