Heligoland Island Germany
Germany

1 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

HX Expeditions (1 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

By tender. Ships anchor offshore and passengers descend into the Börteboote, broad oak boats handled by islanders as they have been for generations. A few minutes of North Sea, sometimes wet, separate the ship from the quay.
No. The transfer is by open boat in the open North Sea: when the swell runs high, the call can be shortened or cancelled. That is a reality to accept before choosing this itinerary.
About fifty kilometres off the German coast, in the open North Sea. It is a red sandstone rock, Germany's only offshore outpost, with no cars and outside the European customs area.
The clifftop path, which circles the plateau in a good hour along walls 40 to 60 metres high, as far as the Lange Anna. Then the Unterland with its Hummerbuden, the brightly painted former lobster fishermen's huts.
A 47-metre red sandstone stack, detached from the cliff and standing against the waves at the end of the clifftop path. It is the island's emblem, and the spot painters and birdwatchers have been competing over since the 19th century.
The village is split between the Unterland and the Oberland, linked by a lift and a stairway of 184 steps. The lift settles the matter for anyone who would rather not climb. The clifftop path itself is level once you are up there.
For many visitors that is the whole point. Gannets glide at eye level along the cliffs, close enough to see the blue of their eye: Germany's only colony nests here. Guillemots crowd the ledges by the hundred.
Yes, on the Düne, a small sandy island ten minutes away by shuttle boat. Grey seals and harbour seals lie about by the dozen on pale beaches, watched from a respectful distance. It is the ideal add-on when the call allows.
Yes. The island lies outside the European customs area, a privilege inherited from its turbulent history, and the harbour shops live partly on it. It is worth knowing, but it is not what makes the call interesting.
Knieper, crab claws served with rye bread and mayonnaise, eaten looking out over the harbour. Smoked fish from the counters in the Hummerbuden rounds out the meal nicely.