Mittsommernacht Hörnum

Hörnum — The Southern Tip of Sylt

Hörnum is the southernmost municipality on the island of Sylt in the district of Nordfriesland in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Hörnum Odde juts out into the North Sea as a narrow peninsula — one of Germany's most dynamic coastal landscapes, where the sea constantly destroys new land and rebuilds it elsewhere. The Hörnum lighthouse, built in 1907, is the landmark of the municipality.

The Custom of Midsummer Night

The custom of the summer solstice has a long tradition in many coastal communities in North and East Frisia. In Hörnum, the custom is combined with the natural stage of the Odde: A torchlight procession starts around 10:30 PM in the twilight, travels for just under an hour across the southern tip, and ends on the beach with a large bonfire. The Hörnum Volunteer Fire Brigade lights the torches at the lighthouse — a sight you won't find anywhere else on Sylt.

The Schedule

• 10:00 PM — Torch sales at the corner of Süderende/Odde-Wei
• 10:30 PM — Start of the torchlight procession towards Odde
• 11:00 PM–11:30 PM — Arrival at the beach, lighting of the bonfire
• until approx. 1:00 AM — Gathering around the fire with warm drinks and snacks

What You'll Experience

In midsummer, it doesn't get truly dark on Sylt until around 10:30 PM — so the torchlight procession takes place in the special twilight atmosphere of the North Sea night. Above the Odde, the starry sky (with a bit of luck, hints of the Northern Lights), underfoot the sand, in your hand the torch — and at the end, a bonfire right on the beach where islanders and guests sit together. A true Sylt atmosphere, far from the promenade in Westerland.