Sort Sol break at Hostrups Hotel
1 night: Stay in the heart of the largest town in the marshes at Tøndermarsken. Hostrups Hotel in Tønder has recently been refurbished and features lovely rooms and a fantastic view of the millpond at Mølledammen.
A guided tour to see the spectacular flocks of starlings dancing in the sky – known locally as Sort Sol, or Black Sun – is included in your stay.
Sort Sol as a natural phenomenon is difficult to describe – it really has to be experienced! The phenomenon occurs as thousands and thousands of starlings gather in the marshes to feed on crane fly and chafer grubs in preparation for the long migration either north or south. The starlings spend the night in the reeds in the marshes and the spectacular patterns in the sky occur when birds of prey such as goshawks, hen harriers and peregrine falcons begin to attack the flocks just as they are settling down for the night.
Included in this stay is a guided tour with the firm Sort Safari. Sort Safari’s professional nature guides have many years of experience from Tøndermarsken and spend the daylight hours prior to the guided tours observing the flocks of starlings, thereby ensuring that participants on the evening tours have the best possible experience.
Since the phenomenon involves wildlife, then of course there’s no guarantee that the starlings will gather in the exact spot expected by the guides, although it’s extremely rare that participants don’t experience some sort of display of “dancing” in the sky.
You’ll be staying overnight at Hostrups Hotel in the centre of Tønder. The hotel is newly refurbished and consists of lovely rooms and an exciting restaurant. If you wish to eat dinner at the hotel, we recommend that you phone the hotel in advance or book a time to eat when checking in.
The guided tour is on the day of arrival. The meeting point and the time of the guided tour are stated in the voucher that you receive by email once you’ve paid for your stay. Remember warm clothing and your passport in the event that the starlings end up crossing the border.
Included in your stay:
Overnight accommodation in single or double room at Hostrups Hotel
Breakfast at the hotel
Ticket for guided tour with Sort Safari