Where the Weser river widens into the North Sea at Bremerhaven, the land and water merge into one of the strangest landscapes in Europe. The Wadden Sea, a shallow stretch of sand and mud flats running from the Netherlands past Germany to Denmark, is the largest unbroken system of tidal flats in the world, and UNESCO protects it as a World Heritage Site. Twice a day the sea retreats, leaving a gleaming plain that birds, seals and worms use as a feeding ground, and twice a day it comes back, quickly and quietly.
The living things here are what make it important. Millions of migrating birds, among them knots, oystercatchers and brent geese, stop to feed each year on their way between the Arctic and Africa, and seals rest on the sandbanks. The mud is full of worms, snails and shellfish, which make it one of the most productive habitats on earth. Bremerhaven itself is a port city, a place of docks, cranes, shipyards and emigrant history, and its museums include one on German emigration to America and one on the sea.
For motorcyclists, this is dyke country. The sea walls that protect the land form roads and tracks of their own, with grassy slopes, sheep and wide views, and the flat polder behind is crossed by straight country roads. The wind is the main character, often strong and cold, and rain can arrive quickly. Surfaces are generally good, though some dyke tracks are closed to motor vehicles, so follow the signs. Autumn can be wonderful, with huge skies and migrating geese, and summer evenings stay light until late.
Bremerhaven has fuel in plenty, along with supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and ferries cross the Weser to Nordenham, which is useful if you want to explore the other side. Local food includes fish sandwiches, shrimp and the sailors' stew called Labskaus. Never walk out on the mudflats without a guide and tide tables, because the water returns faster than you can walk, and check the tides before planning a stop at the shore.