Kronprinzenkoog: Between Polder History and Marshland

Kronprinzenkoog brings together the history of the reclaimed land and a broad, agriculturally shaped marsh landscape. A protected church, a memorial stele and the Steertloch pumping station each add a different dimension: here, the focus is on architectural history, remembrance and water management. You can discover the area through its historic landmarks as well as its landscape and the technical infrastructure that has shaped it.

Polder History and Agriculture

Kronprinzenkoog was enclosed by a dyke at public expense between 1785 and 1787. The polder was named after Friedrich VI, then Crown Prince and later King of Denmark. The coat of arms also reflects the area’s agricultural character: it depicts a sower scattering golden grain. The image refers to the fertile marsh soil and agricultural work.

Today, the polder’s fields produce crops including wheat, beets and cabbage, alongside meadows, pastures and wide open spaces. Kronprinzenkoog lies within Europe’s largest contiguous cabbage-growing region. Together, these elements create a picture of marshland where open countryside and agriculture are closely connected. The wide fields and green spaces also give the area a peaceful, restful character.

Church and Remembrance

The polder church is the only protected building in Kronprinzenkoog. Its western tower is 40 metres high, making it a distinctive architectural feature of the area. The church is suitable for visits in any weather, for both groups and individual visitors. Check visiting arrangements before your visit.

In the cemetery next to the church stands a stele dating from 1866, created by Marne sculptor Adolf Müllenhoff. It commemorates the Schleswig-Holstein Navy and records the capsize of gunboat number eight off the Elbe on 9 November 1850. All 47 crew members and the pilot died in the disaster; 31 of the victims were buried in the cemetery. The church, cemetery and stele thus bring together architectural history and a specific historical commemoration.

Water Management and Cycling Routes

The Steertloch pumping station can be reached on foot or by bicycle and is located on the North Sea Coast Cycle Route. Its technical history is relatively recent: in 2018, it was converted from an outer-dike sluice into a pumping station. Its total pumping capacity is 10.8 cubic metres per second. Outdoor information panels explain how the facility works, as well as coastal protection, climate change and water management. Coastal protection is also a key concern in the region: converting the Summer Polder–Steertloch sluice into a pumping station was intended to support inland drainage in the face of rapid morphological changes in Meldorf Bay.

Cyclists can choose between routes of different lengths. The pumping station is a named destination on the North Sea Coast Cycle Route; the Seal Route, by contrast, is a moderately challenging, 54.01-kilometre themed circular route through panoramic countryside. Kronprinzenkoog Church is one of its named waypoints. This information helps distinguish a visit to the pumping station from the longer circular tour, without treating them as a single route.

More Things to Explore in Dithmarschen

Beyond its local and landscape attractions, the Dithmarschen destination offers further cultural and historical perspectives. The Dithmarschen State Museum in Meldorf takes visitors through 1,200 years of Dithmarschen history—from the wealth of the farmers’ republic to rural everyday life in the 1960s. At the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen, hands-on activities include flint knapping, archery, making Stone Age jewellery, lighting fires and baking bread; individual activities may vary depending on the programme schedule.

The Stone Age Forest is part of the Stone Age Park. This natural outdoor area covers around 40 hectares and contains nine original archaeological monuments. It is permanently open and free to access; nevertheless, check the access information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Lunden, Dellstedt, Bargenstedt, Busenwurth, Arkebek, Helse, Kleve, Krumstedt.

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