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We travel the world. German island of Heligoland

: 54 ° 10'57 ″ s. NS. 7 ° 53'07 ″ east etc. / 54.18250 ° N NS. 7.88528 ° E etc. / 54.18250; 7.88528 (G) (I)

Chapter Square Center height Official language Population Density

805.88 people / km²

Timezone Telephone code Postcode Car code Official code Official site

(German)

Previously, the majority of the island's population spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it is practically supplanted by the German language. Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

History

The island has been inhabited since prehistoric times. 6,500 years ago, the territory of Helgoland was connected to the continental part of Europe. Around the 7th century, the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled on it. For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who hunted in the North Sea. In the XII-XIII centuries Helgoland belonged to Denmark, and then ceded to the German duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself was under the control of the Danish crown. In 1720, as a result of a storm, the island was divided in two. Golden times for the island came during the Napoleonic wars. As a result of the naval blockade declared by the French emperor of Great Britain, Heligoland became a brisk transit point for smugglers. Affected by the strategic position. In 1807, it was occupied by British troops, after which it became part of Great Britain. In 1826, a seaside resort was established here. Soon the island began to enjoy popularity among poets, writers, artists and other representatives of the European intellectual elite. Heinrich Heine spoke enthusiastically about him, and in 1841 Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote here the text "Song of the Germans" (later it became the anthem of Germany).

Zanzibar Agreement

A businessman from Hamburg, the builder Arne Weber, has been hatching the idea of filling the strait between the main island and the Dune island for several years. On the territory reclaimed from the North Sea, the businessman proposes to build several hotels, increasing the number of hotel beds by almost three times, as well as equip a more spacious and comfortable beach. The total investment is estimated at one billion euros. After lengthy discussions, the local authorities decided to abandon the large-scale plans of the Hamburg businessman. Instead, Helgoland intends to modernize the port complex and the marina. In turn, Arne Weber called this position short-sighted and expressed hope that the decision will be revised after the municipal elections this fall. On the island, apparently, they simply do not want to change its appearance again. He already suffered greatly at the hands of a man.

In a referendum held on June 26, 2011, the inhabitants of Heligoland spoke out against the authorities' plans to increase the island's territory. 1,068 people took part in the voting (turnout was 81.4%). 54.7% voted "against", 45.3% - "For". In accordance with the plan, the island of Helgoland and the island of Dune, located a kilometer from it, was supposed to be connected by an artificial embankment with a total area of 100 hectares (about 30 football fields), on which hotels, marinas and cruise liners, and also equipped with a beach. The ambitious tourism infrastructure development project was designed to improve the overall economic situation islands. Heligoland is under threat of stagnation: the number of tourists is decreasing, many residents are leaving the island. Burgomaster of Helgoland Jörg Singer (German. Joerg singer), who actively supported the project of an artificial embankment, said that the results of the referendum in no way negate plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for building up the island's territory.

In culture

British trip-hop group Massive Attack released an album called Heligoland in 2010.
Heligoland is the scene of the historical novel "Island of the Sacred Swans" by German writer Britta Verhagen, dedicated to the Christianization of the Frisians in the eighth century. The author believed that the island, whose name translates as "Sacred Land", was the location the oldest sanctuary, preserved there since the time of Atlantis, which, as she believed, following pastor Jurgen Spanut, was located approximately in the area of this island.

Born here

James Crews - children's writer

Photo

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Heligoland around 1929/30

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Helgoland view from the sea

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"Long Anna"

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Landscape at the top of the island

