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A holiday close to nature and between changing tides
Situated in the middle of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park, the carfree island of Spiekeroog is not only a nature paradise, but is also a pioneer in sustainable tourism.
“Sustainable living in sync with nature is our guiding principle, ”says Barbara Voß, project coordinator of sustainability and climate change at the Nordseebad Spiekeroog GMBH. The island has founded the sustainability initiative Spiekeroog in which tourism companies are as much engaged as islanders. “This connection and the exchange about sustainability topics are very important to us, ”says Barbara Voß.
The island has, for example, erected garbage boxes at the beaches – not only for the guests’ rubbish, but also for plastic that regularly washes up on the beaches. The newest project is a drinking water fountain in the Kurzentrum. 15 companies from Spiekeroog are also certified as national park partners and are obligated to fulfil criteria like eco-friendly management.
Guests can experience the fascination of the Wadden Sea during a fishing-boat trip, for instance. Guided by fisher Willi Jacobs, participants learn about starfish, crabs and small flatfish living in the mud flats. They will also see the larger inhabitants on the sandy seal banks, before they hike back to the island during low tide.