The island of Heligoland in the North Sea, or how I lost land for the first time in my life. We travel the world. German island Heligoland Oberland hill and path along the coast along the cliff

I wrote the introduction to this entry twice. The second time I did this was because during the creative process I suddenly discovered that I had hastily written the title incorrectly. I wanted to write “... lost sight of the earth,” but the last two words mysteriously disappeared. It turned out to be a curiosity, which I decided to preserve and emphasize in the second edition of the introductory text. For me, for the first time in my life, being in a situation where there was no land in sight on all sides was an extraordinary event. It was very scary! Kidding. But seriously, I thought that I really was not destined to be a sailor. I’m sure if this situation had lasted at least a day, I would definitely have fallen into depression. But on the trip, which I want to talk about in this post, I lost the ground for a short time - for 30–40 minutes. And then he found her again - on the island of Heligoland, 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 it was definitely one of the best.

First, some background 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 (also called Heligoland), is 1,267 people. Here is a map of the archipelago:

The second island (Dune) appeared in 1720 due to a storm that broke it off from Heligoland.

Such a small island - and a surprisingly rich, turbulent history. Around the 7th century, the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled there (since I am very interested in ethnography, this is an important fact). For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who traded in the North Sea. For a long time Heligoland 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 the text of the “Song of the Germans” here in 1841, 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 received Heligoland. Germany quickly mastered the new acquisition: flights from Hamburg to Heligoland became very popular:

Catamaran and voyage from Hamburg to Heligoland

They continue to this day, and I traveled precisely 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 images of native boats in Oceania came to mind. These absurd images confused me; I was afraid that the ship would be fragile and I would not survive the journey well. In fact, this Norwegian-made catamaran is a powerful, reliable vessel, the rocking of 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 test the stability of the catamaran in strong waves. Which is quite 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. There were no more ordinary ones; I had to book in advance. But it is not important. For reference, I will inform you that in comfort class there are free drinks (non-alcoholic), there are tables and smaller seats.

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

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 displayed. The speed was up to 35 knots - that's a lot! Along the way, dune banks were visible here and there, and then there came a stage when only the sea was really visible on all sides.

Walking around Heligoland

Harbor and resort houses

Finally, to my great joy, Heligoland appeared on the horizon. Its landscape is crowned by a lighthouse and a radio tower. At 12:45 the catamaran arrived in 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 is a larger one:

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

It is interesting that at the end of the 19th century the coast of Heligoland was in some places more thoroughly developed than it is now:

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

Oberland Hill and the path along the coast along the cliff

I didn’t linger near the 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. The highest part runs along the western shore. Climbing up, I photographed the southern harbor and the rise leading from it:

And now look north, and here lies a spectacular landscape:

The enclosing dam and the rocky steep bank 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 didn’t have any food, and secondly, it’s not right to corrupt the inhabitants of the wild.

Rock Long Anna

In the far north of the island there is a lonely rock - the hallmark of Heligoland:

It 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 the cafes in Heligoland a hundred years ago.

Beach

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

I came to the beach, initially intending only to look. There were few people and only a few were swimming. If only big guys like Vikings were in the water, I wouldn’t dare to venture into the NORTH sea, even in August and with an air temperature of about 25 degrees. But a young woman and her children, 5–7 years old, were calmly swimming there. I arrogantly quickly entered the water... and only the rules of decency kept me from screaming loudly. Sighing and groaning, I dragged myself further... in addition to the cold water (I think 17 degrees), I was bothered by a huge school of small fish swirling around my body. Still, I completely plunged and climbed ashore. It was very pleasant to sit on the warm fine sand.

Heligoland Aquarium and Local History Museum

After the beach I reached the village. It’s a pity that I didn’t catch the eye of the seals (in German Seehunde, that is, literally “sea dog”); they are mainly found on the nearby Dune Island. Even on Heligoland, 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 became 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 the variety of shapes and colors, which is quite understandable - the sun's rays are infrequent guests here. But it is much larger 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, it was they who became the prototypes of numerous mythological creatures of the North, such as dragons.

