Dithmarschen - The region
Sheep, wind, and cabbage are available in disproportionately high amounts in Dittmarschen. They are also the three main economic factors in the region. And another thing Dittmarschen has plenty of: sky. No one said it better than the poet Sarah Kirsch: “Dithmarschen consists of 97% sky.” It is often blue and gives the landscape an incomparable beauty. Wide open space as far as the eye can see. Colors that only nature can invent: many hues of green and blue. Not only the dikes and meadows are a lush green, there are unending fields of cabbage. From the largest contiguous growing region in Europe, some 80 million cabbages are harvested each year. Blue stands for water as well. Dithmarschen is surrounded by water: the North Sea in the west, the Kiel Canal in the east, the Eider in the north and the mouth of the Elbe in the south. The people of Dithmarschen used the wind for their mills, which are protected historical sites today. The mills of modern times make electricity and dominate the landscape. The woolliest inhabitants of Dithmarschen are almost the most useful: innumerable sheep not only dot the dikes, they trample them firmly with their small hooves. They are also living lawnmowers, provide meat, cheese, and wool, and in spring when the lambs are born, they are just cute.
So much nature in one place is just made for relaxation: all of Dithmarschen is a vacation region. Bicycle tours are very popular here. With a total of 1100 kilometers of well-marked cycle trails, there’s a perfect route for everyone. Families with children find the right combination of adventure and nature. Hikers can be alone. And there is probably no one who is immune to the fascination of the Wattenmeer. The North Sea spas in Büsum and Friedrichskoog are the best known vacation towns in Dithmarschen. In addition to the traditional vacation and leisure events, the harbors are a special attraction in both towns. They are home to the largest fleet of shrimp cutters and are also the starting point for many excursions every year.
If a huge luxury liner suddenly appears in the landscape, the Kiel Canal cannot be far away. “Cruise and container ship watching” is a popular pastime on the busiest canal in the world. This is especially easy in Brunsbüttel, where the ships move through the locks from the Elbe to the canal.
Dithmarschen – Beach info »
Green bathing beaches and dikes in eleven coastal communities – the beach landscape in the North Sea district of Dithmarschen is rich in variety.
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Dithmarschen – Experience nature »
Dithmarschen means nature in all its forms Take a tour of discovery through this area bordering the North Sea
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Dithmarschen - Directions, service & contact »
Information on getting to Dithmarschen, tourist orientation material and contact partners
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