Heligoland offers more than your typical island experience. Alongside sweeping views of the mighty North Sea and a fine sandy beach, the island is home to unique natural spectacles. From seals giving birth to their pups and thousands of seabirds nesting high on the cliffs to young birds taking their spectacular first flights into the depths below, a visit to Heligoland creates lasting memories.
Heligoland is a unique natural setting for travellers, animal lovers and nature enthusiasts at any time of year! In the winter months, an incomparable wildlife experience takes place that you are unlikely to see on the mainland: on Heligoland’s Dune, grey seals give birth to their pups.
The animals have lived here in peaceful coexistence with the islanders for decades and have gradually lost their fear of humans following the introduction of a hunting ban in the 1970s. As you walk along the boardwalk on the Dune, you can marvel at these grey seals – among Germany’s largest predators – from a safe distance.
Particularly in spring and autumn, Heligoland becomes a mecca for birdwatchers. All manner of seabirds nest on this offshore island: northern gannets and common guillemots breed on the Lummenfelsen, Schleswig-Holstein’s smallest nature reserve and one of the smallest in Germany.
In June, during the so-called ‘Guillemot Days’, visitors can watch the still-flightless young guillemots leap from the cliffs into the sea. Without a doubt, the guillemot leap is one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences on Heligoland.
Heligoland also boasts some extraordinary vegetation, including several wild varieties of familiar cultivated plants, such as sea kale and wild turnip. Plants more commonly found in southern regions, such as figs, bay laurel and mulberries, also thrive on Heligoland.
The Lange Anna is also well worth a visit – an imposing sea stack formed from red sandstone, shell limestone and chalk. The Dune, which is less affected by day-trip tourism, is home to the world’s only naturally occurring red flint.
The common guillemot is Heligoland’s iconic bird. Around 2,000 pairs of common guillemots breed on Heligoland, most of them on the Lummenfelsen. From mid-April onwards, the guillemots return to their traditional breeding sites on the cliffs. The chicks are fed small fish by their parents for 20 to 25 days. Still covered in down and unable to fly, they then leave the cliffs by leaping into the depths below, landing safely in the sea. This ‘guillemot leap’, which can be observed at dusk from early June to July, is a breathtaking natural spectacle.
The black-legged kittiwake builds its nest from seaweed, algae and blades of grass on small rocky ledges. The chicks remain in their cramped nesting sites until the end of August before leaving in September to spend the winter in the North Atlantic.
The razorbill resembles the guillemot in both appearance and lifestyle. However, its black plumage is shinier, while its broad bill, marked with white bands and ridges, appears more substantial. Breeding pairs have long been present on Heligoland in small numbers.
The fulmar, named Seabird of the Year in 2022, has been native to Heligoland since 1972. It is a close relative of the albatross. From the cliff-top walk, adult birds and their young can be observed at close range.
The weather on Heligoland is wonderfully varied. The island’s maritime climate and the North Sea, warmed by the Gulf Stream, create ideal conditions for swimming from the sandy beach on the Dune in summer. In winter, however, storms and strong winds can sweep across the open sea, creating a dramatic atmosphere that simply has to be experienced.
Heligoland is also a particularly relaxing holiday destination for allergy sufferers, thanks to the island’s virtually pollen-free air. The pure, iodine-rich air, combined with the atmospheric backdrop of the North Sea, makes Heligoland a unique health resort – an experience you will not find on the mainland.
Heligoland is usually reached by ship. Once on the island, there are no other forms of transport at any time of year, as cars and bicycles are not permitted. This is partly because the island is small enough to explore easily on foot.
Therefore Heligoland’s natural environment is not unnecessarily affected by exhaust fumes or disturbed by traffic. The island is therefore a true haven for nature lovers, offering a slower-paced holiday away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Heligoland offers a wide range of accommodation, including hotels, apartments and holiday homes, for visitors who want to stay a little longer. With views across the North Sea, many hotels and holiday apartments allow guests to enjoy the island’s landscape and nature from the moment they wake up – or while having breakfast on the balcony.
For an even more immersive experience, you can spend the night right on the beach in a specially designed beach sleeping chair. Here, you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves and gaze up at the stars from this unique ‘mini-hotel’ on the peaceful Nordstrand. Grey seals and harbour seals can also be spotted nearby on the Dune.
For visitors who find traditional hotel stays a little too ‘old-school’, an overnight stay on the beach turns a holiday on Heligoland into a truly unforgettable adventure.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss any of Heligoland’s highlights, our guides are here to show you the way. Various guided island tours take you to the island’s most interesting sights while also providing fascinating background information.
Discover the main island or the Dune as part of a guided group tour. The Jordsand Association (Verein Jordsand) and Vogelwarte provide fascinating insights into the island’s native birds and their nesting sites. If you are more interested in marine life, you can visit the seals or the lobster station.