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Heligoland lighthouse

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Dune view

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- If I were a woman, I would do it, Marie. This is a woman's virtue. But a man should not and cannot forget and forgive, - he said, and although he had not thought about Kuragin until that moment, all the uncommitted malice suddenly rose in his heart. “If Princess Marya is already persuading me to forgive, then it means that I should have been punished for a long time,” he thought. And, no longer answering Princess Marya, he now began to think about that joyful, malicious moment when he met Kuragin, who (he knew) was in the army.
Princess Marya begged her brother to wait another day, said that she knew how unhappy her father would be if Andrei left without making peace with him; but Prince Andrew replied that he would probably soon come again from the army, that he would certainly write to his father, and that now the longer he stayed, the more this discord would be irritated.
- Adieu, Andre! Rappelez vous que les malheurs viennent de Dieu, et que les hommes ne sont jamais coupables, [Farewell, Andrey! Remember that misfortunes come from God and that people are never to blame.] Were the last words he heard from his sister when he said goodbye to her.
“This is how it should be! - thought Prince Andrey, leaving the alley of the Lysogorsk house. - She, a pitiful innocent creature, is left to be devoured by an old man who has lost his mind. The old man feels that he is guilty, but he cannot change himself. My boy grows up and enjoys a life in which he will be the same as everyone else, deceived or deceiving. I'm going to the army, why? “I don’t know myself, and I wish to meet that person whom I despise, in order to give him a chance to kill me and laugh at me!” And before there were all the same living conditions, but before they all tied together, but now everything fell apart. Some meaningless phenomena, without any connection, one after another presented themselves to Prince Andrey.

Prince Andrew arrived at the army headquarters at the end of June. The troops of the first army, the one with which the sovereign was, were located in a fortified camp near Drissa; the troops of the second army were retreating, seeking to unite with the first army, from which - as they said - they were cut off by large forces of the French. Everyone was dissatisfied with the general course of military affairs in the Russian army; but no one thought about the danger of an invasion of the Russian provinces, no one even thought that the war could be moved further than the western Polish provinces.
Prince Andrew found Barclay de Tolly, to whom he was appointed, on the banks of the Drissa. Since there was not a single large village or town in the vicinity of the camp, the entire huge number of generals and courtiers who were with the army were located in a circle of ten versts in the best houses of the villages, on this side and on the other side of the river. Barclay de Tolly stood four miles from the sovereign. He dryly and coldly received Bolkonsky and said with his German reprimand that he would report him to the sovereign to determine his appointment, and in the meantime asked him to be at his headquarters. Anatol Kuragin, whom Prince Andrey hoped to find in the army, was not here: he was in Petersburg, and this news pleased Bolkonsky. The interest of the center of the immense war being carried out occupied Prince Andrey, and he was glad for a while to free himself from the irritation that the thought of Kuragin produced in him. During the first four days, during which he did not demand anywhere, Prince Andrei traveled around the entire fortified camp and, with the help of his knowledge and conversations with knowledgeable people, tried to form a certain notion about it. But the question of whether this camp was profitable or unprofitable remained unresolved for Prince Andrew. He had already managed to deduce from his military experience the conviction that the most thoughtful plans do not mean anything in military affairs (as he saw in the Austerlitz campaign), that everything depends on how the enemy responds to unexpected and unforeseen actions. that everything depends on how and by whom the whole business is conducted. In order to understand this last question, Prince Andrew, using his position and acquaintances, tried to delve into the nature of the army management, the persons and parties involved in it, and deduced for himself the following concept of the state of affairs.
