Langwarder Groden

Walking with the tides

The sound of the wind, the cry of the gulls, salty sea air, the ebb and flow – you can enjoy unspoiled nature here.

This remarkable nature and bird conservation area is located at the northern tip of the Butjadingen Peninsula and is part of the Niedersachsen Wadden Sea National Park. A well-maintained, fully accessible circular trail of just over five kilometres cuts through the heart of the Groden. It’s especially family-friendly and has been awarded the Kinderferienland quality mark for child-friendly companies. In 2019, it also received the ‘Walkable Germany’ Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland quality trail certification.

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Over sea and tidal flats

The unadulterated North Sea

Kutterhafen Fedderwardersiel in Butjadingen — CC-BY-SA Alex K. Media/Alexander Kassner

The flat, well-signposted circular route starts at the fishing harbour in Fedderwardersiel. From this picturesque harbour, the path runs for about 2.5 kilometres along the dyke. You then follow a boardwalk that leads you into the The flat, well-signposted circular route starts at the fishing harbour in Fedderwardersiel. From this picturesque harbour, the path runs for about 2.5 kilometres along the dyke. You then follow a boardwalk that leads you into the groden and salt marshes, where the scenery changes almost by the minute.

Right at the start, the trail’s famous boardwalk through the tidal flats awaits. With a bit of luck, you might spot seals resting on a small sandbank near the walkway. Around two kilometres of the trail are designed as a nature discovery path. At several accessible observation points, walkways and a bridge, you’ll find numerous information panels and interactive displays. These offer fascinating insights into the flora and fauna of this unique ecosystem. Following the edge of the tidal creek past blooming salt marshes, you’ll eventually return to the fishing harbour in Fedderwardersiel.

Experience nature up close

A unique habitat

Around 1,100 hectares of marshland and salt marshes in the Langwarder Groden are regularly flooded at high tide. But this wasn’t always the case. In the past, the area was cut off from the tidal flow by a dyke. It wasn’t until 2014 that the dyke was partially opened. This measure allows regular inundation and helps ensure the survival of many native plant and animal species.

Today, the Groden has largely been restored to its natural state. The salt marshes, for example, are alive with seabirds, whose calls can be heard all around. Even rare species of bird can be observed here and migratory birds use the Wadden Sea each year as a stopover on their long journeys.