Königshafen

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Königshafen
Coordinates	55°02′24″N 8°24′52″E / 55.04012°N 8.41443°E / 55.04012; 8.41443Coordinates: 55°02′24″N 8°24′52″E / 55.04012°N 8.41443°E / 55.04012; 8.41443
Part of	North Sea
Area	4.2 km²
Designation	National Park

The Königshafen ("king's harbour") is the northernmost bight of the North Frisian island of Sylt in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and thus also the northernmost bay in Germany. The bay gets its name from its use as a natural harbour and its legal status as part of the  [de] of Listland. The harbour was used until at least the 18th century and was later abandoned as it silted up.

Location[]

The bay of Königshafen lies north of the Sylt coastal resort of List and southeast of the promontory of  [de], the northernmost point of Germany, on which stand the lighthouses of  [de] and  [de], the two northernmost buildings in Germany. The bay has an area of roughly 4.2 km² and opens towards the east onto the Wadden Sea; it is only separated from the open North Sea to the west by a spit which is just 300 metres wide. In the Königshafen lie the small uninhabited island of Uthörn with its bird reserve, and the Lister Haken.

History[]

The natural harbour formed by the bight was valued in the past as a safe haven on the North Sea coast. In the Middle Ages, it was the most important port-of-call between the Danish town of Skagen to the north and the mouth of the River Elbe to the south Thus, for centuries, the Danish kings held Listland as a royal enclave.

However, according to contemporary accounts, the Königshafen began to silt up in the 18th century and became unusable for shipping. Until the mid-1980s NATO conducted regular air-to-ground firing exercises in the area.

Panorama of the Königshafen on Sylt

Today[]

Since 1985 the Königshafen has been part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and access on foot or by vehicle is only permitted under certain conditions. Part of the bay in the northwest of the Königshafen is today a popular wind surfing area.