Good Morning! North Sea vacation with children high up in the north

Where to go on a North Sea vacation with children? We’ll tell you! Our Anael from Hamburg has put together her personal North Sea tips for you – from St. Peter-Ording to Sylt. Here you will find our ultimate recommendations for accommodation, beach and Co. during a North Sea holiday with children in the Frisian Caribbean.

How we choose the perfect one North Sea vacation with children imagine? The kids build castles in the North Sea sand – with shell decoration and lots of seaweed. Meanwhile, the parents chill in the beach chair, do not lift a finger and hear it büschn Just wind when blowing. The family then walks through the mudflats, explores farms in the hinterland by bike or indulges in a fish roll at the cute harbor. And for this to be the same – during your vacation on the North Sea – you don’t have to do anything, except read on right now …

Family vacation North Sea – our experiences

I’ll tell you straight away: If someone had told me 5 years ago that I was going to vacation on the North Sea (and I still like it!), I would have burst out laughing. For me, the North Sea vacation was covered with a meter-high layer of dust. In general: vacation in Germany – snore! Then we moved to Hamburg and my husband took me to Family vacation on Föhr persuaded. And then she had broken out with me, the #Nordseeliebe. In the meantime we are constantly with the children on the North Sea and do not find it boring! Sure, some North Sea accommodations still seem to have sprung from a 1970s time machine, but there are so many new, hip, beautiful things here! Above all, the offer for families with children is almost endless and only then these wide, beautiful, flat sandy beaches … I am converted! For our family vacation it doesn’t have to be Mediterranean coasts and coconut shell drinks. Also in the sense of Greta and #fridaysforfuture! In the event of an acute attack of sea sickness, the German sea is quickly reached from many German cities – sometimes for one Weekend on the North Sea with the kids! Nevertheless, we want to be honest: Holidays on the North Sea are not just a breeze from Mallorca in terms of weather. Northern lights are a blow of their own. True to the motto "Here you say Moin. Because Hello. Hello is already babble ”, one likes to live all the clichés of the cool blonde here in the north. Even enthusiastic approval is usually summarized in a simple "jo" (right, dear colleague Laura!). But since many a North German hides the more dry joke between the few words, it can be very funny. Our motto on family holidays on the North Sea is therefore: nothing personal, but take everything with a lot of humor!

North Sea with children – more exotic than you think!

Watt mut dat mutt! A must-see on your North Sea family vacation – and hard to miss – that’s it mud flat. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009 and is on par with the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef! Anyway, a vacation in the far north is more exotic than you might think. Not only because of the pure white beaches on the North Sea islands, seal watching and the endless range of hip water sports, no, also because of the language! Frisian is still spoken by around 400,000 people today, especially in the Netherlands, but also in East Frisia. You might think you are dealing with a drunken Dutchman or Danish, but in Low German you sometimes get something nice like that It smokes slowly and slowly (it runs like clockwork) or holl di munter on Farewell. If you want to impress one or the other Frisian on a family holiday on the North Sea, we have found an online dictionary German with vocabulary and sayings for you. Because: With eggs and bran you can get wall bull to the bottom (You can achieve a lot with flattery and friendliness) – also here on the North Sea!

Holidays on the North Sea – the best time to travel

Of course there is also summer, sun and sunshine here. But in the Frisian style. Friesian ore and rubber boots have to go with you – because as dry as the humor in the north is, the weather is wet. However, days of continuous rain are rare, as the wind usually blows away the clouds quickly. The greatest opportunities Bathing weather is available in the summer months from July to September. Unfortunately, you will not be the only ones on the North Sea beach. You have to book children’s hotels, farms and holiday apartments in the tourist hot spots such as St. Peter-Ording, Büsum, Sylt, Föhr and Co. for the summer with a lazy advance! Or maybe you’d rather come in the off season. The Easter and autumn holidays with the family on the North Sea are also wonderful. And the quick arrival also pays off büschn North Sea vacation in one Weekend trip with the kids. We also have a good argument for a winter holiday on the North Sea: from the end of November to mid-January, the baby seals are born on the white beaches of Heligoland!