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

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

Heligoland in World War II

In the vicinity of the village there are ruins of bunkers from the Second World War. I didn’t go there (I didn’t want to on principle), but I think it’s necessary to provide a certificate. The naval base here was small, since the development of strategic aviation made Heligoland too vulnerable. Therefore, it was almost never subjected to raids until April 1945. A few days before Germany surrendered, the British Air Force dropped 7,000 bombs on this tiny piece of land. This is difficult to comprehend; Moreover, it is impossible to understand why this was done. One gets the impression that the British government decided to completely destroy Heligoland. Dry statistics: in 1947, the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in human history was carried out on the island. With its 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 were launched into the air - a total of 6,700 tons of explosives. In subsequent years, the British used the already devastated and deserted island as a training bombing range. At the end of 1950, a group of German activists entered the island, planting three flags on it - the Federal Republic of Germany, 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 - the birthplace of 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. In the village there is a small museum, or rather a book club, dedicated to his work. Crews wrote about Heligoland in a collection of stories, The Lighthouse on the Lobster Reefs. In the North Sea, on the reefs, not far from the island of Heligoland, there is a lighthouse, and the keeper, old man Johann, lives at the lighthouse. Sometimes the seagull Alexandra flies to him, or the water-sore Moreshlep appears, and one day Aunt Julia comes to visit him on a small boat with the gnome Hans-in-a-bundle, who lost her home on the island. The heroes of the book catch fish and tell each other amazing tales and poems: for example, about how Carousel celebrates his birthday, how the marzipan boys have fun at the ball, and how the fisherman Frane caught a star in the sky with his net.

Here is a photolithograph of the lighthouse at the time when Crews’ parents lived:

Identity of Heligoland

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about one feature of the local population. Like many islanders, especially small ones, they are very conservative. In particular, the majority of votes in the referendum rejected the project of filling the sea area between Heligoland and Dune Island (about 100 hectares). On this territory it was planned to build hotels (increasing the number of hotel beds three times), marinas for yachts and cruise ships, as well as equip a new large beach. A grandiose project to develop tourism infrastructure was intended to improve the economic situation of the island (quite bad, by the way). The total investment was estimated at one billion euros. But the Heligolanders did not want to change their land. There is a ban on cars and bicycles, and the official language, along with German, is archaic Frisian (although few people speak it, but this is a matter of principle)

But did you know this about Germany?

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

Lost in the infinity of the sea, an island with a high rocky shore made of bright red sandstone cannot but arouse admiration. Looking at this incredible creation of nature, it is difficult to imagine that it is located 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 bizarre triangular piece of land, only 1 square meter long. km, is completely uncharacteristic of the continental coast of the North Sea. Vertical fifty-meter cliffs stretch out like a motley wall along the sea line in the north, west and southwest, where, in addition, steep cliffs drop another 56 meters below the water level. Interestingly, the mottled sandstone of these cliffs, dating from the Triassic geological era, is older than the White Chalk rock of its base, the rock that also formed the White Cliffs of Dover and similar German and Danish islands in the Baltic Sea.

Standing apart on the north side is a stunning 47-metre 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 by sea water. Currently, we see only the remnant of that arch - a giant miraculous column, which turned into a symbol of Helgoland and became the highlight of this amazing place. Unfortunately, the elements continue to seriously impact 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 that 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 across its surface. Gradually, the depths of the sea began to destroy the rock of the island, advancing from the north and south, washing away the steep cliffs.

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

In the 12th-13th centuries, Heligoland belonged to Denmark, and then went to the German Duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself came under the control of the Danish crown.

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

1890

Due to its advantageous geographical position, Helgoland has always played a prominent role during military operations, from the time of Napoleon to the world wars of the 20th century. By the beginning of the First World War, the island had been turned into a powerful German naval base, with many underground tunnels, bunkers, shelters and mines. Today you can find traces of that time 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 the Second World War, 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 occurred on the island - Helgoland survived, but its appearance was significantly changed. Thus, many banks collapsed, and a lowland formed in the south.

In 1950, the island returned to German hands, residents evacuated during the war returned, and calm times began for Heligoland. Travelers, artists, writers, and intellectuals began to come here, which turned Helgoland into a famous resort destination, which it remains to this day. And it’s 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 rocks and cliffs, green meadows where cows and sheep graze, dunes, seals basking on the seashore .

