Greetsiel

Greetsiel is the shrimp-cutter village you see on postcards and recognise instantly in real life. The twin windmills at the edge of town, the historic harbour with its colourful fleet, the red-brick houses along the sluice — Greetsiel compresses the East Frisian coast more tightly than almost anywhere else. Arrive early at the harbour to watch the boats head out, and return in the afternoon with fresh shrimp. Greetsiel belongs to Krummhörn, a municipality of dwelling-mound villages and 13th-century churches. Mudflat trails head north from the harbour into the national park — at low tide, always with a certified guide. The artist scene around the Künstlerhof Greetsiel gallery has shaped the village since the 1990s. Restaurants serve shrimp on bread, Frisian tea with rock sugar and cream, and in summer there is the shrimp-cutter regatta — the day when locals push every visitor down to the harbour.