Sylt

Westerland's official dog beach, at the northern end of the main town near the Nordseeklinik, gives a wide stretch of sand where dogs are at home. In peak season (about 15 March to 31 October) a leash is required; from 1 November to 14 March dogs run free on most of the island's beaches.

Kampen's red cliff, a roughly thirty-metre wall of ochre-red moraine running for about four kilometres along the west coast, is Sylt's signature natural landmark. The clifftop path and the beach below are both walked with a leashed dog, at their best in the low light of morning or evening.

One of Sylt's largest heathlands, between Kampen and Braderup above the Wadden Sea, criss-crossed by wooden boardwalks. Heather turns it purple in late August and September. It is a protected nature reserve: a leash is required all year to protect ground-nesting birds.

The wild dune peninsula at the island's northern tip, the northernmost point of Germany, with two lighthouses and a long, almost deserted beach. A breathtaking landscape for a walk, but sheep graze freely and birds nest here: the dog stays leashed everywhere, all year.

The green heart of Sylt, a village of thatched Frisian captains' houses tucked among old trees on the sheltered east coast. Its lanes, gardens and the low path along the Wadden Sea make a gentle walk with a leashed dog, ideal in rough weather when the open beaches are too exposed.

The Wadden Sea tidal flats, a UNESCO World Heritage site, an ever-changing tidal landscape on the island's east side. Guided walks (Wattwanderungen) set off from Hörnum; some accept leashed dogs. Protected area: a lead is required at all times and you must keep away from the birds; never venture onto the flats without a guide.