In early June, at the Lummenfelsen Wildlife Sanctuary, the smallest nature reserve in the world, home to thousands of guillemots, razorbills, northern cormorants and gulls, you will be able to witness a truly amazing spectacle - the time has come for chicks of guillemots to learn to fly and, having 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 retain the cold create truly excellent weather conditions. 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 heat-loving plants here, such as figs. Neighboring Dune islet's two long, fine sandy beaches are reminiscent of the Caribbean islands, with palm trees leaning over the turquoise sea - a swimming paradise.

Helgoland is an ideal choice not only for those who want to plunge into the world of nature, 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 swimming 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 back in 1826, when the islands were the possession of the British Crown. Many famous personalities of that time vacationed here. Heinrich Heine visited him more than once.

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

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

Currently, the idea is being hatched to fill up 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 almost threefold, as well as equip a marina and a more spacious and comfortable beach.

Residents of Heligoland, at a referendum held on June 26, 2011, spoke out against plans to increase the territory of the island. The mayor of Helgoland, Joerg Singer, who actively supported the artificial embankment project, said that the results of the referendum in no way cancel out plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for expanding the island territory.

Previously, the majority of the islands' population spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it has been practically replaced by the German language. Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

Official website of the Heligoland archipelago, helgoland.de/en/welcome.html, will help you become more familiar with the infrastructure of this German seaside resort.

If you find yourself in Hamburg and have a free day, we will give you excellent recommendations on how to make it unforgettable. Actually, we will not talk about Hamburg itself, but about the island of Helgoland, a simple piece of land 150 km from the city, which is unfairly ignored by many tourists. But in vain. This tiny, idyllic island has something to offer travelers of all stripes.

Some facts

So, Heligoland is a piece of land with an area of ​​about 1 square. km, where just over 1000 islanders live. The first settlements date back to around the 7th century - it was then that the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled here. The native inhabitants of Heligoland are their descendants and still speak a Frisian dialect.

Strictly speaking, calling Helgoland an island is not entirely correct. At the beginning of the 18th century, a powerful storm swept across the North Sea, breaking off a piece of land from the island, which became Heligoland’s “close neighbor” and was named Dune.

Geographically, as well as from the point of view of world law, the location of the island can hardly be described as “high seas”. Nevertheless, 70 km from the mainland is a respectable distance, due to which Helgoland is often called “the only German island on the high seas.” It is also the extreme point of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and all of Germany.

For centuries, the steep coastal cliffs of unusually variegated sandstone and the unique natural landscapes, along with the mild maritime climate, have lured poets, writers and artists from all over Europe. It’s not surprising, because on an island surrounded on all sides only by the endless North Sea, it seems as if time has stopped. It was in this enchanting detachment that the “Song of the Germans,” which later became the official anthem of Germany, was written.

Why does Heligoland deserve special attention?

Heligoland and neighboring Dune are home to a unique mammal of its kind - the seal. Robbe). They are the main reason for the popularity of the tiny archipelago. Tourist brochures and brochures are literally littered with photographs of these cute creatures. Spend 5 euros on a ticket and go to the neighboring Dune on a small boat. The bearded and stately captain, a typical northerner, will take you to the neighboring island in a matter of minutes.

Seals are the main reason for the popularity of this amazing tiny archipelago

Unlike Heligoland itself, where seals only visit in small groups, on Dune they feel like full-fledged and permanent residents. Walking out onto one of the beaches untouched by man, you will be amazed by what you see: dozens of clumsy creatures lazily sunbathing on the sand, every now and then emitting melodious sounds. Yes, nature has not deprived pinnipeds of vocal abilities.

The “beach owners” have long adapted to frequent guests and even allow themselves to be photographed. However, you should not get too close to them, you may accidentally scare some of them, and besides, you risk angering the few local residents. We recommend taking a selfie with a seal from a distance of 10 meters.

Are you surprised what kind of Anna is this? At the very edge of the island, on its northern side, there is a symbol and at the same time a visiting card of Helgoland - the Long Anna rock (German). Lange Anna).

The 47-metre symbol of the island, resembling a giant tooth, has become home to many seabirds

The 47-meter symbol of the island, which looks like a giant tooth, has become home to many species of seabirds. The birds have inhabited literally every centimeter of the sandy cliff, despite the fact that the neighboring rocks remain practically untouched. Thanks to this, near Long Anna you can hear an endless concert of bird noise.

