12 Best Beaches in Germany for 2023
I love going to the beach and if you are like me you are in luck. In Germany you will find many great beaches on the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
From a fine sandy beach perfect for building sand castles, to a natural beach for long walks to the perfect surf spot for those who want to conquer the waves.
I will show you the most beautiful beaches in Germany for your next short vacation on German sea coasts. You will find out which beaches are also welcome with dogs and where families with children can splash around best.
Sankt Peter-Ording
The approximately 12 km long and up to 2 km wide beach in the municipality of Sankt Peter-Ording is one of the most famous sandy beaches on the North Sea and offers the right beach section for every taste.
You can swim in a relaxed manner at the Bad bathing area on the largest sandbank in Europe, or you can use the optimal conditions at the Ording bathing area for kiting or windsurfing.
The Böhl bathing area, which is also part of the Sankt Peter-Ording beach, and the Bad bathing area are popular with families.
Incidentally, dogs are allowed on the entire beach of Sankt Peter-Ording.
And the friends of nudism are also thought of. In a separate section of the beach you can move around without a cover.
The bathing areas are also indicated as barrier-free. So you can also enjoy a North Sea bath as a person with a handicap.
Wyk auf Föhr
The sandy beach on the North Sea on the island of Foehr is divided into different beach sections and thus offers the right beach section for each of you.
The beach is around 15 kilometers long and slopes gently into the water along its entire length.
The island of Föhr is located in the middle of the Wadden Sea National Park. Not only can you swim wonderfully there, but you can also take walks through the mudflats at low tide.
The beach is divided into Wyk, Nieblum, Goting and Utersum sections.
You can rent beach chairs on the different beaches, and DLRG lifeguards keep an eye on everything.
In Nieblum, Goting and Wyk you will find nudist beaches and sections for dogs.
Families with children will find peace and relaxation and a safe bathing environment here.
But fun and action are not neglected either: volleyball courts, playgrounds, surfing and sailing schools provide plenty of variety.
My insider tip: You can fly your kites in a certain section of the beach.
Family Lagoon Pearl Bay (Familienlagune Perlebucht)
As the name suggests, at the Familienlagune Perlebucht on the North Sea island of Büsum, the focus is on families and their needs. But of course everyone else doesn’t miss out here either.
The Perlebucht is an artificially created island, so that a protected lagoon was created between it and the island of Büsum. Around 100,000 square meters of water has been created in this way, which is not affected by the ebb or flow.
You can swim, surf or kite, but you can also just grill your meat at one of the barbecue areas or play volleyball.
On the beach you will find public toilets and changing rooms, DLRG swimmers and playgrounds for smaller and larger children.
My insider tip:
A special highlight in the Perlebucht are sleeping beach chairs. You can even spend the night here by the sea.
Bay of Lübeck
It is the most famous bay on the German Baltic Sea.
The bay forms the southwestern corner of the Baltic Sea and has some beautiful stretches of beach ready for you.
The Scharbeutz and Timmendorfer Strand beaches are particularly well known.
On the beach of Scharbeutz you can let off steam to your heart’s content and take advantage of the wide range of activities on the beach.
The beautiful sandy beach on the Baltic Sea offers you the opportunity to try surfing, try stand-up paddling or simply take a relaxing walk on the beach.
Rent a beach chair and enjoy the view of the water.
The beach of Scharbeutz and the Bay of Lübeck are very suitable for a family holiday. The beach is sandy and slopes gently into the water.
Even if you want to spend your holiday with your dog on the Baltic Sea, you will find sections of the beach where dogs are allowed. In the low season even in the entire Bay of Lübeck.
Timmendorfer Strand
Another popular sandy beach on the Baltic Sea is the Timmendorfer Strand section of Lübeck Bay.
Whether for a weekend trip to the Baltic Sea or for a summer vacation with the family, you can endure it here.
You can rent beach chairs, try surfing or simply cycle along the Bay of Lübeck. This way you stay fit on vacation and thanks to the flat landscape it doesn’t get too strenuous.
Many restaurants and cafés with northern German charm ensure that you don’t have to go hungry.
There are also special beach sections for nudists and dog owners.
There are barrier-free access to the beach for people with disabilities.
Use your visit to Timmendorfer Strand for a detour to the sights of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.
Lister Ellenbogen
It is the northernmost beach in Germany and is also said to be the most beautiful beach in Germany.
The Lister Ellenbogen on the North Sea island of Sylt is a paradise for wind and kite surfers and also offers beginners the right conditions.
The wide sandy beach is ideal for families, because children can build sand castles or romp across the beach. However, it is better not to swim here.
The open sea and the Wadden Sea meet at the Lister Elbow and dangerous currents can arise.
But thanks to its beautiful location, the beach and the surrounding area are ideal for a walk.
If the visibility is good, you can even see the Danish island of Rømø four kilometers away.
Warnemunde
The next destination for your Baltic Sea vacation could be the beach of Warnemünde. The beautiful beach of Germany is especially popular with tourists from “Balkonien”.
Warnemünde is a district of Rostock and attracts a large number of holidaymakers every year, especially the major events Warnemünde Week and Hanse Sail are real crowd pullers.
Warnemünde beach can be very crowded, especially in high season.
If you want a little peace and quiet, you should switch to the nudist area or the edges.
The sand of the beach feels more like powdered sugar under your feet, but is a bit coarser in the nudist area.
