“North Sea, wind, weather – I had never been to the Germans‘ favourite island, Sylt. It had never come up. But a few months ago, top chef Nils Henkel cooked for the first time in his new restaurant at Severin‘s Resort and Spa, and I ventured across the causeway for the first time.“ Kai Böcking
Sylt is actually the perfect bleisure destination. After a few days of meetings in Hamburg – off to the island. That works even in March. It‘s drizzling as I stand in front of the imposing ensemble of stone houses with thatched roofs in Keitum. Severin‘s Resort and Spa, a member of the Selection of German Luxury Hotels, looks inviting even in the rain. Enter quickly and experience discreet “cashmere luxury“: The lobby is cosy, the fireplace is blazing, the hotel team is friendly and not intrusive. While I am being checked in, I sit relaxed with a glass of champagne on one of the deep sofas. I could actually sit here instead of working in my room for a few more hours before Nils Henkel makes his debut at Tipken‘s Restaurant.
My room is one of the 62 in the main house. There are also22 apartments and five villas spread across the hotel‘s extensive grounds. Plus – hurray – an indoor swimming pool for people like me who like to swim a lap early in the morning (or in the evening) or visit one of the many saunas. I don‘t want any wind and weather, at least not yet today!
The rooms are like the reception: warm, very cosy and inviting. Lots of wood, stone, a desk, charging points in the most important places. After three hours of work and half an hour of swimming (there is a sports swimming lane!), Nils Henkel from the Boathouse in Bingen on the Rhine invites us to his new dependence on Sylt for the first time. The man has rightly made a name for himself as one of Germany‘s best chefs. And he can cook excellent vegetarian food as well. On this evening he serves the best of flora and fauna in the airy, bright atmosphere of the restaurant where breakfast is usually served until 1 pm. The business traveller who already has a call overseas in the morning is quite grateful. There you find Faroese salmon, cod, Norway lobster and yet again meat from Simmental cattle. It goes without saying that the wine accompaniment from the hotel‘s legendary wine cellar matches each dish perfectly.
Relaxation on the cliff
The next day. It is raining horizontally, but I dare to jump on the bike with small luggage to spend the next night at Severin´s Morsum Kliff country house. This is about 20 to 60 minutes from the resort, depending on the headwind. The hotel is happy to lend out bicycles with or without electric turbo.
Severin‘s Morsum Kliff country house is located directly on the Wadden Sea in the middle of the heath landscape on the islands most beautiful cliff. Absolutely nothing will disturb you here. Peace and quiet, even during storms. The house has only 13 rooms. Here, too, the furnishings are warm and hospitable, and downstairs there is a large dining room where guests from out of town can also have breakfast and then explore the cliff.
Tonight, the Morsum fish market takes place here. A feast for friends of all the fish and shellfish the North Sea has to offer. More rustic than the fine creations of Nils Henkel the day before, but delicious. Be sure to try the bouillabaisse.
At night you fall asleep to the sound of the wind. And the next day the sun really does shine. At the end I think the wind and weather are pretty good.
If you have frequent business trips to Hamburg, Bremen or even Berlin, you should add a few Bleisure days on the island. I`ll definitely do that again in the future – even if it rains
Kai Böcking …
… has been travelling for business and pleasure around 200 days a year for 30 years. But Sylt was not meant to be until now, also because everything and everyone is already there and the weather is considered capricious. But it was the latter that put him in a good mood in combination with the two hotels, praise also for the low season on Sylt.
Bleisure Tipps Sylt
The Sylt Art Fair takes place every summer in the Neue Bootshalle in List. Exhibitions by Günther Uecker, Heinz Mack, Tony Cragg and others.
The “Sylter Royal“ Oyster is harvested in the waters around the island. You can enjoy it in the proper way directly from the breeder: Dittmeyer‘s Austern Compagnie in List.
Celebrities watch at Sansibar. The bar, restaurant and celebrity hangout are located in the middle of the dunes of Rantum.
Legendary party meeting place.
Fotos: © Sylt Marketing, Sylvie Konzack, Axel Steinbach, Kai Böcking