Germany
Schleswig-Holstein, the Land of Wonderful Contrast!
Article and photography by Michael Morcos
How could they be calling for rain on such a beautiful day, I thought to myself as we rode the rails to Busum. We would soon find out that this city on the North Sea shoreline seemed caught in a loop of sun, clouds, rain, repeat! It was a hilarious pattern that continued all day long and absolutely comical when you are ready for it!
Touring the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany, we would soon find out it was vacation time for the locals, German visitors, and international tourists. There was certainly a laid-back, joyful atmosphere as couples, groups and families went about enjoying the fresh air and the marvellous lush green countryside.
We would spend the coming days discovering the ‘land between two-seas,’ that is the peninsula that starts in northern Germany and continues up to Denmark and is surrounded by the North Sea on the west side and the Baltic Sea to the east. Here we would visit the ‘mudflats’ in a National Park, be entertained by seals, visit a historic Viking settlement, be enchanted in the small town of Schleswig, stroll through the beautiful countryside, get a feeling for cosmopolitan life in Kiel and taste wonderful north Germany cuisine all along the way.
Starting in the town of Busum, which would be our base for a couple of days, we would have the best of contrasting worlds. We would stroll along with the masses on the main street to find bars, restaurants, and tourist shops, see the quaint fishing port, walk on the seabed right in front of our hotel, and enjoy a marvellous meal set high above the shore with a fantastic sea view and setting sun.
While here, we would also learn some interesting things about the tides, geography, costal protection, and renewable energy. We had arrived at our hotel at absolute low tide and could see people were walking a kilometer away on the seabed and in stark contrast a couple of hours later the tide was in and so were the people.
We would also learn that seawalls are continuously being created all along this region as climate change and rising waterlines are taken very seriously here. The “walls” are gentle sloping piles of dirt that are being held fast by grass, and they are very complementary to the setting.
It was interesting to find out about Germany’s heroic commitments to renewable energy and land conservation as we would also find this region is the perfect place for power generating windmills. At sea and on the mostly flat terrain, the wind is continually blowing and there are windfarms in just about every direction.
The National Park
I would normally associate a national park with forests, lakes, and mountains, but the Wadden Sea National Park had none of these, and in contrast was made up of mud, sand, and sea and perfect with its own character. Here we would find brave cyclists battling the wind, enthusiastic windsurfers, and stroll along the shoreline with people of all ages while enjoying the fresh ocean breeze and the sand between our toes. Just a short distance away there were murky, sandy waters, small ponds and grasses that somehow survived it all.
The best part of our visit was walking in the mudflats with a naturalist who gave us all the facts about marine life. With pants rolled up to our knees, I would think back to a time where mom told me not to walk in the mud but here, I was like a kid again and with the mud up to my ankles. Made me feel free and was quite liberating. On a funny note, our guide did mention to be careful as not to slip as we made our way towards the flats. Well, shortly afterwards I became victim as I was videotaping and took a spill, lucky it was on soft grass. I have the footage as proof of me going down and later we all chuckled about it.
Seehundaufzuchtstation
When thinking about animals that associate well with humans, dogs, cats, and certain birds seem to fit the bill and after a visit to the Seehundaufzuchtstation (try saying that ten times) I would certainly add seals to that list. Amongst the many other things this center does, it rescues stranded and injured seals for research and rehabilitation on these native marine animals. The center itself has these furry creatures as the stars, and they love the limelight and attention from both staff and guests. Feeding times are especially fun as the Grey and Common seals ham it up to get a morsel of fresh fish.
UNESCO World heritage site
It was a blissful day with sunny blue skies, walking in sweet fresh air, alongside healthy mature trees, cows, and sheep lazily grazing in the meadows full of wildflowers as we slowly made our way to a Viking village. The fascinating re-created settlement was a historic doorway to the life and times of the original inhabitants. Dressed in typical period costumes, the characters interacted well with guests while performing what was then daily duties. The Viking Museum Haithabu itself was very well presented with many original Viking artefacts including a beautiful longship. It was a fantastic visit that concluded with a hardy Viking meal in a natural setting.
Bricks and pedals
The port city of Schleswig was a delight to visit. It had the grandeur of the cathedral and the charm of an out-of-the-way town. Saint Peters tower was so tall, it could be seen from a long the distance away while the interior gives even more impressive feelings of greatness with exquisite priceless artwork throughout. In contrast, the city was tranquil and absolutely spotless. Walking through the streets and alleyways, you can see that the residents have a great life here and appreciate their town as just about everything, including the main square and their homes, were immaculately kept with beautiful blooming flowers planted in every small space. Along the waterfront, sailing boats and luxury watercrafts dotted the port that was once a bustling fishing harbour.
Kiel’s away
We would finish our fabulous tour of Schleswig-Holstein in the city of Kiel where we would experience even more contrast to everything we had seen and done during the week. As a first impression, I would say this is a city on the move with lots of new, modern, and stylish buildings along its canal and yet later we would find Kiel also has lots of history and has kept its traditions alive. A two-hour boat ride brought us out through the estuary to the Baltic Sea to witness the locals at work and play. We would also visit a small candy factory, an environmentally friendly adventure supply store, a quirky used items store and all the while indulge in fabulous local cuisine in its many establishments including tasty seafood sandwiches from a stand by the waterfront. Life is good in north Germany!