When the sovereign was still in Vilna, the army was divided into three: 1 I army was under the command of Barclay de Tolly, 2 I was under the command of Bagration, 3 I was under the command of Tormasov. The sovereign was with the first army, but not as commander-in-chief. The order did not say that the sovereign would command, it only said that the sovereign would be with the army. In addition, under the sovereign, there was no headquarters of the commander-in-chief personally, but the headquarters of the imperial headquarters. Under him was the chief of the imperial staff, Quartermaster General Prince Volkonsky, generals, aide-de-camp, diplomatic officials and a large number of foreigners, but there was no army headquarters. In addition, without a position with the sovereign there were: Arakcheev - the former Minister of War, Count Bennigsen - by the rank of the senior of the generals, Grand Duke Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich, Count Rumyantsev - the chancellor, Stein - the former Prussian minister, Armfeld - the Swedish general, Pful - the chief compiler plan of the campaign, Adjutant General Paulucci - a Sardinian native, Wolzogen and many others. Although these persons were without military posts in the army, but in their position they had influence, and often the corps commander and even the commander-in-chief did not know what Bennigsen, or the Grand Duke, or Arakcheev, or Prince Volkonsky, asked or advised in what way. and did not know whether such an order in the form of advice was coming from his person or from the sovereign and whether it was necessary or not necessary to execute it. But this was an external situation, the essential meaning of the presence of the sovereign and all these persons, from the court point (and in the presence of the sovereign, everything becomes courtiers), was clear to everyone. He was as follows: the sovereign did not assume the title of commander-in-chief, but was in charge of all the armies; the people around him were his assistants. Arakcheev was a faithful guardian of order and bodyguard of the sovereign; Bennigsen was the landowner of the Vilna province, who seemed to be doing les honneurs [was busy with the business of receiving the sovereign] of the region, but in fact was a good general, useful for advice and in order to have him always ready to replace Barclay. The Grand Duke was here because it pleased him. Former Minister Stein was here because he was useful to the council and because the Emperor Alexander highly valued his personal qualities. Armfeld was an evil Napoleon hater and a self-confident general that always had an impact on Alexander. Paulucci was here because he was bold and decisive in his speeches, the General Adjutants were here because they were everywhere where the sovereign was, and, finally - most importantly - Pful was here because he, having drawn up a plan of war against Napoleon and forcing Alexander to believe in the feasibility of this plan, led the whole matter of the war. Under Pfuel, there was Wolzogen, who conveyed Pfuel's thoughts in a more accessible form than Pfuel himself, a harsh, self-confident to contempt for everything, armchair theorist.
In addition to these named persons, Russians and foreigners (especially foreigners, who, with the boldness characteristic of people in their activities among a foreign environment, offered new unexpected thoughts every day), there were many more minor persons who were with the army because their principals were there.
Among all the thoughts and voices in this huge, restless, brilliant and proud world, Prince Andrey saw the following, sharper, divisions of directions and parties.
The first party was: Pful and his followers, the theorists of war, who believe that there is a science of war and that this science has its own invariable laws, laws of oblique movement, circumvention, etc. Pful and his followers demanded a retreat into the interior of the country, deviations according to the exact laws prescribed by the imaginary theory of war, and in any deviation from this theory, they saw only barbarism, ignorance or malice. German princes, Wolzogen, Wintzingerode and others, mostly Germans, belonged to this party.
The second batch was the opposite of the first. As always happens, at one extreme there were representatives of the other extreme. The people of this party were those who, even from Vilna, demanded an offensive into Poland and freedom from any plans drawn up in advance. In addition to the fact that the representatives of this party were representatives of bold actions, they at the same time were representatives of nationality, as a result of which they became even one-sided in the dispute. These were Russians: Bagration, Yermolov, who was beginning to rise, and others. At this time, the well-known joke of Ermolov was spread, as if asking the sovereign for one favor - to make him the Germans. The people of this party said, remembering Suvorov, that we should not think, not prick the map with needles, but fight, beat the enemy, not let him into Russia and not let the army lose heart.

