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Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands, Earth (Real)Third Of The Northern Islands
Date: 1997/06/13, 2000/07/28 Agree? Disagree? : Have Your Say Buy Books About This Topic At: Amazon UK Amazon US Send This Article To A Friend: Email It Use Telepathy Terschelling, the third of northern islands of the Netherlands [1] (the Waddeneilanden), is a perfect place for a long weekend, or a midweek out of the rush. The off-season is best [2]; not too many people there yet, and you may even catch a ray of sun [3]. The island can be divided into roughly two parts: the northern part, with a very wide sandy beach (approximately 30 km long), and with dunes and forests; and the southern part, which is mostly grassland for the keeping of cattle and tourists. The island is small, and so are the villages. Where To StayNumerous are the bungalow parks and camp sites, and hotels aren't difficult to find either. This probably means that in-season the island must be swarming with tourists! What To DoNice things to do are hiking, horse-back riding and cycling. A stroll through the rugged dune area is an experience you shouldn't miss. Also, in an hour and a half you can cycle from one end of the island to the other. Don't forