Operator
Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei
The W.D.R. carries the region's year-round service - twelve of the 56 North Frisian routes are theirs, and all of them run in winter too
- Based in Wyk auf Föhr since 1885: Dagebüll to Föhr and Amrum, plus Föhr-Amrum
- Around 1.8 million passengers and 280,000 cars in 2025
- Double-ended ferries that carry vehicles, bicycles and freight
The company and its routes
Table of Contents
Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr-Amrum, the W.D.R. for short, was founded in 1885 and is based in Wyk auf Föhr. For North Frisia it is the operation most things depend on in winter: of the region's 56 directional routes 14 run all year, and twelve of them are theirs.
What the W.D.R. runs
The core is the Föhr-Amrum line from Dagebüll, serving Wyk on Föhr and Wittdün on Amrum. To Föhr it is the busiest connection in the region, up to twelve sailings a day in high season.
What each route offers in crossing time and frequency is on the Föhr and Amrum pages.
The hallig line from Schlüttsiel
The second pillar is the supply link for the halligen. From Schlüttsiel the MS Hilligenlei calls at Hooge and Langeneß in sequence, two departures per operating day, all year round. In the winter half-year it drops Mondays and Wednesdays.
Fleet
The company mostly runs double-ended ferries that do not have to turn at the berth: the Uthlande of 2010, the Schleswig-Holstein of 2011 and the Norderaue of 2018, alongside the Nordfriesland of 1995 and the Hilligenlei of 2002. The ships carry passengers, vehicles, bicycles and freight. The catamaran Adler Rüm Hart has been chartered to Adler-Schiffe since 2019 for the fast passenger link between Föhr, Amrum and Dagebüll.
Ownership and scale
The W.D.R. is a limited company with around 315 shareholders. The largest stakes are held by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia with about 39 per cent and the town of Wyk auf Föhr with about 32 per cent. In 2025 the company carried around 1.8 million passengers, 280,000 cars and 30,000 lorries. By its own account it works without public subsidies, even though supplying the Halligen is an infrastructure task.
FAQ
Common questions about the W.D.R.
Which routes does the W.D.R. operate? +
Year-round Dagebüll to Föhr, Dagebüll to Amrum and Föhr to Amrum. Plus the hallig line from Schlüttsiel to Hooge and Langeneß, which also runs all year.
Does the W.D.R. sail in winter? +
Yes, on every one of its routes - the seasonal Adler-Schiffe connections end in early November. On the hallig line the winter timetable thins out: the MS Hilligenlei stays in port on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Can I take my car on the ferry? +
W.D.R. ships carry vehicles, bicycles and freight. Föhr and Amrum do have their own access rules, and booking early is advisable in high season.
Who owns the Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei? +
It has around 315 shareholders. The largest stakes are held by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia with about 39 per cent and the town of Wyk auf Föhr with about 32 per cent.
Why does the catamaran sail under the Adler name? +
The W.D.R. has chartered its catamaran to Adler-Schiffe, which runs it as a fast passenger link between Föhr, Amrum and Dagebüll.