Holidays with children on the North Sea – how to get there

A huge plus point of your family vacation on the North Sea: The journey! It takes less than two hours by car from Hamburg to St. Peter-Ording. And if you are on the way from Düsseldorf to Helgoland, you can be in Cuxhaven in just 4 hours by car and then take a comfortable 75-minute ferry ride to the island. It is only five and a half hours by car from Berlin to the ferry to Föhr and then another 45 minutes on the ship. The islands of Baltrum, Juist, Helgoland, Langeoog, Spiekeroog and Wangerooge are car-free by the way. There it says: cycling, horse riding, taking the carriage or classic pedes to your destination. Fortunately, the paths on the North Sea islands are flat and mostly short.

Holidays with children in Germany by the sea – the North Sea mainland

The Wadden Sea is one of the largest contiguous mud flats in the world and stretches from Denmark through Holland to Germany. The German North Sea coastline, which is shared by the federal states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg, accounts for just over 600 kilometers. And ebb and flow is what makes the North Sea so exciting and the biggest difference to its sea neighbor, the Baltic Sea. There are tides on the Baltic Sea, but the difference in water levels is so small that it is hardly noticeable. Not like on the North Sea coast – here you can maybe go on a mudflat hike in the afternoon where you chilled out on the air mattress in the morning.

Family vacation in St. Peter-Ording – THE hotspot for families in Hamburg

North Sea vacation with children in St. Peter-Ording – or "SPO", as the little town with almost 4,000 inhabitants is called by insiders – is hip. And not just since yesterday. Already in the 90s, the surf scene discovered the place at the extreme tip of the Eiderstedt peninsula – especially because of the cult television series "Against the Wind" with Ralf Bauer (of which there should be a revival as a movie in 2020!). And let me tell you: for the first time on the 12 km long and up to 2 km wide sandy beach you will – like me! – no longer able to shut my mouth out of sheer amazement. You will not get bored in SPO on a North Sea beach holiday, because the five beaches here are completely different. from XXL sandy beach in Ording (and by that we really mean XXL – there is even parking on the beach here) about the bustling promenade with a really long pier and the Dünentherme in bath by calm bohl with a lot of nature, Wadden Sea, directly behind the dike. This is also where the robbarium is located, where you can watch the seals and wild animals feeding. And finally, the surfers give the whole thing a very cool atmosphere. We find it sympathetic: Despite all the hype about SPO – there are still some old-fashioned buildings in the village and the mayor deliberately resists too many major events and a sell-out to hotel giants. Hopefully, St. Peter-Ording will remain “the cool village on the North Sea” for a long time.

The endless beach of St.Peter-Ording with its windsurfers

Büsum with children – also go swimming at low tide …

Büsum Seebad and – after Sankt Peter-Ording and Westerland – one of the tourism hotspots on the Schleswig-Holstein North Sea coast has been around since the 19th century. The story of the origins of the North Sea spa sounds almost like a fairy tale: there was once a small island in the Wadden Sea. Wild water and stormy gusts brought the island closer to the mainland. The clever locals built dikes out of meadows and thus united the former island with the mainland. Today Büsum is located directly on the North Sea on the mainland and is a fantastic starting point for long hikes in the mudflats. And the tranquil Büsum with the sweet lighthouse is completely geared towards a family North Sea vacation! Bathing and digging with children is best done in the new family lagoon, which was only built in 2012 pearl bay – here you will find play equipment and the best digging sand for the kids. And above all: a tide-independent pool so that you can splash around lively even at low tide. in the Mini-Maxi Club At the main entrance to the beach there is also a large children’s program with treasure chests, a large kite festival and Co. Büsum also has a main beach with shops and restaurants. However, this is a "green beach" – that is, the beach chairs are on the grass, not in the sand.

Anael’s little son also has a lot of fun in the mud flats in front of Büsum!

