Duhnen between mudflats, village center and coast

Duhnen combines changing tides and views of the sunset over the sea with mudflat experiences and a historic village center. You can shape your stay in a variety of ways: enjoy moments in nature on the beach, take a ride or hike towards Neuwerk, or combine the village center with dining along the promenade.

Mudflats, tides and the mudflat horse race

At the beach, you can experience the changing tides and watch the coastline change. The annual Duhnen mudflat horse race also makes use of this distinctive setting: the exposed seabed serves as the racetrack. The date and program vary, so check before your trip when the race will take place and what is planned for that year.

From Duhnen, guided mudflat hikes and horse-drawn mudflat carriage rides head towards the island of Neuwerk. The choice also depends on how you want to travel: you can join a guided hike on foot or ride in a mudflat carriage. Departure conditions for these activities depend on the tides and the providers. Check the conditions as you plan, so you can fit the excursion into your stay accordingly.

Village center and promenade

The historic village center lies around the village well. You can combine a visit with cafés and restaurants along the promenade. This gives you another, more relaxed option for planning your day alongside the beach and mudflats: combine the historic village areas with a break at one of the eateries. If the mudflat horse race is a reason for your trip, take its changing date and program into account; for mudflat hikes or carriage rides, the tide- and provider-dependent conditions are what matter.

The wider destination of Cuxhaven

The wider destination of Cuxhaven also offers landscapes that add variety to your stay. The coastal heaths in the Cuxhaven area meet the Wadden Sea directly between the districts of Duhnen and Berensch. Around 900 hectares of Cuxhaven’s coastal heaths have been designated a nature reserve since December 2004. Their ecosystem provides a habitat for more than 200 plant and animal species that are classified as endangered on the Red Lists of Lower Saxony or Germany. The Wadden Sea near Cuxhaven is part of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. At low tide, it provides a habitat for more than 10,000 animal and plant species.

Among Cuxhaven’s maritime landmarks is the 29-meter-high Kugelbake, made of wood. It marks where the Elbe ends and the North Sea begins, indicates the northernmost point of Lower Saxony, and is a protected monument. Alte Liebe is a two-level viewing platform on the Elbe. Built in 1733 as a landing stage and breakwater, it is where boats depart for Neuwerk, Heligoland and the seal banks. Fort Kugelbake, meanwhile, was built in Cuxhaven between 1869 and 1879 at Prussia’s instigation. The five-sided structure, with its rampart and rear moat, is considered Germany’s only surviving naval fortress.

Cultural attractions in the wider destination of Cuxhaven offer a range of experiences, too. Ritzebüttel Castle is a late medieval castle whose front was extended with a Baroque-style entrance in the 18th century. Following extensive restoration, it was opened to the public as a civic castle in 1996; today it hosts concerts, readings and exhibitions. The permanent exhibition at the Windstärke 10 Museum covers almost 2,000 square meters, with a large room for special exhibitions as well. The tour lets visitors experience a fishing voyage to Iceland, the cramped conditions aboard a fishing trawler, and the search for shipwrecks and their cargo. The Joachim Ringelnatz Museum displays paintings, drawings, collections of poems, prose works, photographs, documents and letters relating to Ringelnatz’s life and work.

Tailor your stay

Plan accordingly, keeping in mind that mudflat excursions depend on the tides and providers, while the mudflat horse race has a changing date and program. This will help you decide which experiences you want to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Altenbruch, Döse, Berensch, Lüdingworth.

Back to the overview of destinations: Cuxhaven.