Sankt Peter-Ording: Top Attractions & Hidden Gems

What are the must-do activities in St. Peter-Ording?

12 kilometres of the finest sandy beach. The Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, right on your doorstep. Unique stilt houses set against a vast horizon. Popular surf spots, culinary highlights, exciting beach events and much more!

St. Peter-Ording delights visitors with a special blend of nature and North Sea lifestyle, bringing together so many wonderful highlights in one place that you should plan to stay at least one night – or why not make it a long weekend? As well as the vast beach, the Westerheversand lighthouse, charming cafés and small farm shops are among the region’s highlights.

In this Local Guide, we’ll tell you what you should see and do in St. Peter-Ording: our absolute must-sees, favourite spots and very personal insider tips.

Helga & the ZWEITE HEIMAT team

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Sankt Peter-Ording: Hidden Gems

Helga’s Top 6 Favourite Places & Holiday Tips

As director of the Strandhotel ZWEITE HEIMAT, Helga Herbers is passionate about SPO. Naturally, she has a few personal recommendations for your next holiday in St. Peter-Ording!

1. SPO is more than just the beach

Walks along the beach are wonderful, but our little woodlands also offer great walking trails. These are ideal for hiking or jogging – especially when the wind gets too strong down by the water’s edge.

Did you know? As one of the three climatic zones of St. Peter-Ording, the pine forest helps shape the healthy, invigorating climate of our coastal town. The beach and North Sea surf, as well as the dunes and salt marshes, are also considered climatic zones.

2. Experience the sunrise by the sea

This tip isn’t for late risers: in summer, I love going to the beach at dawn. Between 5 am and 6 am, you’ll have the beach (almost) all to yourself and can enjoy the wonderful tranquillity and the special atmosphere of the sunrise!

3. Enjoy a beach picnic

My favourite way to spend a balmy summer evening is with a picnic on the beach at St. Peter-Ording. What do you need to prepare? Nothing at all – at least, if you’re staying at ZWEITEN HEIMAT! Just let our team at reception know. We’ll pack a handcart for you with everything you need for a delicious beach picnic, and you’re all set to go! After all, it’s just a few steps from the hotel to Ordinger Beach. PS: In summer, you can also book your picnic at your leisure via our website.

4. The Katinger Watt

Be sure to plan a trip to the Katinger Watt. There’s plenty of nature here – an experience for young and old alike! The landscape, with its vast green spaces and woodland, lies in the south of the Eiderstedt peninsula and can be explored via a 3.4-kilometre circular walking trail, amongst other routes. The Katinger Watt is particularly well known for its birdlife; the highlight is the weather-protected birdwatching tower.

5. Discover cafés and farm shops by bike

The Eiderstedt peninsula offers not only the most beautiful North Sea coast, but also an exciting inland area. Here you’ll find charming little villages, cafés and farm shops selling regional produce. Those who enjoy active travel can also explore the region by bike, savouring the freedom of venturing off the beaten track.

Helga’s favourite cafés around St Peter-Ording

Helga’s favourite farm shops near SPO

6. A genuine North Sea cinema

My tip when it’s stormy outside: book a room with a sea view and just watch the North Sea. Better than the cinema, and so cosy and relaxing!

Top sights in St. Peter-Ording

You shouldn't miss these 5 SPO highlights!

1. the beach

SPO is all about sand, sand and more sand! At 12 kilometres long and up to 2 kilometres wide, the North Sea beach of St. Peter-Ording is one of the most extensive sandy beaches on the German coast. It is not called Germany's largest sandpit for nothing. In addition to its impressive size and wonderful panoramic views, it offers numerous leisure opportunities for families, water sports enthusiasts, dog lovers etc. with a total of five beach sections and two dog beaches.

Practical information: Here you can find the best time to visit St. Peter-Ording for a beach holiday.

2. the pier

Walking towards the sea is always a good idea in St. Peter-Ording! A walk along the 1000 metre long pier in the Bad district is particularly impressive. The wooden footbridge leads from the central pier forecourt across the salt marshes and dunes to the sandy beach. The view along the path is wonderful, the beach panorama with pile dwellings and North Sea surf is the highlight.

3. the pile dwellings

The pile dwellings are THE landmark of the North Sea resort of St. Peter-Ording and unique on the German coast. Over 100 years ago, in 1911, the first building was erected on wooden stilts (incidentally, like our ZWEITEN HEIMAT, it was also home to a Giftbude). Since then, the pile dwellings have characterised the beach landscape of SPO and are now used as restaurants or multi-purpose buildings, among other things. At a height of up to seven metres, they defy the sometimes stormy North Sea. In 2023, the Erlebnis-Hus was the first pile dwelling to be built on land.

4 The Wadden Sea

As part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, St. Peter-Ording is the perfect starting point for exploring this fascinating habitat. The Wadden Sea of the south-eastern North Sea is considered a unique ecosystem for countless animal and plant species and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. In addition to an adventure exhibition in the National Park House, you should definitely get up close and personal with the mudflats - preferably on a guided mudflat hike. Guided tours are offered all year round - e.g. starting at St. Peter-Ording South Beach or at Westerheversand lighthouse. You can easily book tickets online.

5. the Westerheversand lighthouse

One of the most popular photo motifs on the North Sea coast and a real landmark of the region is the Westerheversand lighthouse, which is located very close to St. Peter-Ording in the small municipality of Westerhever. With its red and white stripes, it can be seen from afar. On site, the landmark with its 37 metre high viewing platform offers fantastic views over the North Sea and the Eiderstedt peninsula. The Wadden Sea Protection Centre also offers guided tours of the mudflats and nature in Westerhever.

Conclusion

Which of our holiday tips was your favourite? Not so easy! These top 5 insider tips & sights for St. Peter-Ording are definitely not to be missed:

  • Experience the beach & pile dwellings
  • Watch the sunrise over the North Sea
  • Discover the Wadden Sea on a mudflat hike
  • Visit the Westerheversand lighthouse
  • Explore cafés & farm shops on the peninsula of Eiderstedt
Hotel St. Peter-Ording

Fancy a break by the sea?

With so many tips and top attractions, it would be a shame not to stay a bit longer in St. Peter-Ording, don’t you think? Luckily, there’s our ZWEITE HEIMAT. With wonderfully cosy rooms, two spa areas, restaurants and the most beautiful sea views, our beach hotel is your home away from home in SPO.

So why not start planning your holiday in St. Peter-Ording right away? We look forward to seeing you at ZWEITEN HEIMAT.

Holidays in St. Peter-Ording
Hotel St. Peter-Ording