What to do and see on Ameland

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The beaches of Ameland are among the safest and cleanest there are. Of course you don’t just get a Blue Flag quality mark and a Quality Coast Award. The island is also known for its cosiness, the dune area ‘t Oerd and the many seals. And 40% of all plant species in the Netherlands are found on this 27-kilometre-long island.

Ameland is a municipality and one of the West Frisian Islands off the north coast of the Netherlands. Explore this island with our travel guide.

What to do and see on Ameland

Hollum and Ballum

The island has four attractive villages: Hollum, Ballum, Nes and Buren. Hollum is the largest village in Ameland and ended up in the top 5 of the ANWB election ‘The most beautiful village in the Netherlands’ in 2020. The Sorgdrager Cultural History Museum is located here in an 18th-century house where whalers used to live. For example, two large whale jaws and a harpoon cannon are on display here.

In the dunes near Hollum is the unmanned Bunker Museum, where you dive into the small kitchen bunker for the war stories of the island. The Atlantic wall, the anti-aircraft guns of Hollum, the emergency landing of a Messerschmitt on the beach and the liberation that only took place on June 3, 1945 – the defeated Germans could not leave the island! â€“ are just a few examples.

Lighthouse Bornrif from 1880, with 55 meters the highest of the Wadden Islands, is nearby. After 236 steps, an impressive view of the island awaits. Although authentic Ballum is the smallest village, it does house the island’s runway: Ameland Airport Ballum. The town hall of Ameland is also located in Ballum.

Nes and Buren

Nes has the most buzz thanks to the many shops, bars and restaurants. The village has no less than fifty monuments. On Saturday afternoons, in the corn mill De Phenix from 1880, you can see how rye is ground and crushed for the Amelander rye bread, the local delicacy. Buren is known for its island farms. The life of the Ameland farming population around 1900 is the theme of the Swartwoude Agricultural and Beachcombers Museum, which is housed in two old farms. More information about all museums on the island: amelandermusea.nl

Nature and sea

Beach walks are a favorite of many people. Nice to know that the three bathing beaches of Ameland (Hollum, Nes and Buren) have been allowed to carry the Blue Flag for decades, for a clean and safe beach. In 2020, Ameland also received the title of ‘Cleanest beach in the Netherlands’ and was rewarded with a Quality Coast Award. An international jury praised Ameland’s ambition to be a sustainable and self-sufficient island.

The Nature Center Ameland is located near Nes. In addition to a North Sea aquarium, the center offers a lot of information about birds of prey, seals and sperm whales. There are regular photo exhibitions and you can look very far from the high viewing platform. In the Maritime Center Abraham Fock in Hollum you can learn all about rescues, navigation and strandings. It is also the base of the horse lifeboat: every month ten very strong horses pull a lifeboat ferociously into the sea. A true spectacle that attracts a lot of attention from the beach.

You can also spot seals on the beach or while walking on the mudflats. According to researchers at the University of Wageningen, there are currently more than 7500 swimming around in the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea. During a Robben tour, which is offered by various tour companies on the island, the chance is even greater to see their beautiful big eyes up close.

Art

During Art Month Ameland, every year in November, about a hundred (international) artists travel to the island to work and exhibit. The works of art, from paintings and sculptures to graphics and video art, are shown in various locations, such as hotels, churches, farms, galleries and in the landscape. Visitors are very welcome!

Playing on the beach
Sheep herd
Young starfish
Rolling landscape
A view from the air
Seal bank
Lighthouse
Mud flat walking

Cycling and walking

No matter how small the island is, you won’t get out of it. Lichtpunt op Ameland is a varied walking route of 12 kilometers over the western tip. Along the way you will pass the lighthouse of Hollum and a beach pavilion where Ameland delicacies can be obtained. Prefer cycling? The Ameland cycle route is 41 kilometers long and takes you past four villages and surprisingly beautiful places such as the Waddenzeedijk, the Monument for Dijkwachters, the Lange Duinen, bird viewing point De Blauwe Keet and of course also the lighthouse.

Multi-day visit

An attractive package has been put together especially for ANWB members: a two-night stay in the four-star WestCord Hotel Noordsee in the pleasant village of Nes. After an extensive breakfast you can step right into nature. The longer you are a member, the more benefits you get.

Transport

From the Frisian Holwerd you can sail to Ameland in 50 minutes by boat. If you are traveling by car, you must buy a ticket online in advance. The bus only runs between the four villages on Ameland. There are taxi buses for specific destinations.

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