Keitum, Germany

There aren't many fishermen or farmers left in east-coast KEITUM, but ostentatious displays of wealth here have not yet reached the gung-ho levels of Kampen. The most photogenic village in Sylt, Keitum is a sleepy knot of lanes canopied by beech and chestnut trees. Once the island's leading settlement thanks to a sheltered location, it has a streetscape of traditional reed-thatched houses, most with the single high gable characteristic of Frisian architecture. A whaler built the eighteenth-century residence that houses the Sylter Heimatmuseum (Easter– Oct Mon– Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm; € 3.50) with modest exhibits of folk culture and island archeology, plus works by local artist Magnus Weidemann. Nearby Altfriesiches Haus (same times & price) allows a nose around a reassembled early nineteenth-century house, a typical North Frisian example of Delft-style tiles and painted doors. The church of St Severin, Sylt's ecclesiastical highlight, founded on a tiny Romanesque chapel constructed of pink granite, is a fifteen-minute walk down the same lane. It hosts chamber music concerts in summer, usually on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.