This year (2020), the ITB was canceled due to the coronavirus crisis, meaning all our exciting appointments were canceled. It was a real shame, as we were so looking forward to the trade fair. But we couldn’t help it; we still wanted to get out and were looking for a change of scenery. We searched Booking.com* for a nice place to stay by the sea, whether by the North Sea or the Baltic Sea. We discovered the Lighthouse Büsum and were immediately hooked; a hotel just right for us. And Büsum? Why not? We love traveling through Germany and Europe, but we’d never been to Büsum before.

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• This might also interest you:
• Getting to Büsum
• About Büsum
• Lighthouse Hotel & Spa
• Out and about in Büsum
• Tours and excursions
• A few more travel tips
• Conclusion of our short vacation

Arrival in Büsum

In our little car, we set off from Rostock to Büsum. A 3.5-hour drive lay ahead of us, passing Lübeck and Neumünster. From Hamburg and Kiel, it’s just 1.5 hours to Büsum, from Hanover 3 hours, and from Berlin 4.5 hours. Traveling by car is easy and comfortable, but by train it’s a little different. We would have loved to take the train, but unfortunately, the connections from Rostock aren’t very convenient.

From Hamburg, it’s definitely more worthwhile; there are hourly connections to Heide and Büsum. This way, you can get from Hamburg directly to Büsum by sea in just 2 hours. From Rostock, it would have taken us more than 5 hours and would have had to change trains 3 or 4 times. Traveling by car seemed a much better option. Traffic was also light that day, so we arrived in Büsum on time. Yeah, we were looking forward to the coming days on the North Sea.

About Büsum

Büsum is a small port town on the North Sea coast in Schleswig-Holstein. After St. Peter Ording and Westerland, Büsum is the third-largest holiday resort in the region and particularly popular with families, active holidaymakers, and nature lovers. Büsum has been a seaside resort since the 19th century, as the advantages of this location were recognized early on. Here in Büsum, it is said, the sea kisses the sky, and here fish and crabs say “Moin Moin” to the seal.

Büsum captivates with its green dikes, untouched landscapes, a healthy climate, fishing, and the North Sea. Fishing boats moor in the harbor, seagulls screech around, and the waves of the North Sea gently roar in the background. What more could you want? We had no experience of this harbor town before our North Sea short break and were all the more excited to see what awaited us.

Lighthouse Hotel & Spa

Now we come to our personal highlight, the brand new Lighthouse Büsum. This chic and casual hotel opened its doors just last year and is another product of the Heimat Hafen Hotels group. The Lighthouse Hotel & Spa* is located directly on the museum harbor and just a stone’s throw from the sea. After parking our car in parking lot P6 (€5 per day), we walked another 5 minutes to the hotel. Our short vacation on the North Sea was about to begin, and we could hardly wait to finally check into our room.

The Lobby

As soon as we entered, we felt completely at home. The reception staff greeted us with a warm and familiar “Moin, Moin.” We were immediately struck by the many beautiful maritime details, the stylish furniture, and the cozy yet exclusive atmosphere. While we were still staring in all directions with wide eyes, we were served a warm apple punch. A fire burned in the fireplace, and rocking chairs, cozy sofas, and comfortable armchairs invited guests to relax here and around the clock.

A spiral staircase leads up to the dike level with its wellness area, restaurants, bar, and apartments. We were particularly impressed by the truly cool furniture, lamps, and pictures that can be found throughout the hotel. The interior design professionals at COSMAN-Interior have done a great job, and the Italian designer furniture from Gervasoni fits perfectly. We received a very friendly welcome at the reception, received our room keys, and took the elevator to the second floor to our room.

Our room

We held the card to the electronic lock, opened the door, and were amazed by the modern design, the chic furniture, and the wonderful sea view. Wow, that’s exactly what we had imagined. Bright colors, wooden structures, and simple Scandinavian furnishings adorned our 28 sqm superior room with a view of the North Sea. The room is equipped with a large bed, a desk and chair, a small sofa, a flat-screen TV, a minibar stocked with drinks, a retro radio, a Bluetooth system, and a cool corded telephone.

A card informed us that the hotel would donate €3 to a local charity if you called in advance and let them know that you didn’t want room service the following day. Of course, we didn’t need to be told twice; we picked up the retro corded telephone and dialed the reception number. The bathroom is spacious and particularly impressive thanks to its large glass fronts, stylish tiles, and rain shower. Sustainability is also a priority here: there are no cotton swabs, makeup remover pads, or shower caps packed inside.

From the balcony, we could see the sea, observe the interplay of the tides, and the sunset. It was far too cold to sit outside, but the view was and still is magnificent. So, right from our beds in the morning, we could check the weather and marvel at the receding water. Wonderful! And as if that weren’t enough, we even got a fully stocked minibar for free. It included water, juices, Fritz-Cola, and more. Bathrobes and slippers are also hanging directly in the wardrobe and can be used free of charge.

