Frisian Islands

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Amsterdam

$21.99

Shop Book

view of the Ameland Lighthouse, known as Bornrif, is a lighthouse on the Dutch island Ameland, one of the Frisian Islands, on the edge of the North Sea, The Netherlands

©Melanie Lemahieu/Shutterstock

Overview

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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Lighthouse

Frisian Islands

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…

Huge luna-fish (mola-mola or ocean sunfish) in dark underwater environment.; Shutterstock ID 10937248

Natuurcentrum Ameland

Frisian Islands

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

Frisian Islands

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

Frisian Islands

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

Frisian Islands

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

Frisian Islands

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…

View more attractions