Island of Sylt – Germany’s unknown treasure

Have you ever heard of the island Sylt? No wonder – it is Germany’s best kept secret, but once you go there, you always want to go back.

Have you ever heard of the island Sylt? No wonder – it is Germany’s best kept secret, but once you go there, you always want to go back.

Sylt is Germany’s most Nordic island which has a strong resemblance to the Hamptons. Everything is different here – even the houses – which can easily cost 5 million euros and more.

For generations, Sylt has always been the island of the rich and famous, it is located up north of Germany and just a stone’s throw away from the Danish continental border.

The island of Sylt is the largest German North Sea island (38 km), situated about 14 km off the mainland and is connected by a causeway, “The Hindenburgdamm,” but this causeway is for car trains and passengers ending in Westerland, the main railway station of the island.

But what makes this island so unique? There are no palm trees – actually no trees at all – just endless white beaches and lots of sunshine, even when it is miserable in the rest of Germany during winter.

It is the Gulf Stream passing by and the different climate.

It is the special climate and salty air which is supposed to be very healthy, and taking a long walk along the dunes for hours is a good way to regenerate the lungs, doctors say.

Sylt is an enclave within Germany and hardly known outside of Germany, but can easily compete with fashionable internationals islands and upscale resorts.
It has over 17,000 second homes and a little more than 22,000 inhabitants.

To have a second home on Sylt means exclusivity, as real estate and property is hardly ever available for sale – but handed down by heritage. Prices for real estate have gone up so much, that hotel personnel and others are commuting now from the mainland. They would rather take a 90-minute train every day, than live on the island.

It always has been trendy to travel, even during the winter months, to the island of Sylt, which is just a 3-hour train trip away from Hamburg, and with Lufthansa, a direct flight via Dusseldorf.

Whoever is looking for luxury will enjoy the north side of the island and the mundane life in beautifully-thatched houses in villages like Kampen, Keitum, and Morsum, with a full range of high-end international designers stores, such as Prada, Ferragamo, and Cartier, to name a few.

Along with the famous and well-established millionaires’ mile of beautiful thatched houses, are famous restaurants of Nobel-ranked cuisine, with celebrated Michelin Star Chefs (6 Michelin Stars are on the island).

The isle of Sylt boasted for decades total exclusivity, and only private planes or helicopters landed on the island.

That changed 12 years ago when this idyllic hideaway and (in spite of the protesting inhabitants of Sylt) Germany airlines, Lufthansa and Air Berlin started to fly to the island, bringing mass tourism and new hotels. The result was that Germany’s “Nordic Paradise” now digested roughly one million guests each year.

But there are still plenty of tranquil spots. The most spectacular is at the island’s most southern end in an area which it has been said, served as refuge for pirates and fishermen for centuries. It was here at the far end in the south of Sylt at the beginning of the 19th century that a little fishing village was founded, called Hornum.

With a very photogenic red lighthouse of Hornum (also blinking colorful from German postal stamps) it is easy to spot the direction to southern end of the island.

This area had been a “no go” zone for decades, as it was used as a military base dating back as long ago as 1936/37 and was closed to the public and to construction. After the post-war period, 30 rather ugly brick and stone barracks were turned into children’s camp for the summer holiday, and later the Bundeswehr installed a training camp for medical service there, until it was completely abandoned in the early 90s.

Hornum offers on one side, great nature and the shores of the Wadden Sea, with a wonderful nature reserve and bird sanctuary on the right side of Sylt, while on the other left side of the island is the North Sea with its extremely healthy air and lovely cottages.

Now, thanks and due to the vision of Wella Heiress Claudia Ebert who had the 30 ugly brick and stone barracks taken down in 2005, this area has turned into a “must see and stay” zone.

The complicated nature conservancy issues that were blocking negotiations and constructions for years were finally resolved, and the vision of Claudia Ebert (who as a child had spent her summer holidays on Sylt) became reality with the opening of an 18-hole golf course.

The18-hole Scottish links, Budersand Golf Course, offers a spectacular view of the sea, the dunes, and passing ships. The course is full of tricky pot bunkers (over 90) and was rated as the third best golf course in Germany in its first year by Golf Magazine. The Clubhouse overlooks the entire Golf Course and coastline, and is a good retreat for non-golfers and gourmets, who will enjoy the superb kitchen and great food in the Restaurant Strohnolt.

Ever since the opening of the first 5-star hotel and spa (in May 2009), this end of the island of Sylt, with the charming little fishing harbor and Yacht Club in front of the Hotel Hornum, has become the address for a nonplus ultra holiday, where guests can rent out the latest-model Porsche or get picked up from the Westerland Airport in a posh limousine with drinks on board.

Arriving at the Budersand Hotel Golf & Spa Sylt, which looks more like a fortress, things change completely when stepping inside. A very warm welcome by friendly staff makes the day and gives guests an immediate feeling of well being.

The rooms come with amazing details and are considered the best of the island. The breathtaking sea view from the room is spectacular.

Newly-appointed Swiss General Manager Rolf Bronnimann, who has overseen the hotel during the construction planning and performed the opening, is an internationally-renowned hotelier who is bringing a new dynamic and inspiring touch to the island.

Bronnimann, also Managing Partner of SH Swiss Hospitality Group AG (with resorts in Vietnam, Mongolia, etc.) says: “This island is very special; there is nothing like it; it is unique and has it all. Sylt can compete with the rest of the world-famous islands.”

He is right.

The weather is not an issue on Sylt, confirms Herbert Seckler, owner of the most legendary, trendy restaurant and bar, “SANSIBAR.” Located in the middle of nowhere, the iconic SANSIBAR is always jam packed every night.

“We have never seen so many guests coming, as during these last winter weeks,” says Herbert Seckler, who transformed the former Beach Kiosk into the most trendy and fashionable spot on the island.

To get a table, you need to make a reservation weeks in advance – even in winter – in the summer, you need to book several months in advance… and this has been going on now for more than 3 decades.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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