It is noteworthy that the rock got its name in honor of a certain long-legged waitress named Anna who served on the island more than a hundred years ago. Well, let's not judge German humor strictly.

On the way to the rock, you will walk along the Oberland hill, from which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the long sandy beach, as well as the neighboring island of Dune. Thus, before leaving, you will be able to once again remember the meeting with the charming pinniped creatures, which you will hardly be able to forget.

Surfing

An interesting fact is that Heligoland is practically the only place in Germany where offshore winds blow. This makes the island very attractive for surfing. However, keep in mind that the water off the coast of the island rarely warms up above 18 degrees, and the air temperature in the hottest months usually does not exceed +25. The best time for surfing is during strong northeast or east winds.

Purchases

A pleasant surprise for you may be the opportunity to do unusual shopping on the island. The thing is that Heligoland has a special tax and customs status in the European Union, and trade here is not subject to special duties.

Heligoland has a special tax and customs status and trade here is free of duties

The entire territory of the island is a duty free zone! Wherever you go, duty-free shops will treacherously await you. Of course, there are no branded boutiques, sales or fashion restaurant chains here. But there are a lot of shops here where you can buy alcohol, cigarettes, perfumes, cosmetics and other goods at very competitive prices. The prices will pleasantly surprise you.

It is worth noting that some stores offer very rare and even unique products that you cannot find on the mainland, for example, exclusive alcohol or souvenirs. This is where thrifty Germans living nearby often go to do their shopping.

Speaking of souvenirs: the most common one is, of course, a seal. Here you will find magnets, posters, calendars, figurines made of wood and porcelain, soft toys and many other amenities to remember the meeting with these good-natured people who so kindly agreed to accept you in their possessions.

Delicacies

Lovers of tasty and unusual food will satisfy their appetites at the Hummerbuden promenade. It is here, near the port, among the old colorful wooden shopping arcades, that you can taste an exquisite delicacy - freshly caught Helgoland-style lobster. Also worth trying on the island are lobster soup, meat schnitzels and various local cheeses. The only drawback: slightly inflated prices due to the island's distance from the mainland. But we guarantee that the uniqueness of local cuisine will more than cover it.

Health tourism

In Heligoland there is a ban on the movement of any vehicles and even bicycles, which means that the air is not polluted by exhaust gases. The only permitted method of transportation is... a scooter. However, it won’t be difficult to get around the tiny island on foot.

Good news for allergy sufferers - there are practically no bushes and trees on Heligoland, and thanks to the winds blowing the island from all sides, the air is free of pollen. These factors, combined with the mild climate, contribute to its popularity as a health tourism destination.

Availability

Getting to the ends of the earth is not that difficult. Modern, comfortable catamarans depart to Heligoland every day from March to October from the port of Hamburg, stopping along the way in the city of Cuxhaven. Travel time is a little less than four hours. You can purchase tickets directly on the embankment (Landungsbrucken metro station), by finding the ticket office of the Helgoline carrier company, or by booking on the website www.helgoline.com. Round-trip travel in second class costs 69 euros. If you have arrived in Hamburg and plan to stay there for several days, we recommend purchasing a Hamburg Card. In addition to the right to free travel on public transport and discounts to museums in the city, the card will help you save about 10 euros on purchasing ferry tickets.

Advice: seasickness can set in on the high seas, and to avoid getting seasick, take precautions in advance. You can always go out onto the open deck and breathe in the fresh sea air, and if you get seasick, ask the crew for help.

Despite the island's location in the North Sea, the climate here is mild and there is practically no frost.

As for the weather, it is best to go in the warm season. However, despite the island's location in the North Sea, a mild climate usually reigns here. The distance from the mainland explains the warm air even in winter - there is practically no frost here. But keep in mind that the openness of the island also means openness to the winds. If your arrival on the island is during the cold season, it is better to stock up on a windbreaker.

The enchanting atmosphere, originality and peculiar aloofness of Helgoland are forever etched in the memory and will certainly not leave indifferent even the most demanding adventure lover. And no matter how much we would like him to remain an unknown mass tourist, it is still even more painful for us to remain silent about him. Go to Heligoland too and share your impressions with us. Well, as the ancient Frisians would say: Welkoam iip Lunn!, that is, “Welcome to the island!”

