Holidays on Baltrum

Beach and swimming

The bathing beach lies on the north side of the island and is divided into sections A to D. Section A has the kite school, and section D to the east is the dog beach. Further east is the kite-flying beach (Drachenstrand), the only section where you may fly a kite.

The DLRG lifeguards watch over the beach from the lifeguard tower from May to October. Swim only in the marked bathing area; the flags on the tower show where it is. The season opens every year on 15 May with the traditional first swim.

You can book a roofed wicker beach chair (Strandkorb) online from the island community or on the spot, online for rentals of five days or more.

Sights

• National Park House: An exhibition on the Wadden Sea and the tides in Westdorf, free admission, open from Easter to the end of the autumn holidays.
• Old island church: The oldest building on the island, rebuilt after the storm surge of 1825.
• Museum Altes Zollhaus: Island history across four rooms and two galleries of the old customs house from around 1855, with an audio guide. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.
• Altes Ostdorf: The oldest houses on Baltrum stand behind the cemetery.
• Inselbühne: The island theatre has been performing since 1965. The premiere is at Easter and the season runs until the autumn holidays.
• Sunday concert: A trio plays at the National Park House on Sundays; admission is by donation.

Things to do

Mudflat hikes: Guided hikes are offered by the National Park House and by certified national park mudflat guides. From the mainland, mudflat hikes also start at Neßmersiel harbour. Never go onto the mudflats without a guide.

Water sports: On the beach you can surf, kite, kayak and fish in the sea. The kite school is in section A.

SindBad: The swimming pool in Westdorf has a pool area with sauna, a family area with small slides and a paddling pool, and offers swimming lessons. It is open from mid-March to the turn of the year, and on four afternoons a week in winter. With the guest card you pay less for admission.

Spa and wellness: The BaltrumMed spa centre offers thalassotherapy and therapeutic treatments, and there are signposted spa walks.

With children: Onnos Kinderspöölhus is a covered play area. There are also several playgrounds, one of them on the beach, and a youth club in the summer holidays.

When to go and climate

Baltrum has no weather station of its own. The long-term averages from the station on neighbouring Norderney also apply here:

July and August are best for swimming. The season runs from mid-March to the end of October. From November to mid-March it is quiet: the visitor's tax is lower, the museum, the National Park House and the island theatre are closed, and the carriage horses usually spend the winter on the mainland.

Events

The island theatre opens its season at Easter. The first swim of the year takes place on 15 May. In Ascension week, cartoonists gather for the Inselwitz cartoon workshop.

Dogs on Baltrum

From the Easter holidays to the end of the autumn holidays, dogs must be kept on a lead throughout the spa area and the village, except on the Hellerweg below the dyke. This applies all year round in the harbour, in the gardens and at events. In the national park south of the Hellerweg, dogs must never run free. Your dog may go on the beach only in the eastern section D. You pay a daily dog tax for each dog, and on the ferry it needs a ticket of its own.

Visitor's tax and guest card

You pay a visitor's tax for every day on Baltrum, at a reduced rate in winter. Children under 6 go free. Day visitors and mudflat hikers pay too. The guest card, luggage and accommodation are covered under Where to stay on Baltrum.

Day trip from Neßmersiel

From Neßmersiel, the Baltrum-Linie ferry takes about 30 minutes to reach the island, the fast ferry about 15. Day return tickets are available for a single day. Departures follow the tides and change every day, and so does the time you have on the island. The day-trip sailings do not carry luggage. From Norden railway station, a bus takes you to the harbour in about 30 minutes.

For the timetable, prices and parking at Neßmersiel, see Ferry to Baltrum.