Visiting Langeoog: One of Germany’s East Frisian Islands
Langeoog is one of Germany’s East Frisian Islands located in the North Sea. Langeoog is known for it’s long beaches, seaside village, and relaxed atmosphere. Langeoog can be reached by ferry but keep in mind that vehicles are not allowed on the island. The best way to explore the island is by foot, bike, or taking a horse-drawn carriage. When visiting Langeoog make sure to pack your beach gear and enjoy the relaxing island vibes. I created this post to share my day trip to Langeoog, including how to get to the island, what to do, and how to make the most out of your time on one of Germany’s most popular East Frisian Islands.
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Langeoog makes up one of the East Frisian (Ostfriesland in Germany) islands. In total, there are seven inhabited islands which include:
- Borkum
- Juist
- Norderney
- Baltrum
- Langeoog
- Spiekeroog
- Wangerooge
The East Frisian Islands belong to the German state of Lower Saxony. These islands are in the Wadden Sea which makes up a part of the North Sea.
Langeoog is a long island, the beach is 14 km long which is about 9 miles. Langeoog is primarily dunes and grassland with natural beaches.
Langeoog is car free, so all visitors need to park at the ferry terminal. Once on Langeoog, you can rent bikes, walk, or take horse-drawn carriages.
Langeoog relies on tourism especially during tourist season which is around the summer months.
Parking and Taking the Ferry to Langeoog
Since no cars are allowed on Langeoog, all visitors must park at one of the parking areas in Bensersiel. Am Hafen20 Parking is the main parking lot. When we visited it was full, I ended up parking just down the street in a grassy parking area.
Of course, all parking areas are paid parking, but I think I paid €5 for the entire day.
I visited in July and the place was packed, unfortunately, I had to get a ferry ticket an hour later then planned. So I recommend either coming to the ferry port earlier then expected or book online through the Langeoog website.
The ferry from Bensersiel to Langeoog goes 5 times a day. The ferry journey takes anywhere from 30 – 45 minutes. The ferry is large with plenty of seating options both inside and outside. There are also children areas in the ferry. There are bathrooms on board as well as food and drink options.
Once arriving at Langeoog, there is a small train that takes passengers from the pier to the train station in town. The train ticket is included in the ferry price.
If visiting Langeoog for one day, you can get a roundtrip ferry ticket for €33 which includes the ferry and railway to get from the pier to the train station in town.
For updated times and prices, I recommend looking on the Langeoog offical website.
Things to do While Visiting Langeoog
While Langeoog is a small island in relative terms there is plenty of activities and things to do here to keep you busy for a full day if not multiple days. My guide to Langeoog below is more of an itinerary for a Langeoog day trip, but many vacationers stay here for several days to weeks. In fact, I met a man from New York that was staying on Langeoog for 3 weeks.
Here is how I spent one day on Langeoog
Explore the downtown area
The downtown area of Langeoog is easy to explore by foot. It’s full of shops, restaurants, and places to stay.
I recommend visiting the Langeoog Church, mainly just because the style in East Frisia is unique to this region of Germany.
Walk to the Langeoog Water Tower (Wasserturm)
The water tower or wasserturm in German seemed to be a popular attraction in Langeoog. It’s up a few flight of stairs on the way to the beach.
You come here for the views. You get a 360° view of the island and village itself.
Explore the Hauptstrand Langeoog (Main Beach)
Most tourists visiting Langeoog will come primarily to spend time on the beach. Langeoog has no shortage of beaches. Hauptstrand or the Main Beach in Langeoog stretches for 14 km.
I was here in July and there were people swimming in the beach, although the water was still somewhat cold, at least for my likings.
The beach here can be crowded. You will see people swimming, relaxing, playing games, or even participating in sport activities on the beach in Langeoog.
We did spot a few jellyfish on the beach washed up. Doing research on jelly fish in the North Sea, they appeared to be Compass Jellyfish and were quite beautiful.
Sample Local Food
If visiting Langeoog, chances are you are coming at least a half day if not a full day or longer. Instead of bringing your own lunch, why not try some local island food at one of the many restaurants in the downtown area.
I ended up going to a restaurant called Ebbe & Flut.
Ebbe & Flut had a nice selection of local seafood options to vegan dishes.
I ordered the Schollenfilet mit Queller. Schollen is a Plaice which is a type of flatfish. Queller is Salicornia which is a plant that grows in salt marshes and beaches found in the North Sea and other parts of the world.
Other dishes ordered included the vegetarian lasagna and the potatoes vegetable curry.
Keep in mind that prices on these islands are typically higher then you would find on mainland Germany.
Stay at an Inn or Guest House
I only did a day trip to Langeoog so I never stayed at an Inn or Guest House in Langeoog. But I have family that has stayed in Langeoog and it is highly recommended.
Walking around Langeoog, there were plenty of vacation rentals and guest homes to stay at from single apartments to entire homes.
Bike, Hike, or Walk to Explore more of Langeoog
Since motor vehicles are not permitted on Langeoog, the best ways to get around the island is simply to walk, hike the trails, or rent a bike and ride around.
There are bike rental shops on the island and some of the places to stay on Langeoog do have rentals.
On a bike, you can travel the trail to the eastern most beach on Langeoog and perhaps even see some Grey Seals resting on the beach.
We found a trail that went through the dunes that we hiked/walked for a bit. At high points, you get awesome views of the island.
Conclusion
If visiting the North Sea region in Germany I recommend taking a day trip to one of the East Frisian Islands. I had the opportunity to spend a day visiting Langeoog and highly recommend it. The main sites in Langeoog can be explored in a day but if staying longer, trust me you won’t get bored. Langeoog has plenty of beaches to walk, a cute downtown area, great bike paths, and tasty local restaurants.
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Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁
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