Sylt is considered the pearl of the North Sea, the German island that stands for relaxation and luxury like no other. Business Insider reporter Leo Ginsburg was there for the first time – he was not enthusiastic.
The capital Westerland looks dreary. The buildings on the pedestrian street look as though their best days are behind them.
The well-known restaurant Zanzibar is crowded, guests are sitting on the steps with their drinks. It’s better to sit on the beach, says our reporter.
Sylt – that’s Munich on an island! This is how I imagined the Frisian oasis before I arrived. But after spending a day on the North Sea island, I realized: The long strip is overrated.
For these five reasons I would not travel to Sylt again:
1. The capital Westerland needs a fresh coat of paint
Arrived in Westerland, the capital of Sylt, I expected a city center bursting with classy cafes, restaurants and boutiques. I thought this was a place where the houses and shops exude luxury and glamour. But instead I saw desolate concrete buildings and facades that have seen better days.
The pedestrian zone: nothing special. Rather average. More Hanover and Gießen instead of Munich and Hamburg. I want to go faster through the street to reach the beach at the end of the horizon. I expected more from the capital.
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2. Eat on the steps of Zanzibar
The Sansibar is one of the most famous restaurants on Sylt. The restaurant is located in the district of Rantum in the south of the island and is in the middle of the dunes.
This is where the typical Sylt vacationers cavort – and I have to admit: I haven’t seen as many luxury clothes as the guests wore in what feels like one square meter for a long time. Sylt is more Munich than you think!
At Zanzibar you cannot reserve online, you can only call. But then you only get tables for the indoor area in the evenings. I was there at lunchtime and it was full – a good sign for the place.
The guests sat en masse on the steps in front of the restaurant and drank their wine there. True to the motto: Better to eat on the floor in front of the Zanzibar than not to be there at all. I prefer to squat right on the beach, look at the sea, with a beer in my hand that I bought in the supermarket.
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3. The landscape on Sylt is okay, but monotonous
On the way from the south to the capital, I took the bus. I drove about 25 minutes to Westerland. The view from the bus didn’t feel like it changed the entire journey. What was to be seen was a joyless and desolate landscape. Stroll? I didn’t want to go there.
4. Almost six euros for a one-way bus ride
The line network on Sylt is divided into different zones. The more zones you enter, the more you pay. For the trip from Hörnum Mitte in the south of the island to Westerland I had to drive through four zones. For this simple stretch I have 5,40 Euro paid. Significantly more expensive than in Berlin, for example, where I pay around three euros. The group ticket doesn’t look cheap either. In Berlin, you pay for a small group of five people together 29 Euro for 24 hours, you have to pay 45.70 euros for the same ticket on Sylt.
There are alternatives
My conclusion: Germany’s North Sea islands are worth a trip, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be Sylt. If you want to breathe in the sea air, walk on the beach and enjoy the peace and quiet, away from the crowds and high prices, the neighboring islands of Amrum and Föhr, for example, are an attractive alternative.
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