Cuxhaven Beach
Live Cam

This weather cam looks out over the beach at Duhnen, the seaside quarter of Cuxhaven where the River Elbe finally gives itself up to the North Sea. The view takes in the sand, the sea wall promenade and the wide grey-green flats beyond, a stretch of coast that changes character completely between high and low water.

Why Cuxhaven-Duhnen? Few beaches rearrange themselves as dramatically as this one. Duhnen sits on the edge of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage tidal landscape, so the water can retreat far enough to walk out across the mud and then return to lap at the promenade. Add the Elbe shipping lane just offshore and there is almost always something moving.

Cuxhaven Beach highlights: As you enjoy the live view, be sure to look out for:

• The tide turning: Watch the sea withdraw to expose glistening mudflats, then creep back in over the course of a few hours until the beach shrinks again.
• Ships on the Elbe: Container vessels and freighters bound for Hamburg slide across the horizon, looking improbably large against the low, flat coastline.
• Strandkorb season: In warmer months the hooded wicker beach chairs appear in rows on the sand, a very German signal that summer has properly arrived.

Beyond the Beach: Duhnen is one end of a long promenade walk toward Doese and central Cuxhaven, where the Kugelbake beacon marks the traditional boundary between river and sea. From the flats here, guided mudflat walks and horse-drawn wagons set out for the island of Neuwerk when the tide allows.

Thanks go to Kamp Hotels in Cuxhaven-Duhnen for keeping this weather camera pointed at the shoreline and sharing it freely. It is a genuine service to anyone planning a North Sea trip, and a quiet pleasure for everyone else watching from further inland.

Tune in at different hours to catch the same beach as two entirely different places, one broad and wet with mud, the other lapped by the returning North Sea.