Ballum on Ameland: Dune, history and family trail

In Ballum on Ameland, local points of interest for planning your trip range from a dune to historic buildings and a family trail.

Landscape at the Ballumer Blinkert

The Ballumer Blinkert is a dune at the narrowest part of Ameland, near the village of Ballum. It can be reached on foot and by bicycle; check current trail conditions before setting out. Its location on the island’s narrowest stretch gives the dune a different point of reference from the dated construction details of the church and tower: here, the landscape takes centre stage, while there, the focus is on architectural history.

Church and historical details

The Hervormde Kerk in Ballum was built in 1832. The church has a richly carved pulpit rail, marked and dated “A. Jelles 1604”; it comes from Harlingen. This brings together two dates at a single building: the year the church was built and the date on the rail. 1604 is 228 years before 1832. For travellers who pay attention to historical details, the rail brings several concrete aspects together: a piece of carving, an inscription with a date, and a named place of origin.

The Dorpstoren and former village features

The Dorpstoren Ballum was built in 1755 to replace an older wooden bell frame. In 1870, it was raised by 2.5 metres so it could also serve as a navigation beacon for shipping. There are 115 years between its construction and its raising. The two details describe different steps: replacing the older bell frame, and later raising the tower to enable an additional function. A Geselpfahl and a Schandpfahl once stood beside the tower. These two historical terms add further former features, located directly beside the tower, to its architectural history. The church, built in 1832, falls between the tower’s construction in 1755 and its raising in 1870; the two phases of the tower’s history frame it chronologically.

The Korenmolen De Eendragt also forms part of Ballum’s historical story: it was used as a grain mill. The original mill is no longer operational. At De Eendragt, the focus is therefore on its former use.

A family trail in the Ballumerbos

The Krûmeltjesspoor is a family trail in the Ballumerbos. Along the way, visitors can discover its new inhabitants. A small group of volunteers designed and created the trail with the support of Staatsbosbeheer. The aim was to make the Ballumerbos more appealing to young children. This gives travellers a different focus for planning their trip than the historic village features: the Krûmeltjesspoor focuses on discovery and explicitly targets young children. The landscape, architectural history and this family trail offer different themes to shape your idea of a stay in Ballum.

Discover more destinations: Nes, Buren, Buren, Hollum

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