Sylt has many faces. I explored a few of them: Keitum, Hörnum, List. Charming houses, rolling dunes, a touch of beach life. It’s all here.

Keitum is straight out of a postcard. Thatched-roof houses, well-kept gardens, and St. Severin’s Church, standing strong against the elements since the 11th century. In Hörnum, the dunes take center stage—grassy sand hills shaped by the wind, sometimes gentle, sometimes rugged. Somewhere, a seagull cries. Then comes List, Germany’s northernmost town. The beach stretches endlessly, the sea is rough, the wind relentless. Kitesurfers soar above the waves, their colorful sails dancing in the sky.

Sylt has a reputation—chic, expensive, exclusive. Maybe that’s true. But between the dunes, with sand in your shoes and wind in your hair, Sylt is simply a breathtakingly beautiful island.