These are our favorite places on the North Sea island of Föhr

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Miles of sandy beaches, beautiful green nature and a mild climate all year round; With these attributes, not only tropical archipelagos, but also the tranquil North Sea island of Föhr in the northwestern tip of Germany score points. No wonder, it is nicknamed the “Frisian Caribbean”. We visited the second largest island off the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein at the beginning of September and found out that Föhr has other trump cards in store. In addition to hour-long walks on the beach with far-reaching views over the fascinating Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can also feast wonderfully through the island world. How and where – that’s what I’ll show you in this article.

Time out on the island of Föhr

Thanks to the offshore North Sea islands of Amrum and Sylt as well as the Halligen, Föhr is better protected from the harsh forces of nature of the North Sea than its island neighbours. This can be seen on the one hand in the extensive white sandy beaches as well as in the diverse island vegetation. Typical for Föhr are also the pretty Frisian villages with their thatched houses and the numerous farm shops, where lovingly produced local products are sold. A true paradise for connoisseurs!

The journey here takes us via Dagebüll. The ferry port can be reached directly by train and the change from the train to the ferry is no time at all. We use the subsequent crossing from Dagebüll to Wyk to shift down a gear and let our gaze wander over the Wadden Sea. I love this vastness!

After about 50 minutes we dock in Wyk – the only town on the island – although the dimensions in Wyk are also manageable and familiar. Our accommodation, the Friesenhof Nieblum, is located in the neighbouring village of the same name. With its magnificent avenues of lime trees and neat Frisian houses, Nieblum is considered the “picture-book village” on Föhr. Another plus is the proximity to the 15-kilometre-long sandy beach on the south coast.

Gourmet party – the most enjoyable way to discover Föhr

Now, of course, you could “plunge” directly into the floods or – and this would be my hot tip – take a closer look at the well-developed network of cycle paths. Föhr is criss-crossed by over 200 kilometres of signposted cycling and hiking trails. The starting point for active island days is thus ensured. Because one thing is clear: despite the comparatively sheltered location, you always cycle against the wind, even on Föhr. This is the natural law of the North Frisian islands.

If you are not only interested in the beautiful landscape, but also in local crafts and fine island products, it is best to go on a gourmet party. The 34-kilometre-long circuit leads past selected producers and farm shops across the island. And it is precisely this gourmet party that is our “guide” for the two-day stay on the island. Immediately after checking in, we rent two bikes at the Welluuper bike rental in walking distance of the Friesenhof. Now nothing stands in the way of our Föhr gourmet party.

Borgsumer Landbäcker

Passing the Goting cliff we head for Borgsum. Fortunately, the landmark of the village – the mill – leads us from afar. In the middle of the village centre of Borgsum is Der Landbäcker. Co-owner Meiken Jensen is informed of our arrival and welcomes us with a platter of sweet, seasonal delicacies.

Together with her husband Erik Peter, she is the third generation to run the more than 100-year-old family business. In doing so, they successfully bridge the gap between traditional family recipes, traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. In 2021, they launched an ordering app and an online shop is currently under construction. If you are on Föhr, you should definitely try one of their breads. Best of all, they still taste great even after two weeks of storage (and yes, we can confirm this from our own experience). Proof that the Jensens really invest a lot of time and passion in good bread.

Let Brauhüs

Less than a ten-minute walk from the country bakery, Volker Martens has also found his passion. Since 2018, he has been producing three beer specialties on his parents’ farm in a small brewery with good Föhr brewing water. The fact that he has fully captured the spirit of the times with his handcrafted products is shown, among other things, by the fact that his warehouse is practically sold out. The small Biar Brauhüs is therefore to be rebuilt and enlarged by next spring. Either way, keep an eye out for the exotic-sounding beers “Hünjmots”, “Holeweeder” and “Jonk” during your visit to Föhr or plan a short stop at the Biar Brauhüs – maybe you’ll be lucky and there will be more to come.

Föhr Island Cheese

The locally brewed beers from the Biar Brauhüs are available – along with many other island specialties – in the farm shop “Föhrer Inselkäse“, among others. For over ten years, the Hartmann family has been running the beautifully curated farm shop in Alkersum. Here, too, they are “up to date” when it comes to new culinary trends and sustainable concepts. Large dispensers in “unpackaged” style, preserves in Weck jars and raw milk cheese produced directly on the farm. An ideal stopover to stock up on delicious island products on the way back to Wyk or Nieblum.

We now follow the road straight ahead into the winding streets of Wyk. Here, guests can expect a high density of restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. We have reserved a table at the “Fietis” for the first evening. The small restaurant is located in the middle of the pedestrian zone and has a daily freshly prepared menu on the menu. A stop for all those who appreciate seasonal home cooking. Compared to other restaurants, the price level here is somewhat higher, which is partly due to the regionally purchased products.

Continuation of the feasting party

After Föhr presented itself from its finest side the day before, a cool wind is blowing towards us today. Under these circumstances, it is no longer quite as fast to pedal, but we have really earned the culinary stops. First, however, we head for two cultural sights on the way to Dunsum in the northwest of the island. First we stop at the ring wall of the Lembecksburg. The almost 10-metre-high rampart north of Borgsum is unmistakable in the otherwise flat surroundings. It is believed that the remains, which are still visible today, once protected a Viking Age fortification.

