Langeoog

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Langeoog


Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Wittmund
Population	2,028 (2005)
Area	19.67 km²
Population density	103 /km²
Elevation	0-20 m
Coordinates	53°45′ N 07°29′ E
Postal code	26465
Area code	04972
Licence plate code	WTM
Mayor	Hans Janssen
Website	langeoog.de

Langeoog is one of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands at the edge of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea in the southern North Sea, located between Baltrum Island (west), and Spiekeroog (east). It is also a municipality in the district of Wittmund in Lower Saxony in Germany. The name 'Langeoog' means 'Long Island' in the Low German dialect.

Langeoog's beach is 14 km long. Langeoog's actual size depends on the level of tide, which sinks and falls about 2.5 m in 6 hours.

1 Traffic
2 Famous Person
3 Landmarks
4 Storm Tides
5 Fresh water, where salt water is all around
6 Tourism
7 External links

[edit] Traffic

Ferry Langeoog IV in the morning

Langeoog can be reached from Bensersiel port on the East Frisian mainland by the ferries of the Langeoog Shipping Company Langeoog I, Langeoog II, Langeoog III and Langeoog IV. Langeoog ferries' schedule does not depend on the tide, which is unusual among East Frisian ferries.
The port and the town are linked by a railway.

Langeoog also has an airport.

Only the fire department and ambulance service have standard motorised vehicles. The policemen and doctors get about on bicycles. Some companies (construction, drink delivery, post office...) have electric cars. The post office and the shipping company have each one electric car.

If you do not want to walk you can rent a bike or take a horse carriage taxi.

[edit] Famous Person

The singer of the Song Lili Marleen, which was famous during World War II, Lale Andersen lived here for several years. Although she died in Vienna she is buried on the island's dune cemetery.

[edit] Landmarks

Langeoog's water tower.
The tower of the catholic church.
The tower of the protestant church.
The Melkhörndüne - This was once East Frisia's highest natural elevation and as such a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the thousands of visitors every year walking to the top of it had shifted the sand and the dune was "demoted" as the highest point, which is now the "White Dune" situated on the neigbouring island of Spiekeroog.
The "Seenotbeobachtungsstelle" - the watch tower of the lifeboat service.

[edit] Storm Tides

In 1717 Langeoog was cut in three parts by the Christmas storm tide.

[edit] Fresh water, where salt water is all around

Langeoog is - seen with the geologist's eye - nothing but sand. Rain water which drips into the sand has a lower density than saltwater, which makes a kind of fresh water bubble float over the saltwater around and deep under the island.

The beach and the dunes are eroded by the sea in the western part of the Island. In the last 50 years Langeoogs western end has moved several hundred meters to the east. Things like this happen on every East Frisian island - some islands moved so far that the town had to be rebuilt several times. Every island except Juist and Langeoog have big concrete groynes at their western end.

[edit] Tourism

Tourism is the main source of income for Langeoog's economy. In almost all the buildings on the island are guestrooms. There are also several hotels. The youth hostel can be found several kilometers outside the town.

The island is popular for people having respiratory complaints because of the unpolluted air.