But did you know that about Germany?

Helgoland (Helgoland-German or Heligoland-English), in Russian-language literature for some reason is always called Helgoland- miniature German archipelago in North sea. It is located 46 kilometers from mainland Germany and consists of two islands: the inhabited main island of triangular shape Hauptinsel(with an area of about 1 square km) and located to the west of it, a much lower Düne(0.7 sq. Km), almost entirely consisting of sandy beaches and having as a permanent population only the staff of a few tourist campsites and a small airfield.

Lost in the sea of infinity, an islet with a high rocky coast of bright red sandstone cannot but arouse admiration. Looking at this incredible creation of nature, it is difficult to imagine that it is not in distant exotic lands, but in the North Sea, which washes some of the coldest countries in Europe - Great Britain, Denmark, Norway. The landscape of this quaint triangular piece of land is only 1 sq. km, completely uncharacteristic for the continental coast North Sea... Vertical fifty-meter cliffs stretch out in a motley wall along the sea line in the north, west and south-west, where, moreover, steep cliffs drop 56 meters below the water level. Interestingly, the variegated sandstone of these rocks, dating from the Triassic geological era, is older than the white Cretaceous rock of its base, the rock from which the White Cliffs of Dover and similar German and danish islands in the Baltic Sea.

On the north side, there is a stunning 47-meter-high red sandstone cliff called Lange Anna. It is known that at the beginning of the First World War, this was the name of a tall waitress from a nearby cafe, but why the cliff was named after her remains a mystery. Thousands of years ago, "Long Anna" was part of the island, then, under the influence of water erosion, an arch was formed, washed sea water... Currently, we see only the remnant of that arch - a giant miraculous column, which has become a symbol of Helgoland and has become the highlight of this amazing place. Unfortunately, the disaster continues to seriously affect the magnificent natural monument, and the threat of its destruction is growing every day.

The history of the island is extremely interesting. Since prehistoric times, it was inhabited by people who came here along a seventy-kilometer spit, which once connected the island with the mainland and subsequently went under water due to the effects of wind erosion.

More than 6,000 years ago, Helgoland was several times larger, and rivers flowed along its surface. Gradually, the deep sea began to destroy the rock of the island, advancing from the north and south, washing out the sheer cliffs.

Around the 7th century, the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled on it. For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who hunted in the North Sea.

In the XII-XIII centuries, Helgoland belonged to Denmark, and then ceded to the German duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself was under the control of the Danish crown.

Not without human intervention - by the 18th century, numerous mining and stone mining led to the fact that the island fell into two parts, connected to each other by a thinnest bridge. A violent storm in the winter of 1721 destroyed it, finally dividing Helgoland in two. Today, a second small islet called Dune is located just 1.5 km from Helgoland and part of it serves as an airstrip.

1890 year

Due to its advantageous geographic location Helgoland has always played a prominent role during hostilities, from the time of Napoleon to the world wars of the 20th century. By the beginning of the First World War, the island was turned into a powerful German naval base, with many underground tunnels, bunkers, shelters and mines. Today, traces of that time can be found everywhere - dilapidated underground passages, entrances carved into the rocks, bomb craters overgrown with grass, and the lighthouse at the northern end of the island was once an anti-aircraft defensive structure. After the end of World War II, the British government decided to destroy the island, thereby eliminating the possibility of a future military threat. In 1947, the strongest non-nuclear explosion in world history thundered on the island - Helgoland survived, but its appearance was significantly changed. So, many shores collapsed, and lowlands formed in the south.

In 1950, the island again passed into the hands of Germany, residents evacuated during the war returned here, and calm times came for Helgoland. Travelers, artists, writers, intellectuals began to come here, which turned Helgoland into a famous resort place as it remains to this day. And it is not surprising, because this charming island has something to offer tourists - numerous routes will take you through the most picturesque corners of the island, where you can see majestic cliffs and cliffs, green meadows on which cows and sheep graze, dunes, seals basking on seashore.

In early June, in the Lummenfelsen Wildlife Sanctuary, the smallest reserve in the world, home to thousands of guillemots, auk, northern cormorants and gulls, you will be able to watch a truly amazing sight - for the chicks of the guillemot it is time to learn to fly and, which have never spread their wings, they are thrown down the cliff, but miraculously do not break.

What makes Helgoland even more special is its climate. Advantageous proximity to the warm Gulf Stream and a small land area that does not hold back the cold create truly beautiful weather... This is the sunniest and warmest place in Germany: even in winter, the temperature does not drop below 10 ° C, which makes it possible to grow thermophilic plants such as fig. Two long, magnificent beaches of the neighboring islet of Dune with fine sand resemble Caribbean islands with palms bent over turquoise sea - heavenly place for swimming.

Helgoland is an ideal choice not only for those who dream of plunge into the natural world, take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, but also for lovers of a beautiful life: there is a yacht club, spa resorts, mini golf courses, outdoor pools with sea water, cozy cottages and duty-free shops. A trip here will leave an indelible impression, and you will certainly want to return to this wonderful island.

Helgoland GPS coordinates: 54.1825, 7.885278

Heligoland is one of the oldest European resorts. The first seaside resort appeared here in 1826, when the islands were the possession of the British crown. Many famous personalities of that time rested here. Heinrich Heine visited him more than once.

On the beach of Dune Island, you can admire the sunbathing seals and walruses. And they have already adapted so much to the frequent visit of guests that they are not at all afraid of people.