Exciting historical insights are also provided by the so-called “talking gravestones” a few kilometres further west in the cemetery of St. Laurentii Church.

Hinrichsen’s Family Farm

From St. Laurentii Church it is not far to the beach of Utersum. From here you can see over to Sylt and when the weather is nice, this is the most beautiful sunset spot in Föhr. Today, however, the Wadden Sea presents itself in monochrome grey and the wind whistles around our ears. It’s high time for a warm-up. These are available in the courtyard café of Hinrichsen’s family farm.

After an invigorating coffee, the busy farm owner Jan-Robert leads us to his latest project: the whisky distillery. Jan-Robert’s goal is to carry out all processing steps on the farm, from the cultivation of rye and barley as “raw materials” to the finished product. A “0-kilometre” whisky, so to speak. Since German whisky has a storage obligation of three years, some of the distillates can currently be purchased in the farm shop as “New Make” and “Young Malt” for the time being. The rest matures in oak barrels just 500 metres from the dike. We are curious to see how the whisky will establish itself. Whether you have an affinity for whisky or not – the detour to Hinrichsen’s family farm is always worthwhile.

Café im Apfelgarten

What impressed me about all the companies I visited was how the people of Föhr “burn” for their product and their work. This is also evident during our next stopover in Oldsum. In the elongated village in the northwest of the island there are some small shops and nice cafés to discover. On the way to the café “Im Apfelgarten” we stop briefly at the Föhrer Wolle. Heike Müller’s “Lädeli” is an insider tip among all knitting and crocheting fans. It sells high-quality, home-spun and dyed wool from sheep, lambs and alpacas.

Afterwards we enjoy a warming bowl of homemade potato cream soup and a piece of onion tart in the café “Im Apfelgarten“. Both delicious! But the cakes in the display are also a real feast for the eyes. And if you haven’t tried a Frisian cake yet, you should definitely order a piece for dessert. It is freshly prepared here to order.

Before we make our way back, we take a look at the shop of the jam manufacturer “Inselfein“. The jams, mustard specialties and sauces made here by hand are all delicious. But my favorite is the Föhrer Landlust. A wonderfully refreshing and sweet jam made from carrots, peaches and lemon. The Inselfein products are also great as souvenirs.

Museum highlight and Michelin-starred cuisine

Unfortunately, the weather did not become friendlier during the day. And instead of taking a detour by bike to the north coast, which is protected by the dike, with its impressive bird life, or alternatively paddling along the south coast by SUP, we head for the museum “Art of the West Coast” (MKdW) in Alkersum. And who would have thought it: This spontaneous program change gives me an unexpected highlight. The architecturally skilfully integrated new museum building by Sunder-Plassmann Architekten into the village centre of Alkersum impresses with an excellently curated and didactically appealing exhibition. To be honest, if there is one “must see” on Föhr, it’s the MKdW!

Our Föhr culinary journey comes to a crowning conclusion in the Alt Wyk restaurant, which, like the Fietis, is located in the pedestrian zone in Wyk. In the Michelin-starred restaurant, you can enjoy a fine 4-course menu in a beautiful ambience. Worth mentioning here is the really great service! And it tasted great too.

Practical tips for your trip to Föhr

• The quickest way to get from Zurich to Föhr is via Hamburg. You can reach the island by train with three changes, whereby the first stage (Zurich – Hamburg) can be overcome in your sleep, thanks to the night train.
• Föhr is not a car-free island. With a length of 12.5 kilometres in an east-west direction and a maximum width of 8.5 kilometres in a north-south direction, you don’t necessarily need a car to explore Föhr. My tip: Rent a bike for the duration of your stay (and take weatherproof clothing with you at the same time).
• We rented our bikes at the Welluuper bike rental in Nieblum. The bikes can also be reserved online there.
• The “FÖHRgreen” initiative enters into partnerships with businesses and projects on the island that follow a sustainable path and contribute to protecting the island’s environment and nature, strengthening the regional economy, preserving jobs for locals and preserving a vibrant island culture. Many of the farms we visit are part of FÖHRgreen.
• Even though the North Frisian islands are mainly a summer holiday destination, a trip to Föhr is also worthwhile in the low season. The quiet winter months have their own charm and guarantee relaxation.
• If this is your first trip to the Wadden Sea National Park, then it is worth taking a look at the website of the Wadden Sea Conservation Station in advance. The association offers regular guided mudflat hikes as well as other nature experiences around the fascinating ecosystem of the Wadden Sea.
• If you are looking for a special moment of relaxation, I can recommend taking a look at the website of Wanderwagen. There you can book time slots for saunas in a tiny house sauna at Wyker Strand.
• Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to explore all the exciting-sounding restaurants on Föhr. On my list of favorites were the Bistrot Namine Witt and Saimon’s Föhr small restaurant (both in Nieblum).
• You can find more tips and practical information about Föhr on the official website of the North Sea island of Föhr.