The Wadden Sea National Park
The Wadden Sea National Park is Danish nature at its best. You can see spectacular wildlife, and the significance of the area extends far beyond Denmark's borders. The national park protects the treasures of the Wadden Sea and makes it easier for you to enjoy them.
The Wadden Sea National Park is Denmark's largest national park. It extends from the Danish-German border to Blåvandshuk and covers 1,459km2, of which approximately 300km2 are on land. The national park consists of shallow waters, tidal flats, sand banks, barrier islands, tidal channels, sand dunes, marshland areas and salt meadows. It extends across four municipalities. Tønder, Esbjerg, Fanø and Varde.
Why is the Wadden Sea a Danish national park?
The Wadden Sea is a unique salt marsh and tidal flat area of international significance. The area is characterised by an ever-changing natural environment due to tidal waters and waves transforming the landscape every single day. The tidal waters are home to an enormous production of worms, snails, mussels and crustaceans in the tidal flats which drain about two times a day. This is crucial for the millions of migratory birds that each spring and autumn descend on the Wadden Sea to eat and rest on their journey. The salt marsh is an important feeding ground, especially for geese and ducks. The Wadden Sea also plays an important role as a breeding ground for birds and seals, and it is a growing site for fish. Besides being the natural habitat of many animal species and plants, the Wadden Sea has an exciting cultural heritage of land reclamation and seawall construction. All of these treasures explain why the Wadden Sea was designated as a national park in 2010.
The Wadden Sea is both a national park and a World Heritage Site.
In 2014, UNESCO designated about 80% of the Wadden Sea National Park as a World Heritage Site because of the area's outstanding universal value. This means that the Wadden Sea tidal flats stretching along the coasts of Denmark, Germany and Holland are a World Heritage Site.