Westerheversand Lighthouse in Westerhever, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Red and white on the horizon. Westerheversand Lighthouse, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Rising above the salt marshes along Germany's North Sea coast, Westerheversand Lighthouse is instantly recognisable for its distinctive red-and-white stripes. Built between 1906 and 1908 on 127 heavy wooden piles driven into the sand, the 40-metre cast-iron tower has stood on the Eiderstedt Peninsula for more than a century, guiding ships through the North Sea. Two identical white keeper's cottages flank the beacon, adding to its storybook appearance.

The lighthouse stands within Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wadden Sea. Reached by a 2.5-kilometre trail across the salt marshes, it offers sweeping views of tidal flats and a landscape constantly reshaped by the ebb and flow of the sea. Visitors can climb its 157 steps, while one of the former keeper's cottages now serves as a registry office for weddings.

Automated in 1978, the lighthouse no longer needs resident keepers, but it remains a striking symbol of Germany's North Sea coast and its ever-changing tidal landscape.