Behind the dyke at Dornumersiel the land is flatter than a billiard table and nearly as green, and on the other side the sea comes and goes twice a day across a vast expanse of sand and mud. This is the Wadden Sea, the largest system of intertidal flats in the world, stretching along the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The Lower Saxony section is a national park and part of a World Heritage site, and at low tide you can walk out across the seabed towards the East Frisian islands, ideally with a guide who knows the channels and the tides.
The landscape is shaped by the sea and by people's efforts to keep it out. Dykes run along the coast, protecting the low-lying marshland behind them, where cattle and sheep graze and windmills and wind turbines turn. Small harbours like Nessmersiel and Dornumersiel are home to fishing boats and ferries to the islands, such as Baltrum and Langeoog. The East Frisian villages, with their brick houses, churches and tea rooms, have a distinctive character, and the people here drink more tea per head than almost anywhere in the world, with rock sugar and cream that forms clouds in the cup.
Riding here is flat and windy, sometimes extremely windy. The roads are straight, narrow and well-surfaced, running along dykes and through villages, with little traffic outside the summer season. It is not a place for curves, but there is something meditative about riding under huge skies with the smell of salt in the air. Watch out for sheep on the dykes, farm vehicles and cyclists, who are numerous in summer.
The Wadden Sea is one of the most important bird habitats in the world, with millions of migrating birds stopping here to feed in spring and autumn. You can see oystercatchers, curlews, avocets and many other waders on the mudflats, and seals resting on sandbanks. The light here is often magical, with dramatic clouds and sunsets over the water.
Dornum, about eight and a half kilometres away, has fuel and basic services, and its moated castle is worth a look. Hage and Norden are larger towns with more options. In the harbours, look for a fish stand selling Krabbenbrötchen, a bread roll filled with North Sea shrimp, the classic coastal snack.