At Morsum Cliff, exposed layers of earth represent ten million years of geological time. For your planning, Sylt-Ost offers cycling routes and traces of history alongside this coastal landscape; the tours differ in the route, landscape or local history they focus on.
Morsum Cliff: geological history and coastal landscape
Morsum Cliff is one of the oldest nature reserves in Schleswig-Holstein. The exposed layers there represent a geological time span of ten million years, which is unusually long for Schleswig-Holstein. The network of paths allows visitors to experience a largely unspoilt stretch of coastline, with cliffs, natural beaches, beach ridges, salt marsh reeds and towering dunes. This makes it possible to explore geological features and a variety of landscapes together in one area.
Paths and cycling routes
From Munkmarsch harbour, the mudflat path follows the Wadden Sea above the water, crossing a small bridge and passing forests and thatched-roof houses before reaching the end of Keitum. The circular route through the green east of Sylt offers a different way to plan your trip: it is a 32.48-kilometre circular route of moderate difficulty and moderate fitness requirements for e-bikes. The route follows the dike through the traditional Frisian villages of Morsum and Keitum. Along the way, you can visit the Morsum Cliff nature reserve. As route details may change, check the information again before setting off.
In Archsum, too, extensive cycling routes cross salt marshes and follow the dike. At Tinnum Castle, a wooden boardwalk runs along the green rampart to a gravel path leading to the beach and Westerland. When choosing a route, you can start with different questions: Should the stated distance and fitness requirements of an e-bike circular route be your main consideration, or would you like to explore a path that takes you past a sequence of named landscape features?
Villages, history and archaeological traces
The former Sylt-Ost area comprised five villages: Archsum, Keitum, Morsum, Munkmarsch and Tinnum. In 2009, it merged with Westerland and Rantum to form the municipality of Sylt. Munkmarsch is also connected with the history of arriving on the island: before the railway embankment opened in 1927, tourists arriving on Sylt came via Munkmarsch harbour. They continued their journey to the seaside resorts by horse-drawn carriage or, later, by island railway.
Remains of megalithic tombs can be seen in the southern meadows of Archsum. Information panels explain the archaeological background of the ancient burial mounds. Another way to learn about the past and the formation of Sylt is the Uthlande Expedition: Eastern Sylt – In the Footsteps of the Past. Its route includes fourteen stops, or “moments”, relating to Sylt’s past and formation.
Guided mudflat walks related to the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as professionally guided ornithological tours, are offered in Keitum. If you are planning a guided tour, check dates and availability in advance.
Discover more destinations: Archsum, Westerland, Hörnum, Rantum, Keitum, List, Tinnum, Kampen
Go to the main travel overview: Sylt.
