Hallig Hooge

On Hallig Hooge, people live on mounds. Because this flat marsh island in the Wadden Sea has no high sea wall, its houses stand on ten artificial dwelling mounds called Warften. Several times a year a storm tide floods the meadows, leaving only the mounds sticking out of the North Sea like small islands. This Landunter shapes life on the second-largest of the ten Halligen in North Frisia, often called the "Queen of the Halligen". For day visitors, Hooge is the easiest way to experience this unusual world.

History

Until the 14th century Hooge was part of the large island of Strand, until the great storm flood of 1362 tore it away. It once had more than 20 mounds; ten remain. In the 18th century it was the richest Hallig, living from seafaring, cattle and wool, and from around 1750 the islanders lined their rooms with Delft-blue tiles. Before the First World War Hooge alone received a low stone summer dike, about 1.20 metres high and over eleven kilometres long, yet the island still floods two to six times a year. It is surrounded by the Wadden Sea National Park but belongs to the biosphere reserve.

What to see

• Hanswarft: the main mound with shops, cafés and the tourist office. In the Königspesel, an 18th-century Frisian parlour, Danish King Frederick VI spent the night of 2 July 1825 when a storm tide stopped him leaving. The storm-flood cinema shows what Landunter looks like, and there is a small local museum.
• Wadden Sea House: aquariums and hands-on exhibits on North Sea nature.
• Church of St John: consecrated in 1637, with pews, bricks and font from the church of Osterwohld, lost in the 1634 flood; one pew is dated 1624. A simple cross in the churchyard marks the graves of unidentified drowned people washed ashore.
• Backenswarft: near the ferry, with a restaurant decorated with old Flemish tiles.

Getting there

The ferry from Schlüttsiel runs all year (about 75 minutes), with extra summer boats from Nordstrand, Amrum, Föhr and Sylt. Leave the car on the mainland. Horse-drawn carriages wait at the jetty and visit three mounds; book in advance. Bikes can be hired too.

Tripto tip

Check weather and tide notices before you go. Landunter is most likely in autumn and winter, so stay overnight if you want to see it.