But only those tourists who are not afraid of cold water will be able to swim on the islands. Indeed, even on the hottest days, the water temperature does not exceed 20 ° C.

At present, the idea is being hatched to fill the strait between the main islands. On the territory reclaimed from the sea, it is proposed to build several hotels, increasing the number of hotel beds by almost three times, as well as equip a yacht marina and a more spacious and comfortable beach.

In a referendum held on June 26, 2011, the inhabitants of Helgoland opposed plans to increase the island's territory. The burgomaster of Helgoland, Joerg Singer, who actively supported the artificial embankment project, said that the results of the referendum in no way negate plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for building up the island's territory.

Previously, the majority of the inhabitants of the islands spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it is practically supplanted German... Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

Official site of the Heligoland archipelago, helgoland.de/en/welcome.html, will help you to get acquainted in more detail with the infrastructure of this German seaside resort.

Helgoland, Helgoland August 25th, 2008

Helgoland - tiny, only square kilometer, a piece of land in the North Sea. From here you can control the sea routes between England, Denmark, Germany and Holland. The more I learn about him, the more my surprise. My friends and I got here for a day, but we will definitely come back, at least for a week.

Several historical facts although you may know them. The island is mentioned by ancient authors, and its settlement took place in the Neolithic - then it was connected with the mainland by a seventy-kilometer spit. The breeds that make up Heligoland - coupled with human influence, of course - are the island's biggest problem.

Helgopalmen
Around 800, during the Christian era, Heligoland was about four times its size. Even small rivers flowed on it. By 1330 (large outline on the right), there were no sources of water left on the island, except for rain and imported water. The sea gradually invaded in the south and north, capturing limestone quarries. The fact is that it was in the center of the island that the most accessible construction material... He was even taken to Hamburg, poor in stone. And development reached the beginning of the 18th century to the point that only a thin lintel connected parts of the island. The Christmas storm of 1721 not only devastated, but also "broke" Helgoland in two.

dpa
The top photo shows the current state of Heligoland. The lower computer model, looking ahead, is a rather controversial (and expensive) project to save the island. Private investors are proposing to fill up the strait formed three hundred years ago, build a passenger terminal for ocean-going ships and turn the island into a resort. Perhaps a decision will be made just about, and we are one of the last guests of Heligoland, who saw it this way - after natural disasters and destruction by people. Now only small vessels can approach here, and the runway for single-engine aircraft is not even on the main land mass, but on the "dune" cut off by water, as the locals call it.

The island belonged to Denmark, then, after the Napoleonic wars, England. In 1890, Germany bargained for it as a result of settling colonial disputes in Africa. The British did not discern the military significance of Heligoland, and the Germans were able to create a serious naval base here by the beginning of the world war. From 1914 to 1918 the local population - about three thousand people - was completely evacuated. Two of the largest naval battles of the First World War were fought off the coast of the island. After Versailles, the military installations and the naval base were destroyed, but the Hitler project Hummerschere- "Crab Claw" set out to transform the island into a modern fortress and a threat to England.

The scale can be imagined if you compare my photographs with postcards a century ago. Before World War II, the island, like an anthill, was stuffed with bunkers and mines. A submarine base was hidden under the coastal strata.

All modern Helgoland is a living wound. Here and there you can find entrances to dilapidated tunnels, as under this coast. Even after the subsequent destruction, about 14 kilometers of underground communications have survived!

This, for example, is not a rock ledge, but twisted reinforced concrete.

By the end of the war, Helgoland was a lunar landscape. But that was not enough. The British government decided to counter future military threats. And completely wipe the island off the face of the earth. For this, in bunkers and mines, according to various sources, from 6 to 20 tons of explosives were laid. On April 18, 1947, the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in the history of mankind was carried out here. The island has survived, although its relief has changed significantly. A lowland formed in the southern part. Part of the shores collapsed. For a couple of years after that, the British used Heligoland for military experiments and training bombings.

In 1950, two German students brought the German flag to the island. The Bundestag carefully secured the return of the island to Germany two years later, at the same time pledging not to use it for military purposes.

It is said that after this, many of the original inhabitants returned to Helgoland. Something has been rebuilt quite in the spirit of Frisian architecture.

