Three and a half weeks of bird migration, Wadden Sea, and spring culture in the Halligen Biosphere Reserve
Brent geese (Branta bernicla) are small, black and white geese that undertake one of Europe's most spectacular flight routes between their breeding grounds in the Siberian tundra and their wintering grounds in West Africa. Every spring, they stop over in the North Frisian Wadden Sea on their migration route — up to 60,000 birds at a time. This mass gathering is one of Northern Germany's greatest natural events and the basis for the festival.
Hallig Hooge, with around 100 inhabitants and an area of 10 km², is the second-largest hallig in the North Frisian Wadden Sea and belongs to the municipality of Hooge in the district of Nordfriesland in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The hallig is located about 13 km west of the North Frisian mainland coast and is one of the ten North Frisian halligen that have been part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 'Halligen' since 2014. The central opening ceremony of the Ringelganstage takes place on Hooge.
The 2026 program includes over 140 dates — from birdwatching tours with telescopes and experts, family excursions in the mudflats, lectures on bird migration research, culinary evenings with hallig products, to concerts and readings. Events take place on the Halligen islands of Hooge, Langeneß, and Gröde, on the islands of Amrum, Föhr, and Sylt, and on the North Frisian mainland (Husum, Niebüll, Bredstedt, St. Peter-Ording) — a truly cross-regional series.
The highlight and kickoff is the Opening Ceremony on Hallig Hooge on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The keynote speaker is Goldschmidt; the all-day opening package offers boat transfer from Schlüttsiel or Langeneß, a traditional biosphere snack at lunchtime, coffee and cake in the afternoon, and the official festival program. Booking via ringelganstage.de for €25 per adult, €10 per child up to 14 years.
The Ringelganstage 2026 starts on Saturday, April 18, 2026, with the central Opening Ceremony on Hallig Hooge. The keynote speaker is Goldschmidt. The all-inclusive package for the opening day — boat transfer from Schlüttsiel or Langeneß, biosphere snack at lunchtime, opening ceremony, coffee and cake, afternoon program — costs €25 for adults and €10 for children up to 14 years old.
In the three weeks that follow (until May 10, 2026), over 140 events will offer a diverse insight into the bird migration season: birdwatching tours with telescopes, family excursions in the mudflats, expert lectures on bird migration research, culinary events featuring hallig products, concerts, and readings.
Full program and online booking at ringelganstage.de/veranstaltungskalender.
Hallig Hooge is reached by boat from Schlüttsiel (mainland) and Hallig Langeneß. Journey time approx. 30–60 minutes depending on the tide. For program items on Amrum, Föhr, or Sylt, use the respective ferry connections from Dagebüll. Private cars are not allowed on Hooge; travel by bicycle or on foot on the island.
Opening ceremony package €25 (adults) / €10 (children up to 14). Individual events €5–€25 depending on the program item. Many nature tours are free.
Book bindingly online via ringelganstage.de, many events have limited participant numbers.
No photos yet. Share yours!
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Share your experience with the community.
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Ringelganstage al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Hallig Hooge und weitere Spielorte (Amrum, Föhr, Sylt, Festland)
Hallig Hooge, 25859 Hooge