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North Sea

The North Sea is Europe's most important shipping lane and major fishing area. As Germanys only outlet to the Atlantic ocian it has been of strategic importance.

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All Content on this topic

A dike at Germany's North Sea coast is being overhauled

Germany's North Sea coast at risk from rising sea levels

In East Frisia, a region on Germany's North Sea coast, floods and high water levels are part of everyday life.
ClimateSeptember 25, 202402:35 min
A Sikorsky S-92A helicopter operated by Bristow Norway

North Sea helicopter crash: 1 dead, 5 injured

A helicopter on a search and rescue exercise has crashed off the coast of Norway, causing one death.
CatastropheFebruary 29, 2024
The New Town Hall in Hannover, Germany, overlooking a still body of water surrounded by trees

10 reasons to love Lower Saxony

From the North Sea mudflats to the Weser Uplands hills, the northern state of Lower Saxony has so much variety.
TravelFebruary 8, 202410 images
Meeresalgen als Nahrungsmittel geeignet

The push to grow seaweed on a large scale in Europe

Algae are versatile and can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But space is getting tight along coastlines.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 18, 202303:41 min
A dog stands on a beach, wind blowing its ears over its head

Storm Ciaran blasts North Sea, Baltic coasts

Storm Ciaran has caused chaos in many places, with wind speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 3, 20236 images
Waves pictured crashing a wall in northwestern France

Storm Ciaran: Record winds cause deaths in western Europe

Ciaran has already caused five deaths, knocked out power in northwestern France and caused some flight cancellations.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 2, 2023
The freighter "Verity" off Kiel.

Germany: North Sea ship collision leaves 5 dead

Two cargo ships collided in rough weather near the small German North Sea island of Helgoland.
CatastropheOctober 25, 2023
An oil rig on the Scottish coast

UK approves controversial North Sea oil and gas production

The approval goes against recommendations made by scientists and the UN to limit fossil fuel use.
ClimateSeptember 27, 2023
Onlookers watch as a tugboat tows the Fremantle Highway cargo ship

Netherlands tows burnt-out car freighter to port

After several days of continued burning in the North Sea, the Fremantle Highway has been towed to port.
Cars and TransportationAugust 3, 2023
A large white cargo ship in the water. It has a lot of holes in the side and white smoke is billowing out of it.

Q&A: Fire on board the Fremantle Highway ship

DW provides some key questions and answers about the freighter that caught fire off the coast of the Netherlands.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 30, 2023
Smoke eminates from the Fremantle Highway cargo ship off the Dutch coast.

Burning cargo ship threatens North Sea with major pollution

Rescue workers are trying to prevent a cargo ship off the Dutch coast from sinking, a potential environmental disaster.
CatastropheJuly 27, 20238 images
Wind turbines in the North Sea

European leaders meet for North Sea green energy talks

European leaders including Germany's Olaf Scholz are to discuss scaling up wind energy generation in the North Sea.
PoliticsApril 24, 2023
04.2016 Check-in (Sendungslogo)

Three tips for a holiday in Germany

From the North Sea to Bavaria, Nicole Frölich shows us her favorite spots.
CultureApril 22, 202326:06 min
04.2016 Check-in (Sendungslogo)

Heligoland, islands in the North Sea

Lukas Stege went exploring in the Heligoland archipelago.
CultureApril 8, 202326:06 min
Clean-up crews work to contain an oil spill from a pipeline in the Kiel Canal in northern Germany

Germany: Oil spill shuts down key shipping lane

The Kiel Canal, a vital shipping route linking the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, came to a halt following an oil spill.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 23, 2022
A single house on a mound in a meadow with cows grazing on the Hallig island of Hooge

Why Germany's Hallig islands are unique

In Germany, there are 10 islands that flood during storms — leaving the houses high and dry.
TravelNovember 3, 202212 images
British Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks at Parliament

Truss introduces energy plan, ends fracking ban

British Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced a package aimed at mitigating energy costs.
PoliticsSeptember 8, 2022
On the Green Fence 210311 Podcast Picture Teaser

The Rhine as a symbol of identity

The Rhine has played a key role in shaping Germany and Europe. But just what makes this river so special?
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 2, 202234:54 min
DW Sendung Euromaxx | Strandkorb

Sleeping by the sea: a night in a beach chair

Along the Northern German coasts, spending the night on the beach is possible - with a beach chair.
LifestyleJuly 9, 202203:33 min
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Summer, sun, Sylt

Go to the beach, bike around, or ride some waves: This German North Sea island is a tourist magnet.
LifestyleJuly 4, 202205:35 min
Wyk auf Föhr in der Nordsee

Exploding property prices on Föhr

Outside of tourist season, Föhr is practically empty. Locals struggle to afford housing prices.
TravelJune 5, 202203:39 min
Gunter Sachs / Brigitte Bardot

When the celebrities discovered Sylt

In the late 1960s, celebrities came to Sylt in the wake of wealthy playboy Gunter Sachs.
TravelJune 4, 202202:31 min
An aerial picture of the North Sea island of Borkum.

