Greetsiel is a popular harbour at the German North Sea coast located at the mouth of the river Ems. Looking over the river one can catch a glimpse of the Dutch coast to the west. Besides shrimp fishing the major source of income today is tourism. During summer it may become crowded here. I took the chance to visit this location in November – totally off season. Mostly the sky was grey but there were blue days too.
The entrance to Greetsiel is tide free so it harbours the biggest German shrimp fishing fleet.
Land was reclaimed by draining the coastland through sluices and locks which opened or closed dependent on the tide. Pumping stations supported drainage especially during low tides. Some decades ago plans of further land reclamation were abandoned and the territory partially has been restored.
The so called twin mills are a well known relic of the time when polders were built to reclaim land. It’s the same technique used in the Netherlands.
The houses directly at the harbour display the wealth of the people whose source of income were fishing and trading.
Walking the waterfront one can discover details and decorative elements at roof ridges providing insight to the house owner’s profession.
Elaborate skylights and reliefs decorate historic facades.
Dyke building always has been a matter of life or death living at the coast.
Pilsum lighthouse – out of duty for more than hundred years now – once lead the way into the river Ems. It became obsolete when the sands moved.
Leysiel lock provides the entrance to Greetsiel harbour sheltered behind the dyke.
