Gröde: Plan a Hallig stay and find hotels

Gröde is a Hallig with a long history of coastal protection and distinctive landscape features. It is the third-largest Hallig and covers 252 hectares. In the early 19th century, Hallig Appelland and Hallig Gröde were joined as part of coastal protection work, creating Gröde-Appelland. Earlier land losses caused by storm surges left Gröde almost completely surrounded by a stone embankment. The Süderaue divides into two tidal creeks that flank the southwest of the Hallig.

Hallig landscape and Kirchwarft

The Halligen of Schleswig-Holstein are regularly flooded during high water; houses therefore stand on artificially raised mounds known as Warften. The inhabited Halligen also have a special role as a model region: sustainable ways of living and working are being tested here in a long-established cultural landscape. This combination of everyday life and coastal landscape is part of the regional setting in which you can experience Gröde.

An important place on Gröde is Kirchwarft. The school, the teacher’s home and St. Margarethen Hallig Church are located there. The church was built in 1779. Inside is a Renaissance altar dating from 1592 that depicts the life of Jesus. Several elements of Hallig history therefore come together in one place at Kirchwarft: the church, school and teacher’s home, as well as the older altar.

Plan your stay and journey

Gröde is one of the five Halligen inhabited year-round that welcome visitors and offer accommodation for longer stays. If you plan to stay for several days, check accommodation availability before your trip. Gröde is car-free and is not connected to the mainland by either a causeway or a regularly scheduled ferry. One possible route by public transport is to take the train to Husum, then a bus to Ockholm or Schlüttsiel, and continue by boat. Check bus, ferry and boat connections before departure.

Water levels also matter for excursions: excursion boats can reach Gröde only during the short high-tide period. Boats from Pellworm and Schlüttsiel can bring visitors to Gröde for a stay of around an hour and a half. Visit duration and travel options may change, so check current timetables in advance. The approximate duration means that a day trip requires different time planning from a longer stay on the Hallig.

Getting around Gröde

Activities available on Gröde include fishing and mudflat hiking. If you plan to fish, check local rules, tides and permitted fishing areas in advance. Mudflat hikes also depend on the tides and should follow local safety advice. Gröde-Appelland also offers space for walks in the bracing, iodine-rich North Sea air. Be sure to take weather, tides and local access information into account. There are also places to swim around Gröde; conditions depend on the tides and weather. Follow local safety advice.

A thatched-roof kiosk helps visitors find their way around, offering drinks, ice cream, sweets, souvenirs, postcards and books about Hallig life to holidaymakers and day visitors. You can find both small travel essentials and reading material about life on the Halligen there.

Hallig Habel and nature conservation

Hallig Habel is part of the municipality of Gröde and lies in Zone I of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. It is an important resting, breeding and feeding ground for numerous seabirds. To protect its characteristic wildlife and plant life, Habel is completely closed to tourism. Check the applicable protected-area rules before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Achtrup, Tating, Sollwitt, Lütjenholm, Winnert, Langeneß, Welt, Reußenköge.

Go to the main travel overview: North Frisia.