Summer Vacation 2025: Touring Germany by Camper. Week 4: From the North Sea to the small town of Leer in East Frisia
Hello. I am You&Me, and I discovered a passion for camper travel after turning 50.
The small port town of Büsum on the North Sea coast
At the beginning of the 4th week, we left Hedwigenkoog, which is completely unknown as a tourist destination, and headed to Büsum, about a 10-minute drive away. Büsum is a small port town on the North Sea coast and a resort famous for its fresh North Sea Büsumer Krabben (small shrimp dishes). It is charming for its calm beaches, walks on the mudflats (Wadden Sea), and views of the lighthouse and harbor. It is the perfect place for families and travelers who want to relax. Since it is a small town, you can see it all in half a day.
(Refers to brown shrimp in the local dialect.)
And then, to St. Peter-Ording.
After spending half a day in Büsum, we extended our trip to St. Peter-Ording, located a bit further north. It may not be well-known in Japan, but it is said to be so popular in Northern Germany that it is called "the place to go for a North Sea resort." I was impressed by the 12km-long white sandy beach, one of the largest in Germany, and the unique beach houses built on stilts. It seems there are plenty of active ways to enjoy it, such as kite surfing and beach walking. (Though we didn't try them.)
Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day.
A house with a beautiful garden
With St. Peter-Ording as our northernmost turnaround point, we then spent one night in Glückstadt along the Elbe River. It is a historic town with a well-ordered cityscape and a calm harbor, built by King Christian IV of Denmark in the early 17th century. It is known for its white-walled houses, cobblestone old town, and herring dishes (Matjes).
In German, "Glück" means "happiness" and "Stadt" means "town." “Glückstadt” literally translates to “Town of Happiness”. It is said that this name was given by the founder, Christian IV, with the wish that it would become a "lucky town."
Leer and East Frisian Tea Culture (Ostfriesische Teekultur)
The next day, we crossed the Elbe River by ferry and drove west along the North Sea. At the end of the 4th week, we stayed in a very charming small town called Leer.
Leer is a beautiful town in the state of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany and is one of the central cities of the "East Frisia (Ostfriesland)" region. It is charming for its old town with canals and well-preserved brick houses. It has a laid-back atmosphere and is known as a "peaceful town typical of Northern Germany."
And it is especially famous as the center of German "tea culture." The reason is that this is one of the birthplaces and centers of
East Frisian Tea Culture (Ostfriesische Teekultur). Leer is still home to the headquarters of the long-established tea company Bünting Tee, which boasts a history dating back to 1778.
The traditional way of drinking tea in this region is a three-layer structure of "Kluntje (rock candy) + Sahne (cream) + Tee." The etiquette is to drink it without stirring, enjoying the sweetness, mellowness, and bitterness in order.
It may not be a famous tourist destination, but because of that, I could feel the history and culture quietly passed down in that land.
Well, next week, I will visit Meyer Werft, which is world-famous for its shipyards. See you then. Thank you for reading until the end.