Wadden Sea Mudflat Walk

UNESCO-listed tidal flats on the south side of the island, walkable at low tide with a guide

The Wadden Sea (Wattenmeer) on the south side of Baltrum is one of the island's great natural assets. At low tide the sea retreats to reveal an enormous expanse of tidal flat — mud, sand, and shallow channels — that teems with life: worms, lugworms, cockles, shrimps, and the birds that feed on them. The view from the southern shore across the flats to the faint line of the mainland is unlike anything in central Europe.

Guided mudflat walks are organised from the island and are the recommended way to explore; the tidal channels can be dangerously deep and the tides return quickly. The guides know the safe routes and provide running commentary on the ecology. Walks run from spring to autumn and are a highlight of any stay on Baltrum.

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At low tide the sea retreats so far from the southern shore of Baltrum that you can walk across the exposed mudflats all the way to the mainland — a distance of over ten kilometres. The East Frisian Wadden Sea is one of the largest intertidal zones in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided walks across the flats (Wattwanderung) are a tradition going back over a century and are still the best way to understand the extraordinary ecology of this landscape.

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