But most of it is the usual architecture of provincial Germany. Albeit with a twist.

The main source of local income is, of course, tourism.

I testify that guests are comfortable and inexpensive here. In addition, due to its position on the high seas, the island (it is not formally included in the European Union!) Is a duty-free zone.

It's hard not to notice. By the way, European tourists set off on their way back loaded with alcohol and cigarettes ... Surprisingly, the control at the exit is quite symbolic.

Another historical digression. In the Middle Ages (someone will add, during the Little Ice Age), a warm current brought so many fish to the shores of Heligoland that up to three thousand fishermen went out on the fishing line at the same time! By the beginning of the New Age, fish had practically disappeared, and the population had to leave or look for other sources of income. One of them was oyster farming. But by the end of the 19th century, the Prussian military base took away from the locals convenient areas with oyster farms. The well-being of the inhabitants increased dramatically during the continental blockade of Napoleon - the island became largest center smuggling - but did not last long ... An unenviable story of the people. Disasters, disasters, wars.

Some of the current residents are now engaged in navigation and maintenance of sea routes.

Therefore, if you need somewhere, ask, they will surely show you.

One could talk a lot and pompously about the nature of Helgoland.

"Long Anna" is one of the most famous natural monuments Europe. The height of the rock is 47 meters.

wikipedia
In prehistoric times, the sea washed through an arch like the one in the photo on the left. In 1860, she could not withstand the pressure of the sea and collapsed, forming a separate rock, first called the "Monk". Destruction was growing, and already in 1903 dumping of soil and construction of a dam began at the bottom. This slowed down the erosion, but nowadays "Anna" is under threat again. The cracks are growing. The rock can, in fact, collapse at any moment.

Oh yes, Anna was the name of a lanky waitress in a nearby cafe on the eve of the First World War. More about the girl absolutely nothing is known.

The rocks of the island are a veritable paradise for birds.

In the twentieth century, gannets settled here. Relatives of pelicans, by the way.

Here they have both love and a kindergarten.

Nests are made of algae and anything that floats in the sea. A lot of rags, scraps of nets.

On the eighteen square meters of the top of "Long Anna" there is also a bird colony and, by the way, for this reason, it is the smallest reserve in the world.

North-east and dune views.

There are also many amazing things below.

The runway is going nowhere - everything that has survived from the military airfield.

The pebbles on the shore half a century after the war are still mixed with rolled bricks.

We wandered here with Vanya

I wrote the introduction to this recording twice. The second time I did it because, during the creative process, I suddenly discovered that in a hurry I wrote the title incorrectly. I wanted to write "... lost sight of the land," but the last two words mysteriously disappeared. It turned out to be a curiosity, which I decided to keep and emphasize in the second edition of the introductory text. For me, for the first time in my life, to be in a situation where there was no earth in sight from all sides is an extraordinary event. It was very scary! Kidding. But seriously, I thought that I really wouldn't be destined to be a sailor. I am sure that this situation lasted at least a day, and I would definitely fall into depression. But on the journey, which I want to talk about in this entry, I lost the land for a short time - for 30-40 minutes. And then he found her again - on the island of Helgoland, where he sailed for several hours from Hamburg.

And I also want to emphasize that this trip was one of the best episodes of my life. Perhaps it was not so full of remarkable objects, but it felt like one of the best.

For starters, reference information. Helgoland is an archipelago in the North Sea, belongs to the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Its area is only 1.7 square kilometers; the population, concentrated in a single village (which is also called Helgoland), is 1,267 people. Here is a map of the archipelago:

The second island (Dune) appeared in 1720 due to a storm that split it from Helgoland.

