Thatched cottages in Kampener Heide on Sylt

Sylt

Hindenburgdamm

Sylt (North Frisian: Söl, Danish: Sild) is one of the North Frisian Islands. In addition to one of the most popular holiday destinations within Germany, Sylt is also known as the most expensive island in Germany, so plan your budget accordingly. That being said, the expensive things are mostly lavish holiday apartments and champagne at the high prized bars and restaurants, so you can mitigate the impact somewhat by avoiding those.

Get in

After Germany lost its harbour with direct Sylt connections due to World War I, some other mode of transportation to the island had to be found and with neither air nor car travel commonplace a railway only dam was the logical consequence. The Hindenburgdamm (named for the rather infamous conservative/reactionary Reichspräsident that made Hitler chancellor in 1933) has connected the island to the mainland ever since and remains railway only, although some trains do transport cars.

• Take the ferry from Rømø (Denmark, as mentioned above) , € 60 for a car.

• The train from Niebüll. The Sylt Shuttle also transports cars.

• There are several connections by train from Hamburg, via Itzehoe

• The small airport on the island offers flights to and from mostly domestic destinations

• Seasonal trains run directly to the center and south of Germany in the summer

Cities

• 1 Westerland. (updated Sep 2015)
• 2 List. (updated Sep 2015)
• 3 Kampen. (updated Sep 2015)
• 4 Hörnum. (updated Sep 2015)

Get around

Bus is the easiest although bikes are also popular. On the bus a family ticket for 3 days all over the island is about 40 Euros.

See

Seal Willy Hornum harbour

• 1 Altfriesisches Haus, Am Kliff 13, Keitum. 
• 2 Denghoog, Wenningstedt-Braderup. Neolithic passage grave dating from around 3000 BC 
• 3 Rotes Kliff (Red cliffs) (between Wenningstedt and Kampen). 52-metre high line of sea cliffs 
• 4 Sylter Heimatmuseum, Am Kliff 19. 

Uwe Dune

• 5 Uwe Düne. 

• 6 The Seal Willy (Often seen in the Hörnum Harbour). (updated Sep 2015)

Do

Classically Sylt is a beach destination and this still remains the main draw of the island. While the landscape of the German coast is beautiful even for those who don't want to swim or bathe, be advised that the temperature of the water rarely exceeds 20 degrees Celsius even in the summer and that it can get rather windy. That being said, sunburn is a common concern especially when it is windy and appears to be cold, as the sun's UV rays are unperturbed by wind or temperature.

Another typically German thing to do is renting a Strandkorb (German plural Strandkörbe) and just sitting in it at the beach relaxing.

Buy

Square with stores in List, Sylt, you can see Strandkörbe in the foreground

Eat

Almost every restaurant on the island is seafood, with the fish burger being considered something of a takeaway speciality. The island is definitely not cheap with the prices somewhat inflated by the wealthy German tourists who seem to make up 95% of the tourist traffic.

• Dorint Söl'ring Hof, Rantum. 
• Sylter Eismanufaktur, List. Ice cream manufacturer 
• Kupferkanne. Coffee and cakes 
• Raantem Hüs, Rantum. 

Drink

Kampen

• Gogärtchen, Strönwai 12. 
• Pony Club, Strönwai 6. 
• Rauchfang, Strönwai 5. 
• Rotes Kliff, Braderuper Weg 3. 

Rantum

• Samoa Seepferdchen, Hörnumerstraße 70. 

Westerland

• Strandhaus, Lornsenweg 13. 
• Wunderbar, Paulstraße 6. 

Sleep

• 1 Youth Hostel Hörnum (Jugendherberge), Friesenplatz 2. 
• 2 Soel'ring-Hof, Am Sandwall 1, ☏ +49 651 836200.