The North Sea Cycle Route Germany is part of the North Sea Cycle Route and part of Germany route D 1: North Sea Coast Route
Between Hamburg and Sylt there is a lot to see and enjoy on the Schleswig-Holstein North Sea coast. Just swing in the saddle and start cycling!
North Sea Cycle Route logo
Route profile
- Length: approx. 390 km
- Signposting: Good to very good.
- Slopes: Hardly, only when you have to cross the dykes. Instead, the wind can be more of a problem.
- Path condition: Mostly paved, but depending on the route, heavily soiled by sheep droppings. A few sections of dirt roads or fine gravel.
- Traffic load: Little to nonexistent. Roadside cycle paths are sometimes used, outside of the villages, especially in the northern section, it is mostly along the dike. Often you have the choice between the outside of the dike (here you have to share the path with sheep) and the inside of the dike (there the path often runs on very quiet back roads or farm roads). In the villages, the path on the dike is often forbidden for cyclists, here the route is guided on local roads.
- Suitable bike: No special requirements, but with headwinds or changing winds you will be happy about an appropriate gear shift.
- Family suitability: Suitable for families on the entire route, caution is advised when driving through town.
- Inline suitability: Many sections on the inside of the dike are suitable, the outside of the dike is only very, very limited - mostly too much sheep droppings and cattle gates that are partially embedded in the ground.
background
getting there
Public transportation
- Hamburg-Altona station or Landungsbrücken S-Bahn station
By bicycle
Route description with sights
Corner points of the route
On the outside of the dike in the Meldorfer Bucht
- Meldorf - From Meldorf with its famous Meldorfer Dom, the path leads along the country road first to the old Meldorfer Hafen, which marks the former coastline before the area was diked. We continue on the accompanying cycle path on a small country road to the coast. From now on you have the choice to drive on a small country road or farm roads on the land side of the dike (with a view of the villages and landscape), or on the outside of the dike with a view of the mudflats and the sea.
- Büsum - large seaside resort, excursions to Heligoland are possible. Shortly after Büsum you can go back to the outside of the dike as a cyclist and stay on the dike up to the Eider Barrage, again with the choice of the outside or inside of the dike, between which you can regularly switch back and forth. The outside of the dike always means: You often have to get off the bike and push the bike through the next sheep gate (don't forget to close the door!) And you drive on asphalt roads, but often also thickly covered with sheep droppings. Inside the dike means: You can't see anything of the sea or the tidal flats.
- Detour to Wesselburen
Eider Barrage, Way over the sewer structure
- Eider Barrage - As a cyclist, you can cross the barrage at the top and do not have to / may not go through the road tunnel. Gastronomy at both ends of the sewer building. Then you can choose to go up on the concrete dam or down on the country road, later you can drive on the outside of the dike to Sankt Peter-Ording.
- Sankt Peter-Ording - on Eiderstedt, most beautiful beach on the coast
- Westerhever - an excursus from the main route to the well-known Westerheversand lighthouse
- Husum - historical old town around the old Hafebnecken
- North beach - ferry to Pellworm
4 km out into the mudflats to the Hamburger Hallig
- Detour to Hamburger Hallig - At the level of Reußenkoog / Sönke-Nissen-Koog it goes over the dike to the Amsinck-Haus, an information center for the region, directly behind it. However, the detour on a narrow path out into the mudflats is particularly worthwhile. You cycle 4 km one way to Hamburg's Hallig, where the Hallig-Krog is open in the main season and otherwise on weekends when the weather is good.
- Schlüttsiel - ferry to Hooge and Langeneß
- After Niebüll you drive via Deichstraße, then left at the T-junction into Hauptstraße (the natural history museum is on the right). Follow the main street to Rathausplatz. If you want to end your tour here, follow Rathausstrasse to the right to the train station.
Bike path north of the Emil-Nolde-Haus
- If you want to go further north, continue on the main street, which then becomes Uhlebüller Straße. From here turn left into Gotteskoogstraße, which leads out of the village, shortly afterwards bend to the right, then over the level crossing and country road. Shortly afterwards, bend to the right, then the farm road leads in a long left bend around a biotope. Turn left onto the country road, which you follow for about 1 km, then turn right. The cycle path is usually well to very well signposted on this route. Now zigzag the signs to Seebüll or to Emil-Nolde-Haus, where the North Sea Cycle Path leads directly past.
- After the Noldehaus, the NSCR follows a somewhat unfortunate, very narrow grass path which is very muddy when wet and which is sometimes hardly suitable for driving with a child trailer or trike. May have to be pushed. Overall, however, this is only a section of about 500 m. At the end of the path, turn right onto Landstraße u
Note: If you are familiar with the route, remove the heading "Corner points of the route" and replace this section with a detailed route description with stages. It is best to simply work the place names into the stages. You can find instructions on how to do this here .
An example of a fully developed cycle route with stages is here to find.