Such a small island - and surprisingly rich and turbulent history. Around the 7th century, the Frisians settled on it - one of the small Germanic peoples (since I am very interested in ethnography, this is already an important fact). For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who hunted in the North Sea. For a long time Helgoland belonged to Denmark, and from the beginning of the 19th century - to England. In 1826, a seaside resort was established here. Soon the island began to enjoy popularity among poets, writers, artists and other representatives of the European intellectual elite. The poet Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote here in 1841 the text of "Song of the Germans" - the future anthem of Germany. In 1890, Great Britain and Germany made a territorial exchange - the first received the African island of Zanzibar, and the second - Heligoland. Germany quickly mastered the new acquisition: flights from Hamburg to Heligoland became very popular:

Catamaran and flight from Hamburg to Helgoland

They continue to this day, and I made a trip along this route. The day before, I read that a catamaran departs from Landungsbrücken pier at 9:00 every day. I didn't really know what it was - for some reason the images of native boats of Oceania came to my mind. These ridiculous images confused me; I was afraid that the ship would be fragile, and I would not endure the journey well. In fact, this Norwegian-made catamaran is a powerful, reliable vessel, the rocking on which is almost not felt (I felt a little only a few times):

True, the sea that day was completely calm, so I did not have the opportunity to check the stability of the catamaran in strong seas. Which is pretty good. The cost of the trip is quite high (100 euros), especially considering that I had to pay extra for a ticket in a comfortable class. The usual ones were gone; had to be booked in advance. But it is not important. As a reference, I will inform you that in the comfort class there are free drinks (not alcoholic), there are tables and fewer seats.

The distance from Hamburg to Heligoland is about 150 kilometers. About half of it runs along the lower course of the Elbe. There is something to see - many ships, coastal towns. Closer to the mouth, desert marshes (flat swampy sands) prevail. The catamaran makes stops at two points - Wedel and Cuxhaven. After the second, the North Sea begins ...

A useful thing on a catamaran is an information monitor, on which you can see a map of the route and the location of the vessel in real time. The speed value and some other data are also highlighted. The speed was up to 35 knots - that's a lot! Along the way, here and there dune shoals could be seen, and then the stage came when only the sea was really visible from all sides.

Walking Tour of Heligoland

Harbor and holiday cottages

Finally, to my great joy, Helgoland appeared on the horizon. Its landscape is crowned with a lighthouse and a radio tower. At 12:45 the catamaran arrived at the southern harbor:

On the shore, a large family of resort houses of the same shape and different colors immediately caught my eye:

These are small houses; there are bigger ones:

You can compare the current building with the one that existed at the end of the 19th century - for example, on a street with the characteristic name of Kaiserstrasse:

Interestingly, at the end of the 19th century, the Heligoland coast was developed in places more thoroughly than it is now:

By the way, I will mention one more factor of attraction for tourists on Heligoland. Since the island is not included in the customs and tax territory of the EU, the island conducts duty-free trade in some types of goods - alcohol, tobacco products, perfumes / cosmetics, tea / coffee, etc. Prices are significantly lower than in Germany. Many visitors to the island actively use this local feature.

The Oberland Upland and the path along the coast along the cliff

I did not linger near boarding houses and shops - I was primarily interested in that part of the island called Oberland, that is, the Upper Land. These, of course, are not mountains at all (the maximum height here is only 40 meters), but the elevation is noticeable. Most high part runs along the western coast. Climbing upstairs, I photographed the southern harbor and the ascent leading from it:

And now look to the north, and here is a spectacular landscape:

The enclosing dam and the rocky steep coast are clearly visible. The fence along the cliff is purely symbolic ...

For the first time in my life I saw such a large concentration of birds:

Birds, by the way, are not at all afraid of people; some fly up or come within arm's length and clearly beg for food. But I didn’t give anything to anyone, because, firstly, I had no food, and secondly, it’s worthless to corrupt the inhabitants of the wild.

Rock Long Anna

In the extreme north of the island there is a lonely rock - business card Helgoland:

She is called Lange Anna, that is, Long Anna. The funny thing is that this is the name of a certain tall waitress who served in one of Helgoland's cafes a hundred years ago.

Beach

At the end of the 19th century, the northeastern part of Helgoland looked like this:

I came to the beach with the intention of just taking a look. There were few people, and only a few were swimming. If only big men like Vikings were in the water, I would not dare to meddle in the NORTH Sea, even if in August and when the air temperature is about 25 degrees. But a young woman and her children, 5–7 years old, were quietly swimming there. I confidently quickly entered the water ... and only the rules of decency kept me from shouting loudly. Sighing and groaning, I trudged on ... in addition to the cold water (I think about 17 degrees), I was bothered by a huge flock of small fish spinning around my body. All the same, I completely dipped in and got out on the shore. It was pleasant to sit on the warm fine sand.

