Wadden Sea coast, near Moddergat, Friesland, Netherlands
© Ron ter Burg/Minden Pictures
Mud, sea, and sky
If you've ever dreamed of walking on water, or something close to it, the Wadden Sea is the place for you. Tracing over 300 miles along the coast of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a unique landscape of tidal flats and wetlands. In fact, it is the world's largest unbroken intertidal zone—underwater at high tide and exposed at low tide—of sand and mud flats. The area is also a playground for aquatic species such as houting fish, brown trout, and white-beaked dolphins, and is home to birds like waders and herons.
Pictured here is the Wadden Sea coast in Friesland, Netherlands. This coast is dotted with charming fishing villages and medieval churches. Mudflat hiking is a recreational pastime here—the Dutch call it wadlopen. As the tide recedes, mud-trampers can walk across the seabed, squishing through the mud and wading through shallow waters. Whether you're up for a wadlopen challenge or a seal-spotting safari, there's plenty of adventure to be found here. Just don't forget your boots—things are bound to get a little messy!