An edited and shortened version of this Travel Note was published in GEO Traveler, #3, 2009, 126-131, and was called “Blown Up Earth”

Most visited island

I heard the sonorous name of the unusual island “Helgoland” quite a long time ago, I also knew that it is located somewhere in the middle of the North Sea, in the Elbe River delta, and that it is the most visited holiday island in Germany (more than 500 thousand tourists annually, record - 10 thousand tourists per day). But I was to find out why this is so only last summer.

Let's hit the road

I chose the most convenient, although not the cheapest, way to get to the German island “Buyana” - on the ultra-fast, ultra-modern catamaran “Halunder Jet”, which sails daily in the summer from Hamburg, taking almost 600 passengers on board. Just 4 hours - and you are on the island.
One early morning in August, having taken two days off, I was in the picturesque Hamburg harbor, admiring its waters from above from the U3 train station, Landungsbrücke. There was still half an hour left before the catamaran departed at 9:00, but its red silhouette at the pier was already surrounded by a large crowd of sleepy tourists with luggage. Germans love visiting Helgoland! Most often with the whole family! Parents, children, grandparents, each dragging their own backpack, camera or binoculars. Seeing a large group of professional wildlife photographers with rolling suitcases with 20-30 kg lenses is normal. Couples in love, poets, philosophers, musicians, artists, politicians - whoever comes, fortunately the island has a place to retire or have fun. All this modern pleasure of moving on water cost me €75 in both directions. Although it was possible to save a little, especially if you were traveling with a family or group; To do this, you first need to get to Cuxhaven on the regional train "Metronom" on Voheendetiket (cheap weekend ticket, €37 for five people), and then transfer to the 76-meter ship "MS Atlantis", which takes on board up to 1000 passengers. On my second visit to the island, I did just that - cheaper, although less comfortable. In summer, during high season, it is better to book tickets in advance online http://www.helgoline.de, although you can also buy them at the pier if you are lucky. Nowadays, Helgoland is accessible all year round, unless it is very stormy. You can get there in winter, again from Cuxhaven, either on the already familiar “MS Atlantis”, or the slightly smaller “MS Funny Girl”, both ships go to the island and back several times a week (ticket €37, http://www.helgolandreisen .de).

Island in the ocean

Travel time passed slowly. On the left and right sides floated endless green fields dotted with giant white wind power plants, slowly chewing the moisture-saturated air. I was looking forward to meeting the island of contrasts about which I had heard and read so much. I remembered some details from his past and present. Helgoland has an amazing history. This is the very foreskin of the German land in the West. But it was not always German: it belonged either to the Danish princes or to the English. It was the Germans who chose it as a seaside resort. Heinrich Heine rested here, and it was on Helgoland that Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote the “Song of the Germans” to the music of Joseph Haydn - it became the anthem of Germany. In 1890, the British gave the island to Germany, exchanging it for Zanzibar, which at that time was a German colony. If you look even further into the history of the island, then once upon a time, when men wore bearskins and women cooked over fire, during the last Ice Age, Helgoland was not an island at all - but part of the mainland. Today it is separated from the mainland by 50 - 70 km of cold waters of the North Sea. No one knows how this small archipelago emerged in the middle of the sea with blood-red cliffs the height of a 20-story building, similar to the American Grand Canyon, which has no analogues in these latitudes. Helgoland, which can be walked around the perimeter in an hour and a half to two, has an area of ​​no more than 1 sq km and a length of about 2 km, actually consists of two islands Hauptinsel (“Hauptinsel”, the main island, Helgoland itself) and Düne (“Dunes” , Dune Island) - which is smaller than the first and about 15 minutes by boat from it. The archipelago is part of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, but is not part of the EU customs and tax territory, so all shopping on the island is duty free. The island's population is approximately 1,650 people and is mainly engaged in tourism, fishing and piloting ships in the local waters. Previously, most islanders spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it has almost been replaced by German. Frisian is the closest language to Old English. English is also in use.

