Sunday, April 07, 2013

Greetsiel - Ostfriesland - The Harbour


Hanna sent me this beautiful card of Greetsiel which  is a small port on the bight of Leybucht in western East Frisia, Germany that was first documented in letters from the year 1388. Since 1972, Greetsiel has been part of the municipality of Krummhörn, which has its administrative seat in Pewsum. The nearest railway station is at Emden, about 15–20 kilometres (9.3–12 mi) away, and the two towns are linked by a bus service.
Although originally just a small but picturesque fishing village, Greetsiel has become a major tourist attraction. In December 2006, it had 1,534 inhabitants, but the number of people living in the village significantly increases during the summer months and over the Christmas holidays.
Greetsiel's harbor is home to East Frisia's largest fishing fleet. Around 25 cutters have at times anchored here. Shellfish fishers, excursion boats, Dutch Tjalken and a sailboat harbor complete the picture.
The harbor itself is not affected by tides. By means of a lock on the Leyhörn, which was built at the beginning of the 1990s, ebb and flow have lost their effect.
In the past, ships that came from the inland used the sluiceway to enter upon open sea. Traffic from Greetsiel to the islands was very busy.