Holiday apartment in Terschelling: Nature, World Heritage and island routes

Terschelling has a diverse natural landscape with extensive beaches and dunes as well as forests, heathlands and polders. The landscape can be experienced in quick succession by bicycle: on Terschelling, it takes about 15 minutes to get from the forest to the dunes and from the heathland to the beach.

Nature

The Wadden Sea, the salt marshes of Boschplaat and the extensive Noordsvaarder are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boschplaat on the eastern side of Terschelling is designated as a European nature reserve. Thousands of birds breed there every year; in spring and autumn, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds use the area as a resting place. Boschplaat is closed during the breeding season, but can be explored by horse-drawn carriage.

There are 70 kilometres of cycle paths and 200 kilometres of unpaved walking paths for routes through this landscape. The Terschelling Boschplaat route follows a walking and cycling path from the bicycle rack near marker 19, below the shifting dunes, to the end of Boschplaat. Another cycling route leads from the cycle path near De Walvis past the Noordsvaarder, through dunes and forest towards the North Sea beach at West aan Zee.

Things to do

The Bunker Route along the Atlantic Wall is a 7-kilometre walking route, partly also suitable for cycling, to bunkers in the dunes, bomb craters in the forest, and former radar installations and observation posts. It passes the Bunkermuseum de Tigerstelling in West-Terschelling. The Art and Monuments Route is a 38-kilometre cycling route to statues, memorials and works of art in the landscape of Terschelling. It starts at the harbour of West-Terschelling and takes you through the island’s history, culture and creativity.

The Red Gold Route is a 33-kilometre cycling route through dunes, forests and heathlands where cranberries have been growing since 1868. It passes cranberry fields, old cranberry sheds and information points about the cultivation, harvesting and processing of this typical island berry. Terschelling also has more than 100 kilometres of bridleways through heathland, forest, dunes and polders, as well as along the beach. There are also suitable spots for kitesurfing, surfing, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding.

The De Dôbe family swimming pool is located in the forest of West-Terschelling and offers, among other things, a slide, a whirlpool and the Lytse Dôbe children’s pool.

Culture and history

The Oerol Festival takes place on Terschelling every June and combines site-specific theatre, street theatre, music, visual art, storytelling and talks for around ten days. On Terschelling, the festival stretches from east to west and from the dike to the beach.

The Brandaris is the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands still in operation and acquired its present form in 1594. It is staffed around the clock and serves as the maritime traffic control centre for the entire Wadden area. The Tonnenloods is located in the harbour of West-Terschelling, directly on the Wadden Sea. It is an experience centre for nature, culture and the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea, and is about a five-minute walk from the ferry arrival terminal.

The ’t Behouden Huys Museum tells stories about Anthon van Rappard, his friendship with Vincent van Gogh, the sinking of the Lutine and Willem Barentsz’s expedition to Nova Zembla. Since the 1990s, it has housed two original nails and several pieces of wood.

Food and drink

The Terschelling culinary cycling tour offers opportunities to pick fruit in late summer or autumn and to taste oysters in the Wadden Sea. During this culinary cycling tour, the cranberry harvest is opened to the public in October.

Geographical context

The island of Terschelling is located in the vicinity of the Municipality of Terschelling. Noordoosthoek is a beach in the wider regional surroundings of Terschelling.

Other places

Other places and pages: West-Terschelling, Lies, Midsland, Hoorn Terschelling, Baaiduinen, Formerum, Oosterend Terschelling, Terschelling, Kinnum.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Friesland.