Norden’s town center is located just a few kilometers inland from the North Sea and not too far from the Dollart. Its municipality incorporates the port of Norddeich, where ferries can be caught to the East Frisian Islands.
You are so close to the Dutch border, expect to see old dikes, a harbor full of boats, nearby fields full flowers, and even an occasional windmill.
Archeological digs indicate that this area has been populated since pre-history, but remains of an old marketplace show that fixed settlements probably first appeared in the 6th century. Historical sights worth a look are the 13th Century Ludger’s Church, a 14th Century bell tower, the 16th Century Old Town Hall, and a local Mennonite Church, with brickwork dating back to 1662.
For the past 40 years, however, a new attraction has reigned supreme. It is an 80,000-square-meter strip of coast known as Aufspülung, which features a huge sandy beach, campsites and a hostel, making this a popular holiday destination. Come here to swim, sun, boat, fish or stroll. The strand is made for your fun and enjoyment.
Nearly a dozen major festivals are celebrated in Norden, ranging from the weekly street markets to a three-day wine festival each July, an open-air Summer Market in August, and a town-wide Christmas celebration throughout December.
In late-May and early-June, be sure to catch the local Pentecost Market, with rides, carousels, drinks, snacks and fun for the entire family. And the town theater, with its 500-seal auditorium, offers a full calendar of events, too.
It may surprise you to find in the vicinity almost too many museums to count. They include the north coast’s only car museum and ones dedicated to maritime pursuits, construction history, tea culture, railway items, 1,000 different mussels and snails, Nordic seals, comic books, bird breeding, mill life, and such arts as painting, graphics and sculpture, to name a few.
