Discover Germany | Travel | Nordseeheilbad Borkum GmbH
An island with a thousand faces Borkum is the biggest East Frisian Island and one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. And rightly so. With endless white sandy beaches and a range of activities in the world of nature, vitality, sports and culture on offer, Borkum is the ideal location for any type of holiday. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: TORSTEN DACHWITZ, BURKANA MEDIA, BORKUM
Borkum is often called ‘the world’s most beautiful pile of sand’, and many visitors fall in love with the stunning island. The location is part of the listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea, and with 26 kilometres of beach and dune landscape as well as a rich flora and fauna, it is simply breathtaking. From seals and grey seals to approximately 12 million water birds per year, which nest, breed and overwinter on the island, and the special plants such as seaweed, glasswort and beach aster that adapted to the influence of salt, wind and flooding: For nature lovers Borkum is paradise, which can be explored during a mudflat hiking tour, a carriage ride to the seal bank, by bike or on foot. But for those looking for a wellness holiday the Thalasso-certified island with its beautiful sunsets is the right choice. “Our aller60 | Issue 61 | April 2018
gy friendly island offers the ideal climate for health-conscious travellers, who seek a break from the daily hustle and bustle and want to enjoy poll-poor and aerosol-containing air,”explains director of spa and tourism Christian Klamt. Various spa offers such as mud treatments, Thalasso-walking courses, climate therapy paths and DSV Nordic Walking tracks contribute to the vast range. Culture also plays an important role in Borkum. The spa concerts ‘Musik & Meer’ take place in the music pavilion against the stunning backdrop of the North Sea and the seal bank. “There are many rituals and traditions such as the traditional Teetied (tea time), the may-pole set up at Pentecost or the Easter fires,” says marketing director Daniela Kastrau.
The impressive Shanty choir ‘Oldtimer’, the beach festival of the association ‘Borkumer Jungs’ and the island musical ‘Up de Walvis’, which presents the island’s most important eras during whaling, completes the cultural programme. Around 130 kilometres of hiking and cycle routes, and water sports such as surfing, sailing and kitesurfing make Borkum an ideal location for sports enthusiasts. “On top of that, our beach sailing and kite buggy area is unique for the East Frisian islands and hence we are not only hosting the Kitebuggy German Championship this year but for the first time we are home to the Kitebuggy World Championship in the beginning of October,”Kastrau adds.