For over a century, the red and white striped lighthouse has shown ships the right way.
Today, Hörnum's landmark is a special eye-catcher and the only lighthouse on Sylt that can be visited.
19
Shining for miles
33
meters high
128
Steps to the viewing platform
576
Guided tours annually
The Hörnum Lighthouse
The landmark of the south of the island
Lighthouse tours
On one of the regularly offered tours, you can climb the lighthouse and enjoy a magnificent view of the islands and Hallig islands of North Frisia from the lofty gallery. Since the lighthouse tour is one of the island's most popular highlights, tickets always sell out quickly.
All information at a glance:
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Unfortunately, there are no more tickets available for this year. Tours for 2026 can be booked here from the end of March.
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From April to October every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
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Each at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00
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Adults: 6,00 Euro / Ticket per child (up to 13 years): 3,00 Euro
Children must be at least 8 years old to visit the lighthouse, ID may be required.
Bookable online only in Calendar of Events -
The meeting point is at the sign to the lighthouse to the left of the house "At the Dune 50" (in front of the hunter's fence, please do not go up to the lighthouse without the lighthouse guide!)
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Children under 8 years allowed for insurance reasons not take part in the lighthouse tourPlease note that pets are not permitted, and smoking and the consumption of food are prohibited during the tower tour.
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Please note that on the lighthouse grounds and in the tower itself, no sanitary facilities are located.
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Please note the Warnings about dizziness and the special Stress for pacemaker wearers.
The history of the Hörnum lighthouse
Construction of the lighthouse
The cast-iron tower was built on a dune in 1907 to mark the shipping lane between Sylt and the neighboring island of Amrum. It was put into operation on August 08, 1907.
Unusual classroom
A room in the tower, where a white ring can be seen in the exterior paint, once housed the Hörnum School. It was probably the smallest school in Germany, but it had a fantastic view.
Let there be light!
The lighthouse was not connected to the power grid until 1948 - previously, two single-cylinder heat engines provided the lighthouse with electricity.
No more lighthouse keeper
The light, which shines more than 50 kilometers out to sea from a height of almost 40 meters, has since been remotely controlled (as in the other Sylt lighthouses).
The plan
In 1905, a comprehensive plan to secure coastal shipping on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, costing approximately 1,3 million marks, was approved by the state parliament. Implementing it in extremely difficult terrain required a novel solution. Walter Körte, a leading figure in Prussian maritime navigation, opted for a series of three approximately 40-meter-high towers made of individual cast-iron elements. These were the Westerhever, Pellworm, and Hörnum towers.
THE PREPARATION
The Isselburg Ironworks was commissioned to manufacture them in 1906. Individual segmented plates measuring 80 cm x 90 cm and weighing between 80 and 100 kg were cast. By stacking these plates, known as "tubbings," it was possible to create round, tapered towers. The intermediate floors and stairs of the beacons were also made from cast iron parts. During the production of the more than 600 individual plates per tower, the tubbings were coated with graphite, which proved to be an optimal rust protection. The towers were assembled and tested on the Isselburg Ironworks premises for testing purposes, and then dismantled for transport.
THE CONSTRUCTION
The Hörnum lighthouse's intended location was the southern tip of the island of Sylt, on the so-called "White Dune," south of the "Blanken Tälchen" (blank valley). The foundation was built on the 17-meter-high dune with a 70-centimeter-thick, circular concrete slab. The tower shaft weighs approximately 92 tons. The lighthouse consists of a sheet steel structure with sheet steel cladding and a 1,5-millimeter-thick copper roof.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
Hörnum was a "modern" lighthouse, powered electrically from the very beginning. Two single-cylinder heat engines, each with 12 hp and connected dynamos, powered the lighthouse. Power was buffered by two storage batteries. The capacity of the batteries was calculated so that the total power demand was sufficient for a full, longest winter night of 17 hours. Hörnum was not connected to the electricity grid until 1948.
THE PRESENCE
The last lighthouse keeper in Hörnum (from 1960 to 1974) was Manfred Karwin. He left when the lighthouse was automated. Today, it is controlled and remotely monitored by the Waterways and Shipping Authority in Tönning. The Hörnum lighthouse has been a listed historical monument since 1994.
Interesting facts
Each cast iron element is marked with a letter. This is intended to ensure that no components are mixed up during assembly. The ring-shaped structure of the tower is labeled in alphabetical order from bottom to top.
The lighthouse consists of bolted cast iron elements. The supplier was the "Isselburger Hütte," an iron foundry that had manufactured other similar towers (Westhever, Pellworm) and held a monopoly on the production of Prussian mailboxes.
The lighthouse is located on the highest level. Today, the lighthouse is controlled from Tönning (approximately 100 km away), and a dedicated lighthouse keeper is no longer required. The power generator is on a separate floor.
