Germany is regarded as one of the most beautiful countries to visit in the world. Dotted with major European cities the country plays a major role in the economic development of the European Union. However, Germany also has some quiet vacation spots. In this article, we will take a look at Germany’s biggest islands.
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Rügen
Rügen is located in the Baltic Sea and is the biggest German island.
Rügen covers an area of 926 km2 and is connected to the mainland by a causeway and a bridge. The island is popular among tourists because of its bays, pristine beaches, and holiday resorts which offer everything that a tourist needs to enjoy their holiday. The Jasmund National Park is another popular attraction on the island.
Area: 926 km2
Location: The Baltic Sea
Population: 77 000
How to get there: The best way to get to Rügen is to travel from Hamburg. From Hamburg, it is a 2h44min journey by car.
Tourist attractions: Karls, the Kreidefelsen, Naturerbe Zentrum Ruegen, the Granitz Hunting Lodge, and the Nationalpark Jasmund Königsstuhl.
Places to stay: the Pension Manthei, the Märchenhotel, and Apartments Boddenhof Stedar.
Things to do: There are plenty of national parks and historical monuments that can be visited on the island.
Annual visitors: 1,5 million visitors.
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Further reading: travel emergency tips.
Usedom
Germany’s second largest island, Usedom, is also located in the Baltic Sea.
Sovereignty of the island is split between Poland and Germany with Germany controlling about 80% of the island. This has been the case since the end of World War II. Receiving the most sun of all the German islands, Usedom is often referred to as the Sun Island. Like Rügen, there are plenty of seaside resorts on Usedom which makes it a popular tourist destination.
Area: 445 km2 (373 km2 belongs to Germany)
Location: The Baltic Sea
Population: 76 500
How to get there: The best way to get to Usedom is to travel from Hamburg. From Hamburg, it is a 3h14min journey by car.
Tourist attractions: the Hubbrücke Karnin, the Waldkabinett Forstamt Neu Pudagla, the Armee Der Tonkrieger, the Strandpromenade, and the Trassenheider Strand.
Places to stay: the Strandhotel Möwe, the Hotel am Kurpark, and Herman’s Hof.
Things to do: There are plenty of historical museums and beaches that can be visited on the island.
Annual visitors: 407.26 million visitors/year.
Because of its tourism friendly economy, Usedom is consistently rated as one of the most popular of Germany’s Baltic Sea islands.
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Further reading: Top 110 Best travel apps.
Fehmarn
Germany’s third largest island, Fehmarn is also located in the Baltic Sea. The island has an area of 185.45 km2.
Fehmarn is a popular tourist destination as the island is connected to both Germany and Denmark. Nature lovers flock to the island because of the fact that thousands of migratory birds call the island home. Be sure to visit the Fehmarn lighthouse when staying on the island.
Area: 185.45 km2
Location: The Baltic Sea
Population: 12 552
How to get there: The best way to get to Fehmarn from Hamburg is by train which is a 2h1min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Fehmarnsundbrücke, the Meereszentrum Fehmarn, the Leuchtturm Flugge, the Galileo Museum, and the NABU-Wasservogelreservat Wallnau.
Places to stay: the Strandhotel Bene, the Ferienpark Wulfenerhals, and Bauernhof Köhlbrandt.
Things to do: Things to do in Fehmarn include visiting a number of speciality museums, birdwatching, and the islands aquarium.
Annual visitors: 2.5 million visitors/year.
Planning a trip during winter?
Further reading: Top 10 Best places to visit in Winter.
Sylt
The island of Sylt encompasses an area of 99 km2 in the North Sea in northern Germany.
If you are looking for a break from the Baltic sea, then Sylt is for you. Like Rügen and Usedom, Sylt is home to a number of seaside resorts that cater for every travellers need. There are also a number of speciality museums on the island that will interest history enthusiasts. The Hindenburgdamm causeway connects the island to the mainland.
