East Frisia’s Wadden coast: harbours and lighthouses

Route description

Emden, at the mouth of the Ems, has a harbour full of museum ships and a good art gallery. Head north through the flat Krummhörn, a landscape of brick churches on mounds and quiet villages, to the little striped Pilsum lighthouse on the dike.

Greetsiel is the prettiest harbour on the coast, with shrimp cutters moored below twin windmills; try fresh shrimp rolls on the quay. Continue to Norden, East Frisia’s oldest town and home of its tea tradition, and on to Norddeich, where the seal station raises orphaned pups and ferries leave for Norderney and Juist.

The coast road runs east behind the dike through small harbours such as Neuharlingersiel, where cutters tie up right in front of the houses, and Carolinensiel with its museum harbour. Campsites and motorhome pitches sit just behind the dike, but they fill quickly in summer.

Finish inland at Jever, known for its castle and its brewery, a pleasant town to wander. The whole route is flat and ideal for combining with cycling; tidal times dictate when harbour villages look their best, so check them before you go.