ヘイジの天然記念物・トップ20

With a surface area of 89.2 hectares, the Eternal Sea is Germany's largest raised bog lake. The boardwalk around the nature reserve is currently closed. Only the path to the sea is open and can be reached from the parking lot in just a few minutes. There is a small platform and a bench.

Vital for people

The last piece of the inhabited world. From here, only footpaths lead to the end of the island.

It is worth taking a walk through the chic and large castle park, which has a summit cross for a moderate entrance fee of 3 EUR, which I definitely wanted to climb - despite the tight time frame. The Manninga mountain is a full 11 m high. I can really recommend walking up it. The little ones were able to explore the park in mini safari jeeps. A really great idea. Guided tours of the castle park are offered (schlosspark-luetetsburg.com/de/angebote/fuehrungen/), all about the botanical rarities and exotic plants. The park at Lütetsburg, the life's work of Imperial Baron Edzard Mauritz zu Inn- und Knyphausen, was built in the early romantic style and is one of the few surviving examples of this type on the European continent. 8 km south of the Wadden Sea coast, it opens up to visitors on an area of around 30 hectares - making it the largest private English landscape garden in northern Germany.

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/)

Before we turn off, information board 7 reminds us of the need to protect the Wadden Sea as an ecologically valuable habitat for animals, nature and people. In order to preserve the dynamic natural processes of the Wadden Sea, three different protection and quiet zones have been created: specially protected areas that are not allowed to be entered (e.g. salt marshes, dunes), so-called buffer areas where considerate entry is permitted and finally the bathing beaches, which can be entered without restrictions. (Source: https://www.norddeich.de/poi/salzwiesen-und-watt)

Salt Marshes - Silting Zone of the North Sea Finally at the Wadden Sea – the dike is climbed with anticipation. The first glimpse of the North Sea is an unforgettable experience on any vacation. But a real surprise awaits many visitors who enjoy this view for the first time: expansive, colorful meadows lie between the dike and the mudflats. And these meadows are something very special. Their name: salt marshes. Their special feature: Depending on their altitude, they are flooded more or less regularly by the North Sea's seawater. Salt marshes form the so-called silting zone of the North Sea. This is where the water meets the land. The regular flooding and the high salinity of the seawater require true plant specialists. They have adapted to the conditions in the salt marshes and, together with around 400 animal species, form a unique habitat.