If you are planning to ride your bike from Westerland to Sylt’s southernmost point, just follow the irresistible scent of freshly ground coffee beans. In the next port town to the south, Rantum, at Christian Appel’s roastery, I have a huge coffee epiphany. You can even enjoy the view of the beautiful Rantumbecken conservation area, which is home to many birds. Now, I don't want to keep mixing the smell of coffee with the taste of the sea, but let’s just say that I had my best coffee ever that day! Possibly, this was also owing to the experience itself: meeting the owner in person, who was taking his time roasting various types of coffee, from “Santos Brasil” to “Indian Robusta” on his impressive roaster. Sorry, Mr. Clooney!
With two bags of coffee beans more in my luggage, I resumed my journey... Yes, finally, onwards to Weststrand. If you think “Sansibar” only exists in Africa, you are one of the few people to never have heard of the famous Sylt institution and merchandising machine of that name, which started in the 1970s as a snack stall offering pea stew. The name “Sansibar” goes back to the island of Zanzibar just off the coast of Tanzania, which was subject to a questionable treaty between Germany under Otto von Bismarck and Great Britain in 1890, trading the island for Heligoland (although apparently, this has been proved to be historically inaccurate).
I have arrived at one of the best-known hot spots of Sylt, where package holiday tourists, regulars and Porsche collectors flock and put up with long waiting times just to enjoy the cloud-free sunset, listen to “Capri Fischer” and sip a glass of wine ordered from one of Europe’s most expansive wine menus. Lovers of pea stew and caviar are sitting all in row on the wooden benches, barefoot in the sand, looking wonderfully relaxed.
I order a Virgin Hugo and a salad with figs, Parma ham and Parmigiano cheese. I soak in the impressive color palette of this moment and dare enter the sea (slightly too cold at first) right behind the "Sansibar", just behind a dune, stretching all the way to the horizon. While some gourmands who traveled here for just for this are enjoying a “Romanée-Conti”, I get out of the cool waves, feeling years younger. An invaluable feeling of joy.
When the sun sets into the sea at Capri:
At the southernmost point of the island, I find the Sylter Muscheln Bistro (Sylt Mussel Bistro) - much less spectacular, but just as tasty! With a view of the port of Hörnum, visitors can enjoy mussels, crab soup and other freshly caught local specialties here.
The Hörnum lighthouse, over a hundred years old, proudly resides on its dune. It used to serve as a miniature classroom. Today, couples wanting to get married can say “I do” in a small private ceremony with a spectacular view 50 meters above sea level.
Back in the day when I visited Hörnum with my loved one, we skipped the lighthouse and chose to stay at the memorable hotel Budersand, which is located just a short walk along the port.
In terms of architecture, the Budersand isn’t a typical representation of Sylt, but its style is a joy to behold and inspirational when it comes to structure and design. It is very puristic. Mind you, it still offers the luxuries of high-level cuisine, a golf course, spa and many other features designed to help us decelerate our lives. Everything is celebrated with casual restraint. Quiet yet filled with emotion.
Unobtrusive and simple, the building just blends into the scenery. The walkways with their atriums offer the visitor spectacular views of the vastness of this raw nature around us. And this is the essence.
The magic that unfolds when you are sitting in the tub, with an unobstructed view of the natural spectacle that is the Wadden Sea.
My journey to the southernmost point of Sylt has shown that especially restraint and a clear design language can help preserve a place’s authenticity. With this approach, we want to show you what is on our table today conceptionally for interior design and decoration. And we will leave you with a look at what matters, an impression of the matter at hand. Because often, it doesn't take much to be happy.