In the eastern part of the Warnemünde beach, everyone is geared towards families.
A large climbing frame, playgrounds and trampolines await you at the “Pirate Beach”.
But families also feel comfortable on the rest of the beach.
For the children, the sandy beach is a paradise for building castles or swimming, while the parents can make themselves comfortable in one of the beach chairs.
Schwedeneck
Let’s now come to our insider tip among the Baltic Sea beaches. The beach at Schwedeneck is not as well developed for tourism as most other beaches on the Baltic Sea. But it impresses with its nature and pleasant tranquillity.
You can find accommodation on the Baltic Sea on the adjacent campsite.
The beach is hidden behind some holiday homes and a wild meadow.
On the beach itself you can rent surfing or kite equipment or just jump into the cool water.
You cannot rent beach chairs here and you will also look in vain for a gastronomic offer here.
If you want to use the toilets or feel a little hungry, you have to contact the campsite.
If you don’t feel like tourist beaches, then you’ve come to the right place.
If you want a little more comfort on your Baltic Sea holiday, you should choose a different beach.
The beach of Schwedeneck is a paradise for dog owners, here you can let your four-legged friend run free everywhere.
Even as a lover of the seamless tan, you can stay on the entire beach.
West Beach Darss
Another insider tip among the most beautiful beaches in Germany is the west beach on the Darß peninsula on the Baltic Sea.
It is located in the middle of the “Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft” national park and has often been voted one of the most beautiful beaches in Germany and Europe.
The special flair of this beach is due to its secluded location directly on the Darß forest.
You can go for a walk, sunbathe or jump into the water on the fine, 14-kilometre-long sandy beach.
The trees, which you will find directly on or on the beach, are bizarrely deformed by the ever-changing wind and grow at an angle with the wind, which is constantly blowing over the water.
Take a little walk and discover these “wind evaders” on the west beach of Darß.
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Beautiful Nudist Beaches in Germany
Bensersiel
Bensersiel Beach is located on the beautiful North Sea coast across from the East Frisian island of Langeoog.
Bensersiel belongs to the small town of Esens in Lower Saxony. The fine, white sandy beach leaves nothing to be desired.
There is a campsite right on the beach.
There is also a seawater outdoor pool that you can use when the tide is low.
For a holiday on the North Sea with children you will find a large playground here, which is guaranteed to leave nothing to be desired for the little ones.
For a fee you can rent a beach chair and make yourself comfortable on the beach. Use the time for a short walk on the beach or browse the souvenir shop.
If you have a North Sea Service Card, you have free entry to the beach and the seawater outdoor pool. Otherwise a small fee will be charged.
Spiekeroog Beach
The East Frisian island of Spiekeroog awaits you with a sandy beach that is around 15 kilometers long and lined with dunes. Here you will find real relaxation at the North Sea.
Spiekeroog’s main bathing beach in particular is a popular travel destination in summer.
If you are looking for a little more peace and quiet, then you should move to the outskirts of the beach.
You can get there via beautiful footpaths that meander through the dunes.
So even if you don’t want to go swimming, you can go for a nice walk here.
For your holiday on the North Sea you can rent a beach chair on the beach in Spiekeroog or take part in the wide range of sports and leisure activities on the main beach.
You can find out when the courses take place from notices.
You can try yoga, Pilates, Nordic walking or unicycling.
If you want to combine your North Sea holiday with a dog, then you will find some sections on the Spiekeroog beach where dogs are allowed.
Kniepsand on Amrum
This beach on Amrum is actually not the island’s beach at all, but an extremely slowly moving sandbank.
It is in front of the actual beach of Amrum and merges into it, so that no difference may be noticeable.
In the 16th century, the sandbank was roughly at right angles to the island of Amrum and will not stay where it is now forever. It is about 15 kilometers long and about 1.5 kilometers wide.
Amrum Beach is a popular holiday destination on the North Sea.
You can sunbathe or play with the children.
Thanks to the shallow beach, swimming in the North Sea is also safe for children.
On the Kniepsand you will find beach huts that the islanders and tourists build from flotsam.
So if you should see such a hut, don’t be surprised, everything is going right.
The artist Otfried Schwarz collected flotsam and everything he could find and used it to build the first beach hut.
Today they are tolerated by the authorities because they represent a tourist highlight.
However, they may only be built from what can be found on the beach and they may not be used as places to sleep.
Baltic Sea Resort of Karlshagen
The last beach to make our list of the most beautiful beaches in Germany is the Baltic Sea resort of Karlshagen on the island of Usedom.
The stretch of beach where you will find the Baltic Sea resort stretches over a length of around 42 kilometers from Swinemünde in Poland to Peenemünde.
You can rent a beach chair on the approximately 70 meter wide beach and enjoy the view of the beach promenade or the Baltic Sea.
The beach is also very suitable for a family holiday on the Baltic Sea, as it slopes gently into the water.
You will find a section of beach for fans of nudism there as well as a place for your Baltic Sea holiday with your dog.
12 Best Beaches in Germany for 2023
- Sankt Peter-Ording
- Wyk auf Föhr
- Family Lagoon Pearl Bay (Familienlagune Perlebucht)
- Timmendorfer Strand
- Lister Ellenbogen
- Warnemunde
- Schwedeneck
- West Beach Darss
- Bensersiel
- Spiekeroog Beach
- Kniepsand on Amrum
- Baltic Sea Resort of Karlshagen
