Sylt

Introducing Sylt

The island of Sylt is shaped a bit like an anchor attached to the mainland. On its west coast, the fierce surf of the North Sea gnaws mercilessly at the changing shoreline. The wind can be so strong that the world’s best windsurfers meet here each September for the final Surf World Cup of the tour. By contrast, Sylt’s eastern Wadden Sea shore is tranquil and serene. The shallow ocean retreats twice daily with the tides, exposing the muddy sea bottom. On Sylt’s north, you’ll find wide expanses of shifting dunes with candy-striped lighthouses above fields of gleaming yellow rape flower, as well as expanses of heath.

For the past 40 years, Sylt has been the preferred playground of the German jet set, providing gossip for Germany’s tabloid press. These days, the couplings and triplings are more discreet than they once were, but the glut of fancy restaurants, designer boutiques, ritzy homes and luxury cars prove that the moneyed set has not disappeared.

It’s easy enough, though, to leave the glamour and crowds behind and get comfortably lost on the beach, in the dunes or on a bike trail.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009