Sylt: hiking and bird watching around the Rantum basin | > – Guide – Travel

Status: 05/12/2023 4:31 p.m

The water basin was created in the 1930s by embankment. Today the Rantum basin is an important bird sanctuary and an interesting destination for a walk.

A huge open expanse of water, as well as silt areas and salt marshes, but also zones with reeds and meadows characterize the almost 600-hectare nature reserve. It is roughly in the middle of the island, just south of Westerland and north of Rantum.

Nazis embank area for seaport

The Rantum basin has an interesting history, because it did not develop naturally, but was artificially created during the Nazi era between 1936 and 1937 to create a seaplane base with a constant water level. The area was extensively dyked for this purpose. The Rantum basin was never used as a seaplane airport – even at the beginning of the war it turned out that seaplanes could not take on any tasks important to the war effort.

Rantum basin: Nature reserve since 1962

Over the years, the shallow water basin has developed into an ideal area for seabirds, and in 1962 it was declared a nature reserve. More than 30 species of sea and water birds breed in the Rantum basin, which is one of the most species-rich bird sanctuaries in northern Germany. Since the Rantum basin has both salt water and a freshwater area, many bird species feel at home in the protected area. There are several small islands in the south-east that offer sheltered breeding grounds for the birds.

Circular path leads once around the Rantum basin

The path all the way around the Rantum basin is about eleven kilometers long and leads directly along the dike for long stretches. In strong winds it can get noticeably cool. A shorter walk of about three miles starts in the south of the basin at the port. From there it goes on the southern part of the dyke to the bird islands in the southeast and back. Anyone who would like to find out more about the bird world of the Rantum basin can attend a take part in the guided tour that the Jordsand association regularly offers. It lasts about one and a half to two hours.

Migratory birds come in spring and autumn

A walk in spring and autumn is particularly worthwhile when the birds are migrating. Then, with a bit of luck, you can observe large flocks of birds. Up until a few years ago, an albatross was a regular guest in the Rantum basin in spring. The imposing birds have a wingspan of up to two and a half meters and are usually at home in the southern hemisphere. However, he has not been sighted in recent years.