Page 279 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

THE WEST FRISIAN ISLANDS  277

4 De Slufter
Road Map B2. * none. g @
Open all year, northern part closed
1 Mar–1 Sep. n Emmalaan 66, Den
Burg (0222-314741).
The distinctive natural area of
De Slufter, consisting of salt
marshes covering 450 ha
(1,100 acres), is covered with
salt-loving plants such as sea
thrift and sea lavender, and is
an important breeding and
feeding ground for many
different bird species. De Slufter,
and the neighbouring De Muy,
where spoonbills breed, are
magnificent rambling areas.

5 Den Hoorn
Road Map B2. * 450. g @
n Emmalaan 66, Den Burg (0222-
314741). ( Jul–Aug: Thu.
Like Den Burg, Den Hoorn
stands on boulder clay. It has a
distinctive Hervormde kerk
(Protestant church) with a Salt-loving plants thriving at the water’s edge, De Slufter
pointed steeple and church-
yard dating from 1425. This Unlike the other islands, Vlieland 19th-century paintings. The
exquisitely restored village has consists only of dunes, covered houses are separated by alleys
been given protected status. with a purple haze of heather, known as “gloppen”. There is no
marram grass and sea buckthorn. room for cars here, not even for
In the east, the woods planted those of the islanders.
6 Vlieland just after 1900 provide a bit of The best way to explore
variety in the landscape. Vlieland is by bicycle; the island
Road Map C1. * 1,000. g
n Havenweg 10, Oost-Vlieland In the south is the only village, can be covered in one day. From
(0562-451111). Oost-Vlieland, where the boat Oost-Vlieland, you can cycle
from Harlingen docks. Many old west wards along tracks through
Vlieland is the smallest of the buildings line the main street. the dunes or along the Wadde-
Waddenzee Islands. In some One of them, the Tromp’s Huys nzee shoreline to the Posthuys
places, less than one kilometre (1576), used to belong to the (post house), where in the 17th
(half a mile) separates the Amsterdam Admiralty. Today it century the overseas mail was
Waddenzee and the North Sea. houses a museum with brought from Amsterdam to be
loaded onto ships waiting to sail.
Further westwards is de Vliehors,
an area of natural interest which
can be explored if no military
exercises are taking place here.
Beware of get ting stuck in the
soft drifting sand. This is also
where the wealthy village of
West-Vlieland once stood. It was
consumed by the waves after it
was abandoned in 1736.
E Tromp’s Huys
Dorpsstraat 99, Oost-Vlieland.
Tel 0562-451600. Open school hols:
10am–5pm Tue–Fri, 2–5pm Sat, 2–4pm
Sun; outside school hols: 2–5pm Tue–
Thu, 10am–1pm Fri, 2–5pm Sat.
The village hall in Oost-Vlieland Closed 1 Jan, Easter, Pentecost. &

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