Big Bang

“Halunder Jet” dropped anchor on the island exactly on schedule, at 12:45, in German “ser puntlich”. The island greeted us with a viscous fog, which, however, quickly dissipated, revealing the multi-colored Oberland. The fact is that Nauptinsel is divided into three main parts: Oberland, the upper land, 50-60 m high, connected to the lower land Unterland, a long staircase and elevator, and Mittelland, the middle land, formerly she wasn't there. Once upon a time, the entire Oberland was flat as the surface of the sea and potatoes and beets were grown on it, today it is all riddled with bumps, depressions and craters, like the skin of an old seal - the result of the bombing of the island by the British during the Second World War. After the war, the bombing of Helgoland did not stop; there was a military testing ground for bombs, mines and torpedoes. April 18, 1947 became the most terrible day in the history of the island. On this day, the British carried out the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in the history of mankind, called “Big Bang”, detonating in the tunnels and catacombs of the southern part of the island the largest amount of explosives simultaneously in the entire history of the world, something about 6.8 kilotons or 3.2 kilotons of TNT equivalent; The "Baby" dropped on Hiroshima had a power of approximately 13 kilotons, the Nagasaki "Fat Man" - 21. They say the explosion was so powerful that it was heard even on the mainland, and the earth shook as if in a magnitude 7 earthquake; a column of smoke rose 3 km into the air. After the explosion, a basin with a radius of approximately 70 meters was formed, 70 thousand cubic meters of earth disappeared forever. The explosion created a new land - Mittelland, now there is a Paracelsus clinic with a red cross on the roof. Our superjet moored just near Mittelland.

Located 40 kilometers from the German coast. The population of the village of the same name is 1149 people (2010). The area of ​​the islands of Helgoland and Dune is 1.7 km².

The islands are part of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, but are not part of the customs and tax territory of the European Union. In fact, the islands are a small offshore zone within the European Union.

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

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

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

Currently, the idea is being hatched to fill up 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 almost three times, as well as equip a marina and a more spacious and comfortable beach.

Residents of Heligoland, at a referendum held on June 26, 2011, spoke out against plans to increase the island's territory. The burgomaster of Heligoland, Joerg Singer, who actively supported the artificial embankment project, said that the results of the referendum in no way cancel out plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for expanding the island territory.

Language

Previously, the majority of the islands' population spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it has been practically replaced by the German language. Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

Story

6,500 years ago, the island's territory was connected to the continental part of Europe.

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

In the 12th-13th centuries, Heligoland belonged to Denmark, and then went to the German Duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself came under the control of the Danish crown.

In 1720, as a result of a storm, the island split into 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 busy transit base for smugglers. The strategic position had an effect.

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.

In 1890, the so-called Heligoland-Zanzibar Agreement was signed between the German Empire and Great Britain, with the help of which the two powers regulated their interests in Africa. According to the treaty, the island in the North Sea went to Germany as compensation for the colonial territories transferred to the British. Soon a war period began in the history of the island.

Soon a war period began in the history of the island. Emperor Wilhelm II ordered the establishment of a naval base here. During the First World War, two major naval battles took place off its shores. During these years, the civilian population was evacuated from the island.

The Third Reich also prepared plans to build a large base on the island, but they were only partially implemented. By this time, with the development, in particular, of aviation, the strategic importance of the island had decreased. It was almost never raided. Only at the end of the war in April 1945, British planes dropped about seven thousand bombs on Heligoland in less than two hours. The island became completely uninhabitable.

In 1947, the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in human history was carried out on the island. With its help, the British military destroyed bunkers and other structures built in the Third Reich for German submarines. At the same time, 4,000 torpedo warheads, 9,000 underwater bombs, 91,000 grenades of various calibers were launched into the air - a total of 6,700 tons of explosives. In subsequent years, the British military used the already devastated and deserted island as a training ground for bombing.

In the 1950s, former residents of Heligoland began an international campaign to demand an end to the destruction of their home island. The addressees of the appeals were the new government of Germany, the UN, the British Parliament and even the Pope. At the end of 1950, a group of peaceful activists entered the island, planting three flags on it - the Federal Republic, the international social European movement, and the historical flag of Heligoland. The bold action drew attention to the problem of the island and gave new impetus to the discussion of its fate. 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.