2024-04-21 05:07:51
North Sea Maritime Records
The North Sea is the sea of superlatives
The largest mud flats in the world, the longest tram line on the planet, the shortest scheduled flight in Germany: the North Sea is unique and holds several maritime records.
As of: 07:07 a.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
Surf on the coast of the North Sea – a record-breaking sea
Quelle: picture alliance / Zoonar
Down the tube
At almost 55 kilometers, the Eurotunnel, which connects France with Great Britain, is the third longest tunnel in the world and the longest underwater tunnel. It runs where the North Sea merges into the English Channel. High-speed and car shuttle trains have been rushing through the two main tubes since 1994, and so far more than 476 million passengers and 98 million vehicles have been transported.
The pure journey time from Paris to London is two hours 16 minutes, Brussels to London is even faster at one hour 53 minutes. Unfortunately, the time savings since Brexit have been “eaten up” by complex controls – when traveling to and from London you should be at the train station 90 minutes before departure.
Take the tram to the beach
67 kilometers long, 68 stops, directly on the coastal road or along the beach – this is Belgium’s coastal tram, the longest tram route in the world and one of the most beautiful in Europe; it has been around since 1885.
It runs along the entire Belgian North Sea coast from De Panne via Ostend to Knokke-Heist. If you want to do the whole tour, it will take around two and a half hours, and the fun costs just 7.50 euros with a day ticket.
The tram travels 67 kilometers along the coast
Quelle: picture alliance / YVES BOUCAU
Sand am Meer
The longest contiguous artificially created dune area in the North Sea has been in North Holland since 2015. Gigatons of sand were dredged up to protect the coast. Six kilometers long, five kilometers wide, with a beach and lagoon for holidaymakers.
If you haven’t had enough of piles of sand, to the south it borders on the natural Schoorls dunes – with the 53 meter high radar dune, the highest in the Netherlands.
The dunes of Schoorl
Quelle: picture alliance / Zoonar
Mudflat hiking to the horizon
Twice a day the North Sea reveals the seabed at low tide – up to 20 kilometers away from Cuxhaven. At 12,000 square kilometers, the Wadden Sea is the largest in the world, stretching from Den Helder in the Netherlands along the German North Sea coast to Esbjerg in Denmark.
It has been protected for 50 years, with three national parks in this country and as a world natural heritage site.
Wadden hikers in front of Norderney
Source: picture alliance / Franz Neumayr / picturedesk.com
Eleven kilometers in five minutes
This is the shortest scheduled flight in Germany, from Harle on the East Frisian mainland over to the island of Wangerooge. FLN Frisia Luftverkehr sells tickets for the mini route for 47.50 euros. Flying is done with small propeller planes, which have to be washed every day because of the salty air. A Frisia pilot completes around 2,000 landings every year, significantly more than with any other German airline.
Robben Island
Animal record on the Heligoland dune. 793 gray seal pups were counted on the dune island next to Helgoland in winter. Since 2021, the nursery has been protected from overly intrusive visitors with a temporary fence.
Apparently the peace and quiet is good for rearing. You can observe the animals just as well with binoculars from the panoramic path.
A group of gray seals lies on the beach of the Heligoland dune
Quelle: picture alliance / Zoonar
Half a lap of the North Sea
It is the longest signposted cycle path in the world; Euro-Velo-Route 12 measures 5,942 kilometers along the North Sea coast. Ferry hopping takes you through six countries, from the Scottish Shetland Islands to Bergen in Norway.
Porpoises in sight
In spring, dozens of them romp around the Wilhelmshaven pier in search of food. The coastal town celebrates with whale watching tours on Porpoise Days (April 27th to May 5th). Practical: Whale callers make a sound as soon as an animal appears.
A porpoise swims in the North Sea
Source: picture alliance/dpa/Wattenmeer visitor center
Reflective Museum
A good seven million people have emigrated via Bremerhaven since 1830. The city therefore has a museum that is unique in the world: the Emigration Center.
Visitors are guided interactively through the scenes based on real emigrant biographies and can experience migration history up close. Plus point: Immigration (to Germany) is also discussed and described from the perspective of those affected.
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Nightlife in the mudflats
Mandø has only 26 inhabitants in eight square kilometers. Logically, the few people only need a few light sources at night. Which means that it is particularly dark on the Danish island, meaning there is no light pollution – you can observe the Milky Way and distant stars particularly well here.
Which is why the island in the Wadden Sea was officially designated a Dark Sky Park in March 2024. There will be a new visitor center with telescopes from autumn.
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In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
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