Discover Terschelling

When planning your trip, it’s worth taking a closer look at the landscape, routes and culture: Terschelling is bordered by the North Sea to the north and the Wadden Sea to the south. A beach ridge and the salt marshes behind it together shape a diverse landscape. About 80 percent of the island consists of natural areas, including forests, beaches, dune valleys, salt marshes, polders and heathland.

Experience nature and check access

The polder is a vast, open agricultural landscape where human activity and nature conservation values are carefully balanced. It is one of the Netherlands’ most bird-rich areas. In the east lies De Boschplaat, a European nature reserve with a wide beach, extensive salt marshes, important bird populations and the Berkenvallei nature forest. The Noordsvaarder offers a different kind of landscape: its wet dune valleys, salt marshes and extensive beach areas form an important resting, breeding and overwintering area for birds.

Most nature areas on Terschelling are accessible almost all year round. However, parts of De Boschplaat and a breeding area near West aan Zee are closed from March through August to protect nesting birds and resting seals. Take these seasonal closures into account when planning your trip, and check local access information. De Boschplaat has also been designated a Dark Sky Park since 2015: natural darkness is preserved there, allowing visitors to experience sights such as the Milky Way at night. The relevant access restrictions should also be observed when enjoying this natural attraction.

Explore on foot and by bike

More than 200 kilometers of walking trails, extensive beaches and unpaved paths offer a variety of ways to explore the island on foot. For people with physical disabilities, there is a 2.5-kilometer wheelchair-accessible path in the forest and dune area northwest of West-Terschelling. It starts at Paviljoen de Walvis and partly follows a cycle path. Check trail conditions and accessibility before setting out.

Terschelling’s cycle network is 70 kilometers long. Several routes combine exercise with different island themes: the approximately 40-kilometer “Sporen in het Zand” route leads to historic sites and is signposted with distinctive Terschellinger Stoeppalen. “Kunst en Monumenten” starts at the harbor in West-Terschelling and covers 38 kilometers, taking visitors to statues, memorials and artworks in the landscape, as well as stories about the island’s culture and past.

Other tours have their own focus. The 36-kilometer Juttersroute crosses the entire island, visiting places, small museums and sites associated with Terschelling’s history of beachcombing and looting. The 33-kilometer “Route van het Rode Goud” passes through dunes, forests and heathland where cranberries have been growing since 1868. The PolderPracht cycling route leads to birdwatching sites, farms focused on meadow birds and shops selling local products. For a guided walking tour, a Staatsbosbeheer nature guide leads an approximately two-hour tour on the Noordsvaarder; the availability of organized activities may vary by season.

Activities on the water available on Terschelling include kitesurfing, surfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, horseback riding by the water and seal-watching tours. Availability and conditions may vary.

Lighthouse, museums and island history

The Brandaris is the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands still in operation; it took its present form in 1594. The tower is not open to the public. Those interested in culture and history will find plenty of other points of interest: the Wrakkenmuseum Terschelling displays objects from historic and modern shipwrecks, along with numerous items washed ashore. It is housed in an authentic Terschellinger farmhouse; opening hours may vary.

At Museum ’t Behouden Huys, visitors can explore the studio of painter Anthon van Rappard, the story of the ship Lutine, and Willem Barentsz and his crew’s stay on Nova Zembla. The Lutine is recorded as having sunk on 9 October 1799. Among other things, the bunkers at the Bunkermuseum house exhibitions about Terschellingers who died in the Second World War, the only Jewish family to have lived on Terschelling, and Terschellinger forced laborers in Germany. Part of Terschelling’s fortifications has also been converted into a museum.

The Oerol Festival brings together theater, art and celebrations with the island’s distinctive natural surroundings. When choosing a hotel on Terschelling, different interests may therefore take priority: nature areas and seasonal access, cycling and walking routes, or the history encountered in museums and along the island’s routes.

Discover more destinations: Hee, Hoorn Terschelling, Lies, West-Terschelling, Oosterend Terschelling, Baaiduinen, Kinnum, Formerum.

Back to the main travel overview: Terschelling.