Cuxhaven – a colorful North Sea medley for families

A place that you have heard many times in connection with "family vacation at the North Sea" is Cuxhaven. For this part, however, I leave the word to my colleague Tanja, who grew up here on the beach:

My birth town of Cuxhaven, in the far north of Germany, is not particularly big with 50,000 inhabitants, but with 3 million overnight stays per year it is one of the largest beach resorts in Germany. In the past, it was more of a senior hotspot with so many building sins and hotel castles on the beach, but Cuxhaven is increasingly becoming a dream destination for young families. And that has it’s reason! Cuxhaven is actually a huge sandpit. The beach is 10 kilometers long and very wide. Above all, nobody can get lost or drown here, because you have to run endlessly to stand in deep water even at high tide. In order to swim properly, you have to find a tidal bank (water courses that sometimes form lakes) in the mudflats. But please only if you know what you are doing – it can quickly become dangerous …! Let that be said by a real Cuxhaven woman. What you do with your Family North Sea vacation in Cuxhaven in any case should NOT leave out:

Long mudflat hikes: If you walk across the mudflats in the direction of Kugelbake – the wooden symbol of the city – you are on the road for an hour. And then suddenly you are standing at the fairway where ships, sailing ships and container ships sail in front of you on the way to Hamburg! You can also find crabs and baby plaice in the mud flats. Exciting!
Get blown on the bike: You can drive the entire beach along the dike and stop in the restaurant or café every now and then. I prefer to take the family to the Kugelbake tour, on to the "Alte Liebe" in the harbor to Duhnen, where we then go out to eat.
With the wattage to Neuwerk: Neuwerk is a cute mini island off Cuxhaven with the smallest school in Germany – for example, there was only one student in the 2017/2018 school year. It is best to start from Sahlenburg (where there is also a climbing park, a forest swimming pool, kite surfers and a dog beach). Incidentally, the island belongs to Hamburg. The easiest way to get to Neuwerk is of course with a wattled car, a yellow horse-drawn carriage. At low tide you can also run!
Excursion to Otterndorf (20 minutes by car): There are a few cute shops and cafes in Otterndorf. I prefer to buy Scandinavian little things such as decorations, pillows, etc. in the dragonfly. You should also pay a visit to Café Brüning – formerly Omaladen, today really stylish!
With a catamaran about 2 hours to Sylt sail. The way is mostly rough, by the way, back. Or you can fly by plane to the favorite island of the rich and beautiful or to Helgoland.
My favorite restaurants and cafes in Cuxhaven: We prefer to go to Duhnen Kamps – a hotel with a bistro. Because the food here is really good – le >A very hot tip for a really authentic North Sea vacation is Ostfriesland(or: Oostfreesland), an idyllic region in Lower Saxony, in the very northwest of Germany. If you only think of tea, East Frisian jokes and Otto, you will be surprised by this idyllic spot! The Wadden Sea National Park, long beaches, small fishing villages, flat paths – past meadows and fields – definitely make the hearts of North Sea fans beat faster. The mode of transport of choice here is bike and canoe – hence the offer paddle and pedal in Southeast Frisia, where you can book cool combination tours in canoe and bike. You can also sail through the canals of the small towns by canoe. Then you should definitely still have the Frisian family vacation in the Maritime Mile in Wilhelmshaven Marvel at the lakes of the parkland or by bike Ammerland explore. A nice beach for families is by the way Norddeich with its seal station, children’s play house, adventure pool and Co. In addition, the ferries to the cute islets of Norderney and Juist leave here for a day trip. Those in a hurry can even do that island flyer to take. Then the journey to the islands takes only a few minutes. And in bad weather, go to the hands-on museum miraculum in the pedestrian zone of Aurich, where the minis can go on a discovery tour with all their senses. And after the beach and bike tour, of course First Koppke (cup) of tea!

Which North Sea island is the right one for families with children?

Summer vacation with kids on a North Sea island has Bullerbü flair. You are almost always outside, the air tastes of salt, the seagulls screech (… and – be careful! – steal fries), the villages are cute-hygge and sometimes car-free. However, the summer season is short – you have the greatest chance of beach weather with barefoot walking, especially in July and August. While the East Frisian Islands based on Holland, they are North Frisian Islands located with our Danish neighbors. In the middle – far in the sea – is the Sea island Helgoland. Of course, you have to decide for yourself which island is the best for your North Sea holiday with your child. But we wouldn’t be the Little Travel Society if we didn’t have a few tips for you!

Family vacation on the East Frisian Islands – in the middle of the mudflats!

