Knipsand, Coastal sand formation in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Knipsand is a large sandbank off the western coast of Amrum Island with a width that varies from a few hundred meters to over a kilometer depending on the location. The surface is covered in fine, light sand and forms a natural barrier against North Sea waves.

The sandbank was first documented on maritime maps in 1585 with a different orientation than today. Over centuries, it has gradually shifted position, slowly moving around Amrum's northern tip.

The name comes from the Öömrang word kniap, "to pinch", said to refer to fine sand pinching bathers. In some sections holidaymakers build whimsical structures from driftwood, tolerated by the building authority and swept away by autumn storm floods; the artist Ottfried Schwarz rebuilt his "Panschos Burg" several times, and a version was shown with 200 sacks of Amrum sand in the courtyard of the Altonaer Museum in Hamburg. The first version was lost for good in 2017.

You can swim in several locations along the beach, with different areas designated for different uses. The tide significantly affects the waterline position and the amount of exposed sand, so timing your visit matters for the experience you want.

Until the mid-1960s a tidal channel still separated the sandbank from Amrum; it has since silted up as the sand migrated toward the Amrumer Odde. At Wittdün in the south, sand has built a new, broader wall that stays dry even at high water.