Büsum is a fishing and tourist town of 5,000 people (2018) in the district (Landkreis) of Dithmarschen, on the North Sea coast, in Schleswig Holstein. Büsum is a popular summer vacation spot for families and day trips from Hamburg, and nearly all of Büsum's tourists are Germans. In the summer months, the inhabitants of Büsum are vastly outnumbered by tourists staying in the town for a few days or a few weeks.

Understand

Büsum as a fishing town is primarily known for its specialty Büsumer Krabben (North Sea shrimp, Crangon crangon), which are processed and canned for sale.

History

The first documented mention of Büsum (as an island) dates from the year 1140. During medieval times, Büsum was an island with three villages, Süderdorp, Middeldorp and Norddorp. Devastating floods in 1362, 1436, and 1570 drowned most of the island and destroyed Süderdorp and Middeldorp. The former Norddorp forms the old core of the town Büsum.

During medieval times, Büsum was frequently visited by traders of the Hanseatic League. The people of the comparatively poor island Büsum often resorted to piracy to better their lives, resulting in repeated conflicts. In 1420, men from Büsum sailed into the harbour of Hamburg to scuttle and loot Hanseatic trading ships. In retaliation, the Hamburgers pillaged and burned the island's church in Middeldorp. The new church was built in Norddorp and furnished with several items looted from the island Pellworm by the pirate Cord Widderich.

In 1585, the island was connected with the mainland by the building of a dam. Subsequent deposits of sediment by the sea created new land, which was further secured through dikes. Storm floods continued to take their toll: the flood of 1634 killed 168 people and destroyed 102 homes. During the flood of 1717, Werven village near Büsum sank completely. The last great flood happened in 1825. But even as storm-floods have gotten higher since then improved dikes have protected the town from storm tides.

From 1559 until 1867, Büsum (and Dithmarschen) were Danish territory, and then became part of Prussia. Since 1818, Büsum has been used as a spa town visited for the healing effects of the seawater and the mudflats of the Wadden Sea. It gained official Nordseebad (North Sea spa) status in 1837. To accommodate spa guests, Büsum was connected to the railway network by the Heide–Büsum railway in 1883.

During World War II, the shipyard and harbor in Büsum were used by the Kriegsmarine, making it a target for an air raid. Büsum was bombed on May 4, 1945, the day German troops surrendered in northern Germany and thus the last day of war in the region. Nine people lost their lives, 19 were injured, and five houses were completely destroyed.

Get in

By train

• 1 Büsum station. Served by local trains from Neumünster (updated Nov 2023)

By plane

• 2 Flugplatz Heide-Büsum (HEI  ^IATA). Served by general aviation and OFD flights to Heligoland  

By boat

Büsum is among the points on the German mainland offering service to Heligoland

Get around

The town is quite small and you should have no major problems navigating it. Most points of interest are close to one another

See

• 1 Büsum Lighthouse. Painted in the German red-white stripes that lighthouses are "supposed to have" according to popular imagination. It was built in 1912/13 from 55 tons of cast iron plates. (updated Apr 2018)
• 2 Rathaus Büsum (City Hall), Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, ☏ +49 4834 9940. A pleasant brick building (updated Apr 2018)
• 3 Museum am Meer. Among other things this museum deals with anything related to Krabben (updated Apr 2018)
• 4 Museumshafen Büsum (Büsum Harbour Museum). Displaying several old and historic ships and boats. (updated Apr 2018)
• 5 St. Clemens church. This brick church is surprisingly ornate on the inside, unlike the usually rather subdued Lutheran churches. (updated Apr 2018)
• 6 Phänomania, Dr.-Martin-Bahr-Straße 7, ☏ +49 48 34 - 96 55 17, info@phaenomania-buesum.de. During the summer season: daily 10:00-16:30. A science museum where you can test out countless experiments yourself. A good place to take the kids on a rainy day or to let out your own "inner child". Adult €15, child (6-17 years) €12, child (4-5 years) €8. (updated Apr 2018)
• 7 Büsumer Freilicht Deichmuseum (Büsum Dike Museum). (updated Sep 2023)

