Husum harbor with colorful houses on the quay, blue ship in the dock, grass and flowers in the foreground.

Cheers to Husum

The idyllic town on the west coast is full of surprises. And invites you to go on cheerful discovery tours between the harbor and the castle park

City portrait of Husum: Brick house with tower on the riverbank, green trees framing the picture, reflection in the water. — Husum Castle includes a park and a moat

Town bridge in Husum; two women in conversation, an elderly man with a bicycle on the bank, red-brick buildings in the background — A chat on the bridge: Tour guide Stephie knows Husum’s most beautiful stories

Wooden post with golden number plates in Husum; hand points to a plaque, shadow on it; water and buildings in the background. — The water level marks of the major storm surges

Woman with dark sunglasses on a boat, orange life jackets in the foreground, water, green dike with sheep and distant cyclists. — The harbor tour takes you towards the Wadden Sea

Roll with shrimp filling in hand, served on paper; City of Husum as context of the article Ein Hoch auf Husum — Delicious: a crab roll is a tasty refreshment in Husum

Two people talking on a cobblestone street in front of a white house with a red roof in Husum, garden fence — Theodor Storm and his family lived on the second floor

Rear view of a man at the harbor; blue T-shirt with — Cast off: Captain Wolfgang takes you on a big harbor tour

Can you just spend a day out on the town during your North Sea vacation? Not only can you do that, you should – for example to Husum. First mentioned in the mid-13th century as a community of three merchant houses, Husum’s heyday developed after the “Grote Mandränke” (storm surge) of 1362. Husum is now an extremely lively district town with 24,000 inhabitants and plenty of charm. The small village quickly developed into a flourishing port town. It was granted market rights, built pretty gabled houses, had a Franciscan monastery and a castle and also gained literary fame. Theodor Storm was born in Husum in 1817 and worked there as a magistrate and poet.

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From cattle market to shopping experience

When we stand at Husum’s inland port today with a crab roll in our hand, when all the tables in front of the cafés are occupied, when locals push their purchases over the cobblestones on their bicycles or buy tickets for the next concert at the “Speicher Husum”, then we have to admit there’s something about a visit to the city in the real north. Husum, which lies halfway between the Elbe and the Danish border on the North Sea, combines urban freshness with charm. This is a great place to live. And to have a great vacation!

Stephie Rüegg points to the storm surge pole at the harbor, which also shows the maximum water levels of past storm surges. Fortunately today the sun is shining. The tide is low in the inland port, with only a few seagulls screeching excitedly above the sailboats with their colorful pennants. Stephie is a tour guide, an enthusiastic Husum resident by choice, and tells captivating stories about the old days when Husum was known for its cattle market and was therefore also – the oxen drivers were thirsty – the “town with one of the highest density of pubs in Germany”! Today, cattle and cattle dealers toasting each other have disappeared from the streetscape. There is plenty on offer in Husum all year round from the Harbour Days in August to the famous Crocus Blossom Festival in March, when four million crocuses transform the castle park into a sea of purple flowers. We walk to the castle through a lively shopping street called Neustadt and stop off at the “Künstlercafé”, where the most sumptuous cakes ever are served in the inner courtyard.

Cityscape of Husum: narrow, cobbled street, red bricks on the left, white houses on the right, flowers, benches and street café. — Time travel: Romantic alleyways lead into the past

Self-service harbor restaurant on the Husum quay, guests outside, boats on the water, red brick buildings in the background. — The “Beachbar” at the harbor is a vibrant presence

Christmas House and Maritime Museum

The three-winged brick building is the only castle on Schleswig-Holstein’s west coast. Duchess Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, a Danish royal daughter, moved into it at the beginning of the 17th century and had a series of magnificent fireplaces installed. “She used it to hide her inheritance so that her greedy brother couldn’t get at it,” Stephie reports. The gatehouse with its gables, which is part of the castle, is also beautiful. The guards used to be housed here. It is framed by huge chestnut trees, through which the wind is rushing mightily today.

View of Husum harbour: colorful houses on the water, boats, calm waters and blue skies. — Great backdrop: Where the Husum shipyard used to be, now stands the modern town hall

Large historic wooden shipwreck on metal frame in museum hall, gravel floor, visitors look at it. — The “Uelvesbüller Wreck” is one of the highlights of the North Friesland Maritime Museum

The castle is not the only dazzling surprise. The Husum Christmas House is also sparkling. Owner Alix Paulsen has transformed the wonderfully creaky Wilhelminian-style old building into a nostalgic Christmas paradise with her rich collection of old Christmas tree decorations, carvings from the Ore Mountains and children’s toys. Husum is also a popular place for viewing artifacts from the sea. Stephie takes us to the private Nordfriesland Maritime Museum, where the Cohrs family, who run a traditional Husum textile department store, have collected maritime items ranging from ships in bottles to whaling equipment. The highlight is the Uelvesbüll wreck, a 400-year-old cargo ship that sank and was successfully preserved in a sugar solution. “Due to the tides, there were many strandings off our coast,” explains museum director Astrid Cohrs-Dreessen about the special find.

The red and black painted buoy layer “Hildegard” is also part of the collection. It has found its place outdoors, on the small sandy beach in front of the new town hall. As a casual backdrop for the “Beachbar”, where we treat ourselves to a cold drink with a view of the harbor at the end of our day in the city. City life the Husum way is the definition of relaxation.