| location | |
 Location of Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha (from north to south) | |
| flag | |
 | |
| Short dates | |
| Capital | Jamestown |
|---|---|
| Form of government | British overseas territory |
| currency | 1 Saint Helena pound = 100 pence |
| surface | 121 km² |
| population | 4.300 (2018) |
| languages | English |
| power grid | 240 V / 50 Hz |
| Phone code | 290 |
| Internet TLD | .sh |
| Time zone | GMT |
Saint Helena (Saint Helena) is an island in the South Atlantic under British sovereignty. It is located 1859 km from Angola (Africa) and 3286 km from South America (Recife, Brazil) removed and forms together with the islands Ascension and Tristan da Cunha as well as some uninhabited smaller islands form a single administrative area.
Time zone: GMT, but not daylight saving time.
places
- Jamestown, a pretty pristine little Georgian place.
- Halfmoon Hollow is now bigger than Jamestown.
background
The 121 square kilometer island has around 4,500 inhabitants.
The island was discovered at the beginning of the 16th century and came under British rule in the 17th century. The English used the island as a supply station for their ships. The secluded island became famous as the place of exile for Emperor Napoleon I, who stayed here from 1815 until his death in 1821. The importance for the seafaring went after the opening of the Suez Canal back.
language
English, but not spoken as “King's English”, but as “Saint” with many peculiarities.
getting there
The entry requirements are available on the internet. Important: Proof of health insurance with coverage of £ 175,000 is required! The immigration fee is payable on arrival £ 20 or Rand 400 or US $ 28 or € 25. Travelers must show return tickets and proof of accommodation.
German mission abroad with consular responsibility: Cape Town / South Africa
Entry is for German citizens possible with the following documents:
- Passport: Yes
- Temporary passport: No
- Identity card: No
- Provisional identity card: No
- Children's passport: Yes (child entries in a parent's passport are no longer valid since 2012. Each child needs their own ID).
- Visa: No visa is required for German citizens for tourist entry with a stay of up to 90 days. Upon entry, a “Visitor's pass”, valid for 3 months, is issued.
- Health insurance: Proof of valid health insurance is required for stays longer than 48 hours.
- Minors traveling alone should carry an officially certified declaration of consent from their guardian (source: Federal Foreign Office)
For Austrian reports the Austrian Foreign Ministry:
- Visa requirement: Yes.
- Visa available: For tourist stays of up to 6 months, the entry permit will be issued upon entry.
- Travel documents: passport
- Passport validity: At least 6 months upon entry
- Cream colored emergency passport: Not specified
By plane
.jpg/220px-First_Comair_Boeing_737-800_flight_to_Saint_Helena_Airport_(191).jpg)
In 2016 the 1 St. Helena Airport
(IATA: HLE) opened in the east of the island, but it was difficult to use due to the wind conditions. A successfully completed test flight took place on August 22, 2017. Since October 2017 there has been a weekly scheduled flight from Johannesburg in South Africa with an Embraer E190 of the South African airline Airlink carried out.
.jpg/350px-First_Comair_Boeing_737-800_flight_to_Saint_Helena_Airport_(191).jpg)
By boat
The mail boat ran from Cape Town about once a month RMS St. Helena to Saint Helena and Ascension and back. The journey to and from the island took five days each, with a stay of around seven days on the island in between, while the ship was on its way to Ascension and back. This connection was discontinued in February 2018 after the start of regular air traffic in October 2017.
1 Jamestown can also be approached with sailboats. Prior registration with the harbor master is required.
mobility
As in the motherland, people drive on the left.
By bus
Local public transport is very limited; it is exclusively geared towards the needs of the population. But there are several minibus routes.
taxi
Taxis are available on Saint Helena (in Jamestown behind the tourist information). The taxis do not have a meter, the travel costs should be agreed before the start of each tour.
Rental car
Rental cars should be reserved in advance. They cost 12 to 20 pounds a day and are mostly of an older date (mostly Ford Escort).
On foot
Sankt Helena has a number of marked hiking trails. However, it is not that easy to get to this from Jamestown (preferably with a rental car to the plateau; another option is via the "Jacob's ladder", a dizzying staircase with allegedly 699 steps).
currency
The Saint Helena pound is pegged 1: 1 to the British pound (which is assumed). There is a bank in Jamestown that accepts debit and credit cards, but no ATM.
Tourist Attractions
- 1 The Museum of Saint Helena
, opened in 2002, is located in a former warehouse from the early 19th century at the foot of the Jacob's Ladder in Jamestown.
- Broadway House is an 18th century building and used to be a museum.
- The Cenotaph is the memorial for those who fell in the world wars, including the victims of a German submarine attack in 1941.