Do

• 1 Hauptstrand, Südstrand 5, ☏ +49 4834 909110. Main beach (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Meerzeit Büsum, Südstrand 9 (close to the harbour), ☏ +49 4834 909133, info@meerzeit-buesum.de. M W F Sa 10:00-20:00, Tu Th 08:00-20:00, Su holidays 10:00-19:00. Swimming pool with several types of pools: children pool, whirlpool, adventure pool, wave pool and a slide which is 110 m long. Hook's Bistro provides visitors with small snacks and drinks during a swimming break. There is also a sauna area which has an additional charge of €6. Day ticket: adult €14.50, child €9.50. (updated Sep 2023)
• From the harbour of Büsum, tourists can take trips to the sea, either for pleasure or fishing, as nature trips along the Wadden Sea National Parks, or to the island Helgoland.

Eat

Büsum is famous for Krabben (Crangon crangon) caught in the sea and landed here, and you can certainly buy it right off the boat (cooked on the boat to avoid spoilage, but you'll have to remove the carapace yourself).

Additionally you can buy fresh fish from the local market.

• 1 Restaurant Moin Moin, Deichstraße 20, ☏ +49 48 34 39 79. Tu-Su 17:00-22:00. (updated Apr 2018)
• 2 Restaurant Am Ankerplatz, Fischerkai 1, ☏ +49 4834 937325. Daily 11:00-21:30. (updated Sep 2023)
• 3 Zum Fischmeister, Hohenzollernstraße 9, ☏ +49 4834 1693, zumfischmeister@web.de. Daily 11:30-21:00. (updated Sep 2023)

Sleep

• Schlafstrandkorb. One of the more unique types of accommodation are the "Schlafstrandkörbe" which are derived from a Strandkorb, an elaborate mobile shelter that is a quintessential part of German beach vacations. They are rather small however. From €59 per unit. (updated Apr 2018)

Hotels

• 1 Hotel Schelf, Hohenzollernstraße 22, ☏ +49 4834 962090, fax: +49 4834 9620929, info@hotel-schelf.de. Design-Hotel garni with wellness area. 
• 2 Küstenperle, Dithmarscher Straße 39, ☏ +49 4834 962110, fax: +49 4834 96211600, info@hotel-kuestenperle.de. With spa and wellness suite. (updated Jun 2017)

Hostels

• 3 Jugendherberge Büsum (Youth Hostel), Dr.-Martin-Bahr-Straße 1, ☏ +49 4834 933 71, buesum@jugendherberge.de. 206 beds in 56 rooms. from €23.10. (updated Sep 2023)

Camping

• 4 Mobile Home Parking Space, Dr.-Martin-Bahr-Straße, ☏ +49 4834 9192, fax: +49 4834 2050, info@wmv-buesum.de. 100 places of 80-100 m². (updated Jun 2017)
• 5 Campingplatz "Zur Perle", Dithmarscher Str. 43, ☏ +49 4834 9621180, fax: +49 4834 9621188, info@campingplatz-zur-perle.de. (updated Jun 2017)
• 6 Camping Nordsee, Dithmarscher Straße 41, ☏ +49 4834 9621170, fax: +49 4834 9621178, info@camping-nordsee.de. (updated Jun 2017)
• 7 Campingplatz Seeschwalbe, Mühlenweg 35, ☏ +49 4834 8438, fax: +49 4834 965251, info@campingseeschwalbe.de. (updated Jun 2017)
• 8 Camping "An de Waterkant", Neuenkoog 8/9, 25761 Westerdeichstrich, ☏ +49 4834 8269, fax: +49 4834 8556, camping.waterkant@t-online.de. €30. (updated Jun 2017)
• 9 Camping "In Lee", Stinteck 37, 25761 Westerdeichstrich, ☏ +49 4834 8197, fax: +49 4834 1752, info@campingplatz-in-lee.de. (updated Jun 2017)