Borkum is the largest of the East Frisian Islands and, with around 2,5 million overnight stays, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. In the middle of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the only one of the East Frisian Islands around 30 km from the mainland, the island impresses with its unique high seas climate, diverse flora and fauna as well as a varied leisure and wellness offering for young and old. Borkum particularly stands out the four worlds of discovery: nature, vitality, culture and sport, which are flagships and trump cards at the same time.

spending time outdoors

The island, affectionately known as the most beautiful sand heap in the world, is located in the middle of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park and has a diverse natural landscape that can be explored on around 130 kilometers of developed cycling and hiking trails or as part of long walks along the water's edge. Whether the miles of sandy beaches, the Greune Stee wetland biotope, the Tüskendörsee, the Seehundsbank, the Ostland or the extensive dune landscape towards Hoge Hörn - guests have numerous opportunities to experience the diverse nature up close. Most recently, the “Loopdeelenweg Ronde Plate Dünenkamm” was inaugurated in 2020, which makes it possible to circumnavigate the island for around 21 kilometers and experience all facets of Borkum’s nature. A special experience is also a mudflat hike through the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea, which is home to around 10.000 different species of creatures and is considered the nursery of the North Sea.

vitality

Borkum's island location not only guarantees a distance from everyday life, but also air that is low in pollen and rich in aerosols, which has a positive effect on the respiratory tract, skin and cardiovascular system - and makes every second of your stay on the island a pleasure for body, mind and soul. Every walk on the beach or in the dunes allows the visitor to take a deep breath and leave all stress behind them. For many decades, Borkum has been one of the leading health destinations on the German North Sea coast, which is also certified as a thalassotherapy spa and the first allergy-friendly island in Europe. In addition, there is a wide range of well-being offers for visitors, including mud packs, sea water baths, thalasso relaxation programs and different types of saunas.

Especially the modern wellness and adventure oasis Gezeitenland is an ideal target for this. Here, guests and islanders have recently found a very special vitality experience in the “Fautpadje” foot reflexology path. The Fautpadje is a 20 meter long course that stimulates the soles of the feet and sensitizes the foot as an important sensory organ.

 Culture

The North Sea island of Borkum offers many cultural highlights that are characterized by unique traditions and customs as well as colorful events and festivals. From the traditional tea time to the newly designed and modernized spa concerts “Music & Sea” and performances by the shanty choir “Oldtimer” and Low German theater groups to Whitsun jazz, the promenade festival or the island musical “Up de Walvis” – there is a wide-ranging program on Borkum every year offered that leaves nothing to be desired. Anyone who sets out on the trail of Borkum's exciting history will discover the “Dykhus” island museum alongside fascinating fences from Walkinnladen. Whether the huge whale skeleton, replica captain's room, traditional costumes or valuable flotsam - the Borkum local history association has lovingly put together many interesting exhibits here that reflect around 300 years of maritime history. The national park ship Lightship BORKUMRIFF also presents an important piece of maritime history and tradition. As a technical cultural monument, it offers an insight into the history of lightships - and at the same time houses an extensive exhibition on the subject of the Wadden Sea World Natural Heritage.

 Sports

At the same time, Borkum is considered a paradise for athletes who, on the one hand, find excellent terrain for cycling, jogging and walking - and, on the other hand, one of the most predestined kite buggy and beach sailing areas in Germany, which invites you to experience the rush of speed up close. Not least because of the extensive 26 kilometer long beach, in addition to the German Championships in 2018, the World Kite Buggy Championships will also be held on Borkum for the first time.

Borkum is also known for its ideal conditions for water sports enthusiasts, who can race through the waves on a surfboard, paddle across the water while standing, or fly through the air on a kiteboard.

Another highlight is the beach volleyball tournament of the Northwest German Volleyball Association, which attracts thousands of enthusiastic recreational athletes to the island on three weekends between July and August. But that's not all: whether it's horse riding, climbing, playing tennis, beach entertainment or having fun in the adventure pool Gezeitenland, where FlowRider is the only permanently installed indoor surfing facility in northern Germany - sports and exercise enthusiasts will definitely get their money's worth in Borkum. Since 2018, the BEACH DAYS BORKUM have been creating a party atmosphere at the Nordbad with a high-class beach volleyball tournament and open-air concerts with artists such as Max Giesinger, Johannes Oerding and BOSSE. Pia Hosemann, deputy spa and tourism director: “The North Sea island of Borkum is always worth a trip - and we are very pleased to be one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. But of course we don't rest on our laurels! Instead, we continue to roll up our sleeves to offer both our guests and the islanders new attractions and events – and thus sustainably strengthen the island’s advantages.”

(Further information is always up-to-date at www.borkum.de )