Borkum: Borkum is the westernmost and largest of the East Frisian Islands – 30 kilometers off the coast of Lower Saxony! You can get there by ferry from the Emden outer harbor – it takes a little over two hours, but it costs le >Deät Lun – "the country" is the name of the island in Helgoland Frisian and the island is as extraordinary as the name. In June you can watch a heart-warming natural spectacle on family vacation on the North Sea Island: the Lummenspringen. How the newly hatched birds make their first flight attempts – that doesn’t leave young or old cold. With "Ahhh" and "Ohhh" we continue with the seal watching on the Helgoland dunes. By the way, you live particularly family-friendly on the “dune“, The smaller flat sub-island of Helgoland. Here you will also be spared the busy day tourism of the main island. Kids dig best on the south beach with turquoise, calm water. And: The main island consists of the highlands and the lowlands. This is really exciting because the two parts of the island are connected by an elevator!

Seals on Helgoland – super cute!

Family vacation on the North Frisian Islands – from chic to down-to-earth

The North Frisian Islands lie off the Schleswig-Holstein west coast. From south to north there are: the Nordstrand peninsula, Pellworm, Amrum, Föhr and Sylt. Which is the right one Island for your North Sea vacation with children is? We see it that way …

Sylt with children – family vacation on the Côte d’Azur in Germany

Sylt can be so idyllic – a lighthouse on the chic North Sea island

Everyone knows Sylt. And Sylt is always beautiful – it is not for nothing that the rich and beautiful have chosen the North Sea pearl Sylt as their favorite island in the North Sea! Sylt is therefore not only known for wind and sea, but also for champagne, oysters and celebrity alarms. Especially in Kampen, north of Westerland. Of course you have good chances for celebrity spotting in the Zanzibar, in the Samoa seahorse, the Lister oyster pearl or the Whiskey Mile. There are also golf courses on the island like sand by the sea – it is particularly recommended Budersand. Foodies get their money’s worth here anyway – the island has a total of 5 Michelin stars. Especially fish lovers and oyster fans (we only say: Sylter Royal …) are in good hands here. But be careful: the "normal" restaurants sometimes try to compensate for the Sylt winter doldrums with 3-shift systems. It then says quickly: Reserved at 6.30 p.m., complemented at 8 p.m. So it’s best to ask the locals or your hosts for the best restaurant tips. By the way, there are also some with kids on Sylt Attractions for bad weather days, e.g. the Sylt aquarium (where you can even dine next to sharks on Saturdays) or the nature center with its interactive elements. In the storm room you can even test how wind force 9 feels! You see – just reducing Sylt to celebrity hype is wrong for the beautiful island: Because on Sylt there are still – the wide, rather lonely beaches and the rough, fascinating nature. And if you have no school children and come to the island in the off-season, you can also make one or the other North Sea vacation bargain here.

Foehr with children – so much to do!

Is particularly suitable for wind muffle Foehr. Because the island is in the slipstream of Amrum and Sylt. This is not the only reason why Föhr is one of our favorite islands for a family vacation in the North Sea. And Föhr is a little Sylt and a little Amrum. There is something here, but you also have absolute peace if you want to. And the beaches are a highlight! If you like infrastructure, you should go to the south beach. There is the bistro Schaper. Beach bar lifestyle in Northern German. With Pils and legendary currywurst. You can find more peace on the beaches in Utersum or Nieblum. (Incidentally, almost all place names end here at –um.) In Nieblum you can take a detour from the beach Cliff Cafe do. You can get huge, delicious pieces of cake here. The specialty is the Frisian cake. A monster made of cream and plum jam. And while waiting, you play a round on the in-house mini golf course. Another tip for Nieblum: The candle barn. Here you can draw candles yourself. Or dye, it’s quicker. And then we go to dinner Pancake house in Wyk. Here’s the children’s favorite dish in forty variations. Whether you prefer soaked chocolate or in the noble version – everyone has to know for themselves. In any case, this is a good way to end an exciting day of family vacation on the North Sea island of Föhr with children.

Typical colorful beach chairs on Föhr

By the way: You don’t need a car on Föhr either. The distances from Inseldorf to Inseldorf are also not far by bike. And there is enough to discover along the way: rabbits run around everywhere, you can see cows, sheep and horses – Föhr is also an equestrian island. Your bike tour could also take you to the goat farm, for example Matzen in Oevenum to lead. Stroke sweet little kids and then buy delicious cheese in the farm shop. And in bad weather? Then it’s time for culture. For example, for a visit to the Museum art of the west coast in Alkersum. Here is the "blue room" where children can tinker and discover. And if you want to know how the tides work again and why the Wadden Sea is so important, you can find out more at the National Park House in Wyk.