Heligoland Aquarium and Museum of Local Lore

After the beach, I got to the village. It is a pity that the seals did not catch my eye (in German Seehunde, that is, literally "sea dog"); they mostly inhabit the neighboring Dune Island. Even on Helgoland in some seasons there are many marsupial crabs (Taschenkrebs) on the shore; but this does not happen in August, so I only saw one or two from a distance. I got acquainted with the marine flora and fauna of Heligoland and the North Sea in general in a small Aquarium:

The living world of cold waters does not amaze with a variety of shapes and colors, which is quite understandable - the sun's rays are not frequent guests here. But it is much more significant in biomass than tropical waters. And I also learned an interesting fact for myself - it turns out that seahorses live in these latitudes. And, I suspect, they became the prototypes of numerous mythological creatures of the North, such as dragons.

There is also a small local history museum not far from the Aquarium. I didn't get there (in summer it closes early), but I saw one interesting thing on the street:

This is, as I define it, a “bathing trolley”. About 120 years ago, ladies and gentlemen went to shallow water on such carts, changed their clothes and went out into the water along the ladder. I don’t know how horses felt about this, but it was very convenient for people with the morals of that time.

Helgoland in World War II

In the vicinity of the village there are ruins of bunkers from the Second World War. I did not go there (in principle I did not want to), but I consider it necessary to provide a certificate. The naval base here was small, since the development of strategic aviation made Helgoland too vulnerable. Therefore, he was almost not subjected to raids until April 1945. A few days before Germany's surrender, the British Air Force dropped 7,000 bombs on this tiny piece of land. It is difficult to comprehend; it is all the more impossible to understand why this was done. One gets the impression that the British government has decided to destroy Heligoland altogether. Dry statistics: in 1947, the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in the history of mankind was made on the island. With his help, the British military destroyed bunkers and other structures built in the Third Reich for submarines. At the same time, about one hundred thousand torpedo warheads, underwater bombs and grenades of various calibers took off into the air - a total of 6,700 tons of explosives. In subsequent years, the British used the already disfigured and deserted island as a training ground for bombing. At the end of 1950, a group of German activists infiltrated the island, planting three flags on it - the FRG, the international public European movement and the historical flag of Heligoland. This action drew attention to the problem of the island. Soon, the Bundestag unanimously supported a resolution demanding the return of this territory to Germany, which was done in March 1952. A few years later, the island was rebuilt and it began its new resort and tourist life.

Heligoland is the birthplace of the writer James Crews

For me, an important attraction of Helgoland is the fact that the wonderful children's writer James Crews was born here in 1926. The village has a small museum, or rather a book club, dedicated to his work. Crews wrote about Helgoland in the storybook Lighthouse on Lobster Reefs. In the North Sea, on the reefs, not far from Helgoland Island, there is a lighthouse; the caretaker, old man Johann, lives on the lighthouse. Sometimes Alexander's seagull flies to him, or the water Sealap appears, and once Aunt Julia comes to visit on a small boat with the dwarf Hans-in-a-bundle, who has lost her home on the island. The heroes of the book fish and tell each other amazing tales and poems: for example, about how the Carousel celebrates its birthday, how the marzipan boys are having fun at the ball, and how the fisherman Frane caught a star in the sky with his net.

Here is a photolithography of the lighthouse at the time when Crews' parents lived:

The identity of Helgoland

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about one feature of the local population. Like many inhabitants of the islands, especially small ones, they are very conservative. In particular, the draft was rejected by a majority of votes in a referendum. sea area between Heligoland and Dune Island (about 100 hectares). It was planned to build hotels on this territory (increasing the number of hotel places by three times), marinas for yachts and cruise ships, as well as equip a new big beach... An ambitious project for the development of tourist infrastructure was intended to improve the economic situation of the island (rather bad, by the way). The total investment was estimated at one billion euros. But the Helgolanders did not want to change their land. There is a ban on car and bicycle traffic, and the official language, along with German, is archaic Frisian (although very few people speak it, this is a matter of principle)

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