Historic Beach Houses on Graswarder

Near Heiligenhafen lies the Steinwarder peninsula and Graswarder, which was an island until 1954 and is now connected to Steinwarder forming a single peninsula. Long, fine sandy beaches face the Baltic Sea, while towards the mainland, so-called spits – sand strips and salt marshes – protect the lagoon behind them and the harbour entrance. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the rise of seaside resorts and bathing tourism, colourful, thatched houses were built directly in the dunes above the sandy beach.

Today, most of Graswarder is a nature reserve and home to many birds. Alongside this, the historic buildings form a pretty contrast to the new hotels, holiday flats and resorts on Steinwarder, especially the ugly concrete architecture of the 60s and 70s, such as the holiday centre. In contrast, the latest tourist complex around the new pier seems more attractive – though contemporaries back then probably thought the same of their own buildings.

More pictures of Heiligenhafen can also be found in the Germany Picture Gallery.