Ocean Spa & Wellness

The hotel has a beautiful wellness area with a fitness room, sunbathing pool, sauna, steam bath, and relaxation rooms. We were most looking forward to this, as we hadn’t been able to go to the wellness center for a long time due to colds and other aches and pains. After spending the first afternoon outside by the sea, we slipped straight into our bathrobes and headed straight to the sauna. The wellness area is small, but perfectly adequate in the off-season. However, it can get a bit crowded during peak season.

The wellness area with sauna, lounge pool, fitness center, and relaxation rooms is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Of course, you can also book wellness treatments here, such as massages, floating treatments, or peelings (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). The hotel even has the stylish “Herrengut” barber shop, which pampers men with classic barbering techniques. We really enjoyed ourselves in the wellness area over the two days, worked out, and used the saunas several times.

The Food

The Lighthouse Büsum has 3 restaurants and 2 bars. Breakfast is served buffet-style in the “Landgang” restaurant. Unfortunately, we didn’t take any photos, but we can assure you that you’ll love the food as much as we did. There’s fresh fruit, muesli, yogurt, cheese, sausage, spreads, jams, honey, waffles, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, and much more. The restaurant is also beautifully decorated and fits in well with the overall concept.

During the day, you can also enjoy coffee and cake, lunch, and a varied dinner with many regional products. In good weather, you can also make yourself comfortable outside. The “Schnüsch” restaurant focuses primarily on regional dishes. Here, regional products are prepared to the highest standards to create delicious dishes. However, this restaurant is only open on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m., so unfortunately, we weren’t able to try it.

In the harbor canteen, you can enjoy a delicious à la carte breakfast in the morning and delicious lunch menus for lunch. As you can see, the hotel offers a wide range of culinary delights, catering to everyone’s tastes. In the “Alter Speicher” bar, we had a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail prepared for us in the evening and enjoyed the rustic atmosphere. Alternatively, you can also make yourself comfortable in “De Baar” (in the Landgang Restaurant) and sip a fine Martini Bianco before dinner.

Out and about in Büsum

The weather forecast wasn’t good, but during our stay, we were able to enjoy blue skies and sunshine. From the hotel, we made our way to the mudflats. The water had already receded, allowing us to take a “short mudflat hike.” We discovered countless mussels, worms, and various birds searching for food. Did you know that the Wadden Sea is a World Heritage Site, making it on the same list as the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef? WOW!

Afterward, we continued our walk to the Perlebucht family lagoon, where some kite surfers were taking advantage of the wind and speeding across the water. The large, natural lagoon offers plenty of space for relaxation, swimming, beach volleyball, beach soccer, and water sports (pedal boats, SUP, kitesurfing). It’s a busy place in the summer, but the facilities are closed between October and April. We walked from the hotel to the lagoon in about 25 minutes, a really pleasant walk. It was simply wonderful to breathe in the fresh, cold North Sea air and feel the warm rays of sunshine on our skin.

We then headed back through the town, past several restaurants, shops, and cafés. The area around Alleestraße and the side streets branching off from it is particularly lively. We thoroughly enjoyed savoring the benefits of the off-season. Accordingly, it was naturally very quiet in town and not much going on, but that was exactly what we were looking for. We received a tip from the community to visit the furniture store “Deichgut,” which we did. Luckily, we didn’t have any room in the car anyway, otherwise one or two items would have ended up in the trunk.

Tours and Excursions

Unfortunately, we couldn’t go on any of the excursions because everything was still closed. However, we were told that the trip to Seal Island is a MUST, as is a day trip to Heligoland. The MS “Ol Büsum” and MS “Lady von Büsum” sail to one of the largest seal banks on the German North Sea coast, located about 20 km from Büsum. Here, you can observe over 100 seals from the ship. More information here: www.buesum.de.

Furthermore, mudflat hikes, guided tours of the town, harbor tours, coastal and evening cruises are offered. The Museum am Meer is recommended, which presents tourism in Büsum and the topic of coastal fishing (admission: €3). Also popular are the Phänomania Büsum Museum, the Dike Museum, and the NABU Wattwurm National Park Station. We were also recommended a trip to the Friedrichskoog Seal Sanctuary, the Westerheversand Lighthouse, the small town of Friedrichstadt, as well as St. Peter Ording and Husum. We can only encourage you to simply go with the flow.

A few more travel tips

• Free parking next to the Anker Pharmacy
• €5 day ticket for parking lot P6 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• Hotel parking in the underground garage: €10 per day
• Delicious pizza at Pizzeria Venezia
• Coffee and cake at Osteria bei Peci with sea view
• Tourist tax €1.50 per night and person (low season)
• Painting ceramics at Pinselwerk
• Overnight stay in a real beach chair (May – September)
• Walking on the mudflats with music (more info here)

Conclusion of our short break

For us, it was three truly perfect days at the Lighthouse Büsum and in the town itself. The weather was at its best, and we were able to enjoy our short break to the fullest. The Lighthouse Hotel & Spa is a truly beautiful hotel with great design, incredibly friendly staff, and numerous amenities. With the sea right on your doorstep, you can’t go wrong, so we can highly recommend Büsum as a complete package. If you just want to really relax, we recommend a short break in Büsum during the off-season. Of course, some things are still closed at this time (restaurants, shops, tours, etc.), but if that doesn’t bother you, you’ve come to the right place.