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Hallig
This is Hooge!
24/09/09 15:08 Filed in: Europe
Nick Nolte, you may be the Prince of Tides, but the residents of the Halligen - a series of ten islands in Northern 
Germany - are collectively the king. For centuries, these people have been putting up with the sea as they would a demanding live-in mother-in-law. Five or so times a year, the sea level rises and floods the islands (an event they call “Landunter”), sparing only the houses, which are built upon metre-high hills called Wafts.
Landunters last one to two days and the residents simply wait them out in their homes. Are they worried? Nope. I look at the photo to the right and think: “Sweet Jesus, the apocalypse has come, where are my water wings?!” They think: “Great, time to catch up on my knitting.”
But in 1362, the flood DID spell disaster. Back then, there were tons of Halligen and they were well populated...until the sea rose and swept most of them away. The death toll was in the thousands.
Landunters tend to come in the winter, though the island I visited (Hallig Hooge) just experienced one three weeks ago. A one-hour ferry ride from the Schleswig-Holstein mainland, Hooge registers 120 year-round inhabitants. 
It seems awfully quiet, except for the wind that screeches in your ears. But in actuality, it’s a thriving tourist destination: would you believe there are seven restaurants and some 500 guest rooms for rent on this tiny speck? There are nine Warfts on Hooge, the busiest of which is Hanswarft (see how cute it is, left).
Many of the houses have thatched roofs and the oldest (like Königspesel, below, which dates to 1760) are full of Dutch tiles. There’s also a museum, little cinema, several cafes and souvenir shops on the island.
But really, we all know what the main attraction is. If I could do it over again, I’d take a month off, bring a few books, maybe a dvd or two (NOT the Prince of Tides), hunker down and take a “wait and sea” approach to my visit.
Cool, hey? If you’ve got questions or comments about Hallig Hooge, please leave them below!
But in 1362, the flood DID spell disaster. Back then, there were tons of Halligen and they were well populated...until the sea rose and swept most of them away. The death toll was in the thousands.
Many of the houses have thatched roofs and the oldest (like Königspesel, below, which dates to 1760) are full of Dutch tiles. There’s also a museum, little cinema, several cafes and souvenir shops on the island.
Cool, hey? If you’ve got questions or comments about Hallig Hooge, please leave them below!
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