Area: 99 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 15 169
How to get there: The best way to get to Sylt from Hamburg is by train which is a 2h31min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Altfriesisches Haus, the Sylt Aquarium, the Sylter Verkehrsgesellschaft, the Friedhof der Heimatlosen, and the Sylter Heimatmuseum.
Places to stay: the Hotel Strandhörn, the Haus Bomhoff Sylt, and Meer-Lust-Sylt Haus Mateika.
Things to do: Things to do in Sylt include visiting a number of speciality museums and the islands aquarium.
Annual visitors: 650 000 visitors/year.
Planning a trip during fall?
Further reading: Top 10 Best places to visit in fall.
Föhr
The fifth largest island in Germany is also located in the North Sea and is a part of the North Frisian Islands.
Föhr has a completely different landscape than Sylt having both beaches and marshes on the southern portion of the island. Being one of the smaller German islands, Föhr is popular amoung Germans that want to avoid the busier islands. Thus, Föhr has developed a significant tourism economy.
Föhr is well-connected to mainland Germany by ferry, road, and air transport services.
Area: 82 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 8 248
How to get there: The best way to get to Föhr from Hamburg is by car and car ferry which is a 2h55min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Museum Kunst der Westkueste, the Dr. Carl Häberlin Friesenmuseum, the Goting Kliff, the Robbenzentrum Föhr, and the Leuchtturm Olhörn.
Places to stay: the Rackmers-Hof Hotel garni, the Haus Seeadler, and Deichhof Knudsen.
Things to do: Things to do in Föhr include visting a number of speciality museums and the geological formations on the island.
Annual visitors: Over 500 000 visitors/year.
Are you planning a trip abroad for spiritual reasons?
Further reading: 6 Spiritual benefits of travelling to foreign countries.
Pellworm
If you are looking for an escape where you can connect with nature, then Pellworm is for you. Unlike some of the other German islands, Pellworm doesn’t have a lot of specialty museums.
Pellworm plays an important major role in the German electrical grid. A hybrid renewable energy plant that uses both wind and photovoltaic energy is found on the island. The plant is one of it the largest in Europe. There are a number of bed and breakfast facilities on the island that will make guests feel welcome.
Area: 37 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 1 200
How to get there: The best way to get to Pellworm from Hamburg is by train which is a 3h06min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrts, the Leuchtturm, the Sudfall, the Pelle Welle, and the Vogelkoje Pellworm.
Places to stay: the Apartment Radmokerhuus, the Hollandwarft, and Inselquartier-Pellworm.
Things to do: Things to do in Pellworm include spending time exploring the islands many nature trails.
Annual visitors: Over 500 000 visitors/year.
Poel
Another nature enthusiasts dream vacation, Poel is the seventh biggest island in Germany.
This island is located on the Baltic Sea where it acts as the Bay of Wismar’s eastern and northern boundaries. Nature walks and experiencing farm life are some of the major attractions that Poel has to offer as farming is the major activity on the island.
Area: 36 km2
Location: The Baltic Sea
Population: 2 456
How to get there: The best way to get to Poel from Hamburg is by car which is a 1h31min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Heimatmuseum Insel Poel, the Leuchtturm Timmendorfer, the Cap-Arcona-Gedenkstaette, the Spielplatz, and the Wassersportcenter Poel.
Places to stay: the Inselhotel Poel, the Hotel Zur Seemöwe, and Appartmentanlage Zur Düne.
Things to do: Things to do in Poel include enjoying nature activities.
Annual visitors: Over 500 000 visitors/year
Being one of the smaller islands, Poel is a welcome getaway form Big City life.
Borkum
With an area of 31 km2, Borkum is the eighth largest island in Germany.
Strong winds and a well-developed harbor (for the size of the island) makes Borkum a popular choice among sailing enthusiasts. The island once played an important role in Scandenavian trade routes and one can just picture Viking ships sailing past the island. The remote nature of some parts of the island makes it a perfect training ground for novice sailors. The Wadden Sea borders the island to the south and the North Sea to the north.