Amrum and Pellworm – very quiet contrast program to Sylt and Föhr

Then there is the contrast program: Amrum. It’s very quiet here. But the Kniepsand on the west side of the island is particularly beautiful, and with its fine white sand it is one of the largest beaches in Europe. There are also pretty alleys with thatched roof houses and cute tea shops on Amrum. And beautiful, endless dune hiking trails, bordered by forests. At the end of such a hike you should definitely in the Café Schult in Norddorf stop by – by the way, we got this tip from Christine von Lilly’s Dairy, who was on the road with a baby in Amrum and wrote about it. The fourth in the league is Pellworm, also called Schleswig-Holstein’s Little Ireland. Because two thirds of the island is green. The disadvantage: there is no sandy beach here. You then have to decide – whether the sea will be approved by your minis without sand castles. It is not for nothing that the island relies on wellness tourism from couples looking for relaxation.

Seal banks and mudflats: Our excursion tips for the North Sea holiday with children

Visit Halligen: Especially on a small island you get the island koller. Then it’s time for an excursion! How about a day trip to the small Halligen, which you can see from the beach promenade? Halligen are small marsh islands, which are delivered to the lake quite defenseless and are sometimes flooded in bad weather. There are still ten of them in the German North Sea, which are grouped around the island of Pellworm. Seven of them are permanently inhabited. For example, from the Wyk auf Föhr ferry port Hallig Hooge and Langeness Controlled several times a week.
seal colonies: A highlight for children! Some excursions to the Halligen are combined with a visit to the seal colonies. When the tide is low, you can watch the cute sea creatures from the ship as they blow around on the sandbar and let the sun shine on their fur. Take binoculars and a camera with you! By the way, you can put together your favorite excursion here.
mudflats: And an absolute must is a mudflat hike. At low tide you can even walk from Foehr to Amrum. But not alone, otherwise you will end up somewhere! The waders take care of you and know how to tell exciting stories. As you walk through some deeper tunnels on the way, it is advisable to put on swimming trunks and have change clothes with you. The eight-kilometer Föhr-Amrum tour is therefore more suitable for older children.

Family vacation North Sea: Where to live?

From thatched-roof holiday homes to mini-guesthouses and cute farms to family hotels – there is nothing on the North Sea for families with children that does not exist! Admittedly, there are still quite a few accommodations on the mainland and the smaller islands with a dusty interior and ambience. But especially in St. Peter-Ording, Büsum and on the larger islands, some hip and family-friendly accommodations have opened in recent years. Ta-ta-ta-taaaa! This is it – our small selection of family-friendly North Sea pearls:

Family hotel in a prime location in Sankt-Peter-Ording

This is an article by Anael Heidweiler. As a South German, the North Sea was still alien to her a few years ago. But since she lives in Hamburg, she has learned to love the Frisian Caribbean. And if it were up to your son, she would have moved to St. Peter-Ording anyway. Because you can also ride a bike on the sand! Really cool!

Tanja Dockhorn was responsible for the Cuxhaven part. Tanja grew up on the beach in Cuxhaven. For some time now she has been living abroad – first in Bremen, then Hamburg and now in Würzburg. Her longing for the far north remains, however (original sound Tanja: "It is often too warm here in Würzburg. I need the breeze!"). And the longing for the sea was passed on to her daughter. When she and her husband proposed a long-distance trip to Africa with giraffe looks and Co., the little daughter was not impressed and immediately said: "Nah! I want to see grandma and grandpa in Cuxhaven. ”Well then…

Family vacation north sea, vacation with children, baby hotel

Family vacation on the North Sea holiday search The North Sea at a glance Welcome to Northern Germany! Exciting mudflats, collecting shells and building…
Family vacation on the north sea with children

Family vacation on the North Sea A family holiday on the North Sea promises to be entertaining and relaxing. You will find a nice family hotel in…
Family vacation netherlands, vacation with children holland

Family vacation in the Netherlands holiday search The Netherlands at a glance Sea and beach in the neighboring country When looking for a nearby…
Vacation dubai with children, family vacation

Family vacation in Dubai holiday search Dubai at a glance A modern oasis During your family vacation in Dubai you can look forward to a colorful mix of…