The coat of arms with its golden grain, the church tower and the information boards at the pumping station show three sides of Kronprinzenkoog: agriculture, cultural history and water management. When planning your visit, you can choose whether to focus mainly on exploring the marshland, learning more about the history at the church or visiting the technical installation at Steertloch.
Marshland and the History of the Polder
Kronprinzenkoog is a marshland polder, shaped by fields of wheat, sugar beets and cabbage, as well as meadows, pastures and wide-open fields. This landscape is considered a peaceful recreational area in the marshlands of Dithmarschen. The village is also located within an area regarded as Europe’s largest contiguous cabbage-growing region.
The Kronprinzenkoog was embanked between 1785 and 1787 at public expense. The polder was named after Frederick VI, who was then Crown Prince and later became King of Denmark. Its coat of arms depicts a sower scattering golden grain. The motif represents the fertile marsh soil and agricultural work. In this way, the history of the embankment and the agricultural character of the polder come together in the coat of arms.
Church and Maritime Memorial
The Koogskirche is the only protected building in Kronprinzenkoog. Its western tower is 40 metres tall. The church is considered suitable for visits in all weather, by both groups and individual visitors. Check whether it is open before your visit.
In the cemetery next to the church stands a stele created in 1866 by Marne sculptor Adolf MĂĽllenhoff in memory of the Schleswig-Holstein Navy. Its inscription records that Schleswig-Holstein gunboat number eight capsized off the Elbe on 9 November 1850. The memorial commemorates the deaths of all 47 crew members and the pilot; 31 of the victims are buried in the cemetery. The memorial site thus links an event from 1850 with a stele created in 1866.
Steertloch Pumping Station and Coastal Protection
Outdoor information boards at the Steertloch pumping station explain the facility’s function, as well as coastal protection, climate change and water management. In 2018, the pumping station was converted from an outer-dike sluice into a pumping station. Its total pumping capacity is 10.8 cubic metres per second. The conversion of the Sommerkoog-Steertloch sluice into a pumping station was intended to safeguard inland drainage in the face of rapid morphological changes in Meldorfer Bucht.
The pumping station can be reached on foot or by bicycle and is located on the North Sea Cycle Route. If you are travelling by vehicle, check the current access conditions in advance, as restrictions may change. This allows you to combine a visit to the technical structure with a look at the topics explained on the boards.
Exploring by Bicycle
Another option is the 54.01-kilometre Seehundroute (Seal Route). This is a moderately challenging themed circular route with panoramic views. Kronprinzenkoog Church is one of the route’s named waypoints. The length, circular layout and difficulty level give you concrete points of reference when planning a cycling tour for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Hemmingstedt, Schafstedt, Marne, Norddeich, SĂĽderdorf, Osterrade, OffenbĂĽttel, Oesterdeichstrich
See the full travel overview: Dithmarschen.
