Roll out the Bossel: Active holidays in Sylt

The small island of Sylt is nestled close to the Danish border, off Germany's North Sea coast, and provides the non-German visitor with several unforeseen delights, the first of which is Bosseling, a game that immediately reveals the true fun-loving nature of the locals.

Two teams assemble at the start of an agreed cross-country route and take turns casting their wooden ball, golf-style, to the finish line in the least number of throws.

Meanwhile, players are expected to indulge in regular 'target water' breaks, which means a beer or something stronger every 20 minutes - even if (or especially when) you have not shaken off the previous night's excesses.

Should the ball cross a road, traffic will give priority to the Bosseler, as Bosseling leagues are taken seriously throughout the North Frisan region.

Sylt is renowned among Germans for its fresh air and bracing wind. Indeed, locals regard the wind stopping as a bad omen. But the hardier traveller will be rewarded by the breathtaking beach that stretches all the way up the west coast, patched with unreal clusters of Strandkörbe (delightful giant wicker baskets made in the region).

The landscape - a mixture of flat meadows, pinewoods and high dunes mottled with heather and wild flowers - is easy to enjoy using the abundance of cycle paths which lead to cute thatched villages.

When you have worked up an appetite, try the Sansibar for some incredible turbot. Moneyed German holidaymakers rave about this place, and with good reason: the food is sublime and below lies a 30,000-strong wine cellar. The price is reasonable, however, and a main course will set you back around €14.

Also, try the Gosch for a more rugged experience of the local seafood. Here, at a restaurant in the small northern port of List, you choose your seafood and watch a chef prepare it to your liking, while kitsch sailor mannequins perch in the beams above.

Sylt is the primary German source of oysters and, if you are interested, it is worth a look at Dittmeyer's Austern Compagnie just down the road.

Lastly, the homely Alte Friesenstube - the oldest house on the island - serves up honest local-style fare such as steak and fish.

If you still have the energy, hit Westerland at night, home to three clubs and several bars - including the inevitable Irish one - or try Kampen, which has some of the island's classier watering holes.

For families, the DorfHotel is a winner. From £55 per night for adults, it has a luxurious sauna/steamroom/plunge pool complex and a decent size pool, as well as a good restaurant and an area for the kids to play. Children under six stay free.

Air Berlin flies from Stansted to either Dusseldorf or Berlin, from where it is a less than an hour to Sylt's Westerland Airport. Prices start from £90 return, including taxes and charges.

For more details visit the official Sylt tourist board website and www.germany-tourism.co.uk.

Zac Fine