- The 1 Jacob's Ladder is a 699-step staircase built in 1829 to facilitate the transport of ammunition, initially as a horse-operated cable car, which leads up to Halfmoon Hollow. In 1871 today's staircase was built from there. The Jacob's ladder is under the highest monument protection. At night the stairs are illuminated.
- 2 The Castle was built in 1659 shortly after the island was taken over by the British. It serves as the seat of government and houses the island archive. Nearby the courthouse.
- In the inconspicuous 1 Post office St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha stamps, which are popular with collectors, are sold.
- 3 The Castle Gardens is a park with tropical and endemic plants and songbirds.
- Fortifications limit the port to the place. The coat of arms of the English East India Company can be found above a doorway.
- 4 Heart-Shaped Waterfall is a waterfall over a heart-shaped rock above Jamestown.
- 5 Saint James Church is the oldest Anglican church in the southern hemisphere. She has been one of the 7 miracles of St. Helena. The church, built in 1774, is pretty gloomy.
Longwood
- 6 Longwood House was the place of Napoleon's exile and at the same time his place of death. The furniture is no longer original. Today it is a museum run by the French government. There are beautiful gardens around the house.
Center of the island
.jpg/220px-Plantation_House_(16431883766).jpg)
- The 7 Plantation House is the island governor's residence, a Georgian house transplanted into the South Atlantic. A path leads through the park. Some Seychelles tortoises live in it.
- In the Central peaks lie with 8 Diana's Peak the highest point on the island (818 m), further 9 Mount Actaeon and Cuckold's Point.
- Clifford Arboretum.
South of the island
- 2 Sandy Bay is the only sandy beach on the island; However, swimming in the ocean is dangerous.
- Are better suited for swimming Lot's Wife's Ponds, Natural swimming pools accessible from Sandy Bay.
activities
Sky observations: The isolated location makes Sankt Helena the ideal place for observing the sky.
shop
There are several gift and souvenir shops in Jamestown.
There are two local spirits worth mentioning: Tungi, high-proof liquor made from local cactus, and Midnight crap, a liqueur made from local coffee.
kitchen
The food supply is limited except after the arrival of the post boat, but the bananas grown on site are more often offered. Good tuna is caught on the island.
Restaurants
- Ann's Place, Castle Gardens, Jamestown. Open-air restaurant overlooking Castle Gardens, dinner only (reserve).Open: 10.30am-8.30pm.
- Cyril's Fast Food and Takeaway, Arch Gate Corner, Jamestown. Tel.: 290 22728. Street sales only, next to the gate passage.Open: 11.30 a.m.-2.30 p.m.
- Farm Lodge, Rosemary Plain, Saint Paul's. Tel.: 290 24040. Praised meal in a private house, if possible reserve at the lecture.
- Orange Tree Oriental Restaurant, Smith's Yard, Jamestown. Tel.: 290 22126. Far Eastern cuisine, also to take away.Open: Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm and from 5pm.
accommodation
Primarily, self-catering accommodation is offered such as:
- Huxtable Accommodation, Napoleon Street, Jamestown. Tel.: 290 24342, Email: [email protected]. Four separate apartments in the center of Jamestown.
- Consulate Hotel, Main Street, Jamestown. Tel.: 290 22962, Email: [email protected]. The largest accommodation on the island with a restaurant and bar.
- Wellington House Hotel, Main Street, Jamestown. Nice Georgian building, bathroom outside.
- Farm Lodge, Rosemary Plain, St Paul's. Country house hotel built around 1690 in the highlands with a beautiful view, also accessible by local bus, 5 bedrooms with bathroom, also half and full board.
security
Saint Helena is said to be very safe. The Austrian Foreign Ministry certifies that the island has a "good security standard".
The Emergency number 999 applies to the police, fire brigade and sea rescue.
health
There is a 2 hospital with 28 beds and a dental practice, which is not equipped for more difficult cases. These can be a problem because of the poor connections to the island 911 emergency number applies to the rescue service.
climate
Due to its location in the middle of the Atlantic, the climate on Sankt Helena is subtropical and very mild, which means that there is not much difference between summer and winter. The average temperature during the day is usually between 20 and 27 degrees.
Post and Telecommunications
There has been a mobile network on St. Helena since 2015. Since there are no roaming agreements with German mobile phone providers, you have to buy a SIM card on site. The prices for being at the end of the world are pretty reasonable and a clear step forward compared to the moon prices that you previously had to pay for internet connections in particular. In addition to a basic charge of £ 16.50 (including £ 10 starting credit), international calls cost 90p per minute, 100 MB data volume £ 10 plus 15p for every MB over the volume.
information
literature
cards
Web links
- Government website
- official website of the tourist information
- St Helena info
- Video of the NDR from the MARE TV series (44 min.)
