The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: June twenty-second, sailing in sunshine on Sylt.

The Frisian Islands are Northern Europe's equivalent of Cape Cod or the Outer Banks, a string of sandy barriers strung along the coast of the North Sea. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, they've attracted vacationers for seaside cures since Victorian times. Most are laid-back places, but in recent decades, one has become the summer place to be and be seen.

Sylt is a narrow, pick-ax shaped sand strip 24 miles north to south situated right at Germany's border with Denmark. The streets of Westerland, Sylt's only real city, are lined with branches of Germany's choicest shops. There's a casino and a rich selection of restaurants, including several that boast a Michelin star or two. Nearby in swank, exclusive enclaves such as Kampen and Keitum, costly, thatch-roofed cottages cluster around open, wild rose covered commons. Kampen in particular is known as a retreat for artists and writers, much like Provincetown on Cape Cod. At the other extreme, List, situated on Sylt's northern tip, is still a sleepy, seaside village featuring a small amusement park and ferry boats to Denmark.

But Sylt's main attraction is always its seashore. In fact, the island's western coastline is one long sandy beach, and its eastern edge is a range of steep, shifting dunes unlike any other in Europe.

Swept constantly by sea winds, Sylt's air also has a reputation for purity. Some vacationers go there just to breath. Others come to take long walks through the high dunes or bike rides along quiet roads that lace through the island's heather-covered interior.

For information on Sylt, www.abc.sylt.de or the German National Tourism office at 212-661-7200 or www.visits-to-germany.com or www.germany.tourism.de

Back to June 2003 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.