The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Norden

The waterfront and beach area in Norddeich have been extensively redesigned as part of the "Das Deck" project, which also includes new stairs and access options. Here are the most important details: New stairs and sea terraces: As part of the redesign, four new sea terraces have been created, offering direct and convenient access to the Wadden Sea via 14 steps. Accessibility: In addition to the stairs, there are wide ramp systems, for example at the Haus des Gastes, which facilitate crossing the dike and accessing the beach for all visitors. Stainless steel handrails: New stainless steel handrails have been installed to assist with entering and exiting the water. "Das Deck": The entire redesign of the promenade, referred to as "Das Deck", was officially opened in July 2022 and features a modern structure made of sand-colored asphalt, new lighting via concrete cubes, and stainless steel showers.

🔭 The observation tower at the visitor center is a striking metal structure located directly on the border between the sandy beach and the kite-flying meadow in Norddeich. It offers visitors a free and unobstructed panoramic view across the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea to the islands of Juist and Norderney.

🚶 The DECK (National Park Promenade) is the modernized waterfront of Norddeich, combining coastal protection with a first-class nature experience along approximately two kilometers. The barrier-free promenade, with its striking seating steps ("sea terraces"), a dune nature trail, and expansive views of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site, offers a unique quality of life right by the sea.

Always worth a trip

Vital for people

Great dune landscape with newly laid out paths. The new beach access and the promenade are wheelchair accessible. The wooden bridge is an eye-catcher.

The salt marshes on the promenade add further value to the area, especially since on 24 June 2010 the then Lower Saxony Minister of Economic Affairs Jörg Bode awarded the district the title of North Sea health resort, the highest level of tourist recognition, and it is important to give priority to nature here too.

Habitat between mudflats and dikes Salt marshes, like the mudflats that dry out at low tide, are part of the Wadden Sea ecosystem. They form the transition between sea and land and place very special demands on the plants and animals that live there, as they are only slightly above mean high tide and are still flooded by salt water. Despite the extreme living conditions, the salt marshes off the coastal dikes and on the southern sides of the islands have become a habitat for highly specialized communities. Around 50 bird species, for which the salt marshes serve as resting, feeding, and breeding grounds, and almost 2,000 insect species live here. They have adapted to the salt marsh plants and the regular flooding of this habitat, and some are found only here. The salt marshes are essential for bird migration across the East Atlantic. Millions of geese, ducks, and waders rest or overwinter here. They must gain weight quickly in the Wadden Sea to survive the long distances that lie ahead. Here you'll find a richly laid table. (Source: https://seehundstation-norddeich.de/website/waloseum/vogelwelt-der-kueste/salzwiesen/)