Area: 31 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 5 002
How to get there: The best way to get to Borkum from Bremen is by train and ferry via Emden which is a 5h37min trip.
Tourist attractions: include the Neuer Leuchtturm, the Heimatmuseum Dykhus, the Borkums Naturschutzgebiet Greune Stee, the Seehundbank auf Borkum, and Nordseeaquarium Borkum.
Places to stay: the Nordsee Hotel Borkum, the Hotel Weisse Düne, and the Hotel Bloemfontein.
Things to do: Things to do in Borkum include visiting the islands lighthouse, specialist museums and the Borkum North Sea Aquarium.
Annual visitors: Over 500 000 visitors/year.
Norderney
Like Pellworm, Norderney is an island that caters for nature lovers.
Don’t expect to race around the island in a hired car. The island occupies an area of 26 km2 and has a 14 km long beach at its northern end. Additionally, Norderney’s eastern part belongs to a national park and thus traffic is strictly regulated in the area to avoid any harm to the park’s wildlife. Pollution on the island is very low which makes it popular among travellers who have health issues.
Ferry and air connections connect the island to mainland Germany.
Area: 26 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 5 850
How to get there: The best way to get to Norderney from Bremen is by car and ferry which is a 2h39min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Strandpromenade Norderney, the Leuchtturm Norderney, the Badehaus Norderney, the Bibliothek im Conversationshaus zu Norderney, and the Watt Welten.
Places to stay: the Strandloft Drei Norderney, the Ferienhaus Leuchtfeuer, and the Logierhaus Austernfischer.
Things to do: Things to do in Norderney include visiting the beach promenade, the lighthouse and the bathhouse.
Annual visitors: Over 750 000 visitors/year.
Amrum
Amrum is located in the North Frisian Islands archipelago in the North Sea.
The island has an extended beach on its western side. Nature enthusiasts and avid campers enjoy travelling to Amrum. The eastern coast of the islands is home to mudflats and tidal creeks. In addition, several species of birds and marine animals can be found on and in the waters of the island.
Area: 20.46 km2
Location: The North Sea
Population: 2 300
How to get there: The best way to get to Amrum from Hamburg is by train and ferry which is a 7h5min trip.
Tourist attractions: the Amrumer Strand, the Amrumer Leuchtturm, the Kapelle Wittdun, the Naturzentrum Norddorf, and the Leit-und Quermarkenfeuer Norddorf.
Places to stay: the Ferienwohnung Zur Alten Post Amrum, the Hotel Anka, and the Strandloge.
Things to do: Things to do in Amrum include visiting the beach promenade, the lighthouse and Wittdun Chapel.
Annual visitors: Over 500 000 visitors/year
Germany is also known for its beer and cuisine. A get away to a German island may be the solution to a holiday of decompression from the busy German cities and detoxing from a vacation of over indulgence.
Germany’s top 10 biggest islands FAQ
- Will I have to speak German when visiting one of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands?
While English is widely spoken in Germany, it is limited to the main cities such as Berlin, and Munich. You may find one or two people on a German island that can speak English; however, a basic knowledge of German as well as a translation app is recommended when visiting one of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands.
- What currency do they use on Germany’s top 10 biggest islands?
The official currency of Germany is the Euro (€). While card facilities will be available on the islands, connectivity may be an issue. It is recommended that tourists do carry some cash with them.
- Will connectivity be a problem on Germany’s top 10 biggest islands?
The infrastructure on Germany’s top 10 biggest islands is well developed. However, as with all islands, any breakdown in communication may take some time to repair. Make use of the WIFI provided at the hotels as a reliable source of connectivity.
- Is it easy to get to one of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands?
Most of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands are connected to the mainland by roads. There are regular bus and train schedules to the islands and some islands are only accessible by ferry which run at regular intervals.
- What is the best way to find out what to do on one of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands?
Making use of a travel planning app is the best way to find out what to do on one of Germany’s top 10 biggest islands.
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