visit west frisian islands

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Frisian Islands

The crescent of islands over Friesland – Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog – form a unique natural entity and a distinct Dutch region. A natural barrier between the Frisian coast and the North Sea, they hem in the mudflats of the Waddenzee, a Unesco World Heritage site since 2009 and a hot spot for wadlopen (mudflat walking) with professional guides. Villages, polders and salt marshes fringe the islands along their Waddenzee shores, while swaths of beach and dunes lace the seaward side. Inland, expect ample forest and heath crisscrossed with hiking and cycling trails.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Ameland's iconic red-and-white banded lighthouse stands 55m tall on the island's west end. The only lighthouse in the island chain that is open to the…

Schiermonnikoog National Park

Schiermonnikoog

The entire island, except for its single town and surrounding polder, was designated the Netherlands' first national park in 1989. It's easy to lose…

Natuurcentrum Ameland

Just north of Nes village, this centre features an excellent seaquarium in which a number of North Sea species swim around, including manta rays,…

Bunker Museum

Hidden in woods east of West-Terschelling is an extraordinary subterranean network of 85 bunkers used as a military radar station during WWII…

Museum Tromp's Huys

Journey back in time to island life in the early 20th century at this tiny house-museum, inside the oldest building on Vlieland, dating to 1575. The…

Terschelling Museum 't Behouden Huys

Good for a rainy day, this small museum covers traditional Terschelling life and maritime history. It's named after the cabin on the Novaya Zemlya…

De Boschplaat

An extensive natural reserve at the eastern end of the island, De Boschplaat was a separate island until 1880, when the channel between the two silted up…

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Wildlife & Nature

Mar 14, 2018 • 4 min read

Big blazing skies, slivers of secluded white sand and little more noise than the faint melody of bird song, the Frisian Islands offer everything you could…

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