Netherlands greenlights gas production with Germany

European countries are scrambling to find alternative sources of natural gas.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 2, 2022
A view from below of a brick wall and a window, with a large crack running from top to bottom

Europe and the hunt for gas

As Europe looks to drill for more gas in the North Sea, locals fear earthquakes and landslides.
BusinessMay 24, 202205:22 min
MADE Disruption Design

Global Crisis: War and the Environment

New ideas needed: the Ukraine war and climate change are affecting our lives and how we do business.
BusinessMay 24, 202226:06 min
Luftaufnahme Borkum ostfriesische Insel

North Sea drilling plan raises concerns

Driven by the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Germany is giving the green light for drilling in the North Sea.
BusinessMay 23, 202202:39 min
Deutsche Bucht is an offshore wind project in the German North Sea that produces enough energy to power 328,000 homes

4 EU countries pledge tenfold rise in wind power

Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark plan to build 150 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea.
ClimateMay 18, 2022

Fresh hurricane-force winds hit Germany

The third storm in a week hit northern Europe on Sunday night, canceling rail services and diverting flights.
CatastropheFebruary 21, 2022
The IJmuiden sea lock

Netherlands unveils 'world's-largest' canal lock

The infrastructure project went nearly three years over time and €300 million over budget.
TradeJanuary 26, 2022
A woman riding a draft horse on the beach

Belgium's first female horseback shrimper

Nele Bekaert is keeping a 500-year-old Belgian tradition alive, riding a draft horse to catch shrimp.
LifestyleJanuary 8, 202204:32 min
DW Bilder aus der Sendung Eco India Hochwasserschutz in den Niederlanden

Flood protection in the Netherlands

Dutch farmers have made sacrifices to fend off flooding on their own land and in their region.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 18, 202104:24 min
DW Close Up Program Guide Sendungslogo

Disappearing beaches - The trouble with sand

Around the world, beaches are under threat. Severe storms and sea levels are rising.
ClimateNovember 9, 202128:31 min
09.2015 Best of Bundesländer Teaser Bremen

Germany's 16 states: Bremen

The city-state of Bremen in northern Germany displays maritime flair and Hanseatic history.
TravelOctober 13, 2021
04.2016 Check-in (Sendungslogo)

The Wadden Sea

Barefoot in the mud: DW presenter Nicole Frölich visits the Wadden Sea.
CultureAugust 28, 202126:04 min
DW Euromaxx (Sendunglogo)

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

Feminist fashion by Maria Grazia Chiuri, art along Belgium’s coast and robotic pizza bakers.
CultureAugust 14, 202126:01 min
Euromaxx Beaufort 21 Triennale, Belgien

Art on the coast in Belgium

21 international artists show their creations along the Belgian coast.
ArtsAugust 14, 202104:15 min
Hochwasserschutz in den Niederlanden

Flood protection in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, successful flood protection is something for which residents pay a high price.
SocietyAugust 6, 202104:25 min
external

Sylt – A stunning island in the North Sea 

Biking, swimming, surfing – Sylt has plenty to offer nature lovers and active vacationers.   And did you know that Germany’s only migrating sand dunes can be found there?    
TravelJuly 22, 202115:32 min
DW Euromaxx (Sendungslogo)

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

Belgium’s first female horseback shrimper, Mallorca’s history on a plate, and working in paradise.
LifestyleJune 5, 202126:01 min
Euromaxx 02. Juni 2021

Belgium’s first female horseback shrimper

Nele Bekaert is keeping a Belgian tradition alive. She rides a draft horse to catch shrimp.
LifestyleJune 5, 202104:33 min
Germany, people wearing face masks on a pier in North Fresia

Travel with reservations

Germany has started experimenting with a tourism test region in North Frisia — under strict stipulations.
TravelMay 6, 2021
04.2016 Check-in (Sendungslogo)

Sylt – Vacationing on a North Sea island

An encounter with sea and sand, luxury and Frisian comforts
CultureMarch 10, 202125:54 min
Sylt Abwanderung Friesenhaus

A brief portrait of the island of Sylt

The sights on the North Sea island between the mudflats and the west beach.
TravelFebruary 27, 202102:42 min
Euromaxx Robben

Cute but dangerous: grey seals on Helgoland

Winter visitors to Helgoland are treated to a natural spectacle: grey seals and their new-born pups.
LifestyleJanuary 22, 202104:21 min
external

A bad catch for Europe's fishermen

Even before the first post-Brexit catch, German fishermen are disillusioned and uncertain with the new EU-UK trade deal.
BusinessJanuary 1, 202102:24 min
A massive wave dwarfs a lighthouse during a ocean storm

Doggerland: How did the North Sea's Atlantis sink?

Sediment analysis shows that Doggerland was not fully submerged until centuries after a massive tsunami 8,200 years ago.
ScienceDecember 23, 2020
ZDF-Serie Sløborn

'Sløborn': Series blurs pandemic fantasy and reality

Part of the disaster subgenre, "Sløborn" sees a sudden pandemic hold a North Sea island community captive. Good timing?
CultureJuly 28, 2020
04.2016 Check-in (Sendungslogo)

Between the North and the Baltic Sea

We go exploring in the Wadden Sea, the Baltic Sea inlet known as the Schlei and on the island of Heligoland.
CultureJuly 18, 202026:06 min
euromaxx 27.06.2020 / KW 26 | Thumbnail

Euromaxx - Lifestyle Europe

Bassins de Lumières; nights in a canopied chair on the beach; and fine dining in a former chapel.
LifestyleJune 29, 202026:06 min
Euromaxx 27.06.2020 / KW 26 | Schlafstrandkorb

A night under the stars in a beach chair

A brief vacation on a beach under the stars with the waves lulling you to sleep can be delightful.
LifestyleJune 27, 202003:31 min