The North Sea coast of continental Europe is certainly one of the most popular travel destinations in Central and Western Europe. Of France to Denmark The varied landscape attracts millions of visitors. With the Wadden Sea, it offers a natural area that is unique in the world. The region includes the islands of the Wadden Sea.
Regions
The coastal low to the North Sea between the Strait of Dover and the northern tip of Jutland is shaped by the economy and nature conservation. Every country sets its own standards.
France
- As the only French region that has Nord-Pas-de-Calais Access to the North Sea.
Belgium
Parts of the province West Flanders are on the North Sea. Belgium's coast is narrow, but still has a number of seaside resorts, one of which Ostend is most significant.
Netherlands
Much of the Dutch border is made up of coast. A distinction must be made between the tidal flats and island landscapes in the north.
The IJsselmeer (literally: the lake of the river IJssel) is now a lake, although the salinity is even higher than usual. This inlet was still open in 1932 North Sea is used by sailors with respect.
Going to the southwest it closes Dutch Riviera with its sandy beaches.
Finally, the estuary of large rivers in the southwest of the Netherlands with the world port Rotterdam .
And in the very south Zeeland with its peninsula Walcheren and another Riviera, namely the Zeeuwsen Riviera.
- Zeeland Flanders, the area south of the Rhine / Maas / Scheldt Delta
- Region of the Rhine / Maas / Scheldt Delta
- most of the province Zeeland
- province South Holland
- province North Holland
- Parts of the province North Brabant
- province Utrecht
- province Gelderland below the city Arnhem
- province Flevoland
- northern section of the Dutch North Sea coast
- West Frisian Islands
- province Friesland (Netherlands) (Mainland)
- province Groningen (Mainland)
Germany
- North Sea coast (Lower Saxony) with the areas
- Elbe-Weser triangle (including Bremerhaven)
- Ostfriesland and the East Frisian Islands)
- Neuwerk
- Wesermarsch
- North Sea coast (Schleswig-Holstein) with the North Frisian Islands
Denmark
- Western part of the peninsula Jutland
- Danish Wadden Islands
Friesland
Friesland is a historical, cross-border region along the continental North Sea coast.
Neighboring regions
- The coastal landscape continues west of the Strait of Dover at the English Channel and on Atlantic ocean away.
- The coastal landscape is on the east side Jutland at the Baltic Sea away.
- In the inland it closes Central European lowlands at:
- Central Jutland in Denmark
- The North German lowlands in Germany
- In the Netherlands it is the provinces Drenthe, Overijssel, Parts of Gelderland (outside the Rhine delta) as well as parts of the provinces North Brabant and Limburg (Netherlands)that stand out from the coastal lowlands.
- In Belgium that closes Flemish lowlands at. It also protrudes France
- Foothills of the Ardennes lie in France and Belgium close to the coastal lowlands.
Cities
- Dunkerque
- Ostend
- Bruges with the district Zeebrugge
- Oostburg
- Middelburg
- Rotterdam with the district Hook of Holland
- city Utrecht
- Amsterdam
- Bremerhaven
- Esbjerg
- Aalborg
There are other large cities on the edge or away from the coastal lowlands, which are particularly important when traveling to the region:
- Bremen
- Hamburg, the most important airport in the German area of the region
- Antwerp, on the river Scheldt, which flows into the North Sea; largest city in Flanders
- Lille, the most important airport in the French part of the region
getting there
By plane
The most important airports in the region are:
- 1 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
(Luchthaven Schiphol, IATA: AMS) 
- 2 Hamburg Airport (IATA: HAM), Flughafenstrasse 1 - 3, 22335 Hamburg. Tel.: 49 (0)40 507 50, Fax: 49 (0)40 50 75 12 34, Email: [email protected].
By boat
Major seaports are
Ferry ports with shipping traffic Great Britain are:
Ferry traffic to Norway is proven in Hirtshals, Northwest Jutland.
Vehicles can also be transported to other ports.
There is a wide range of mooring options for pleasure boats. Many cities can also be reached by inland boats.
By land
- train: Most cities are connected to the rail network and can also be easily reached by long-distance transport. More remote regions such as the Rhine-Maas Delta and the Elbe-Weser triangle are connected to regional traffic and can be reached by changing trains. There is no train connection to Zeeuws Vlaanderen.
- Cycle routes
- North Sea Cycle Route
- The cycle route on the continent starts from the Belgian town De Panne to the Danish town Grenaa on the east side North Jutland guided.
- The connection to the British section is via the ferry service Harwich-Hook of Holland produced.
- The connection to the Scandinavian section is via the ferry connection Grenaa-Varberg (in Sweden).
- The routes on the Schelde, Maas, Rhine, Ems, Weser, Elbe and the Kiel Canal lead to the North Sea coast.
- North Sea Cycle Route
mobility
Air travel
There are some direct connections within the region, for example between Hamburg and Rotterdam.
Cross-border rail traffic
- There are no direct connections between the French and Belgian coastal towns
- Between Antwerp and Amsterdam there is a direct connection to the IC.
- Between Groningen and Empty the ARRIVA railway runs.
- The NordOstseebahn runs between Niebüll and Tønder and thus enables the gap to be closed on the German-Danish border.
Tourist Attractions
Landscapes
- Wadden Sea: In the German area, a contiguous area of national parks was created that covers almost the entire area of the German part. The German (except Hamburg) and Dutch parts are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Danish section is a nature reserve.
- Coastal dunes: The Kennemerduinen in Noord-Holland at Haarlem have national park rank.
- The island part Thy in North Jutland is currently the only national park in Denmark and is of glacial origin.
- National park Lauwersmeer, in the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Friesland, was initially a bay and was separated from the sea for reasons of flood protection.
- West Frisian Islands: Parts of Texel (Diunen van Texel) and Schiermonnikoog have the status of national parks.
activities
- Cycling, e.g. on the North Sea Cycle Route
- Mudflat hiking: There are longer mudflat hiking trails in the area of the island Neuwerk as well as between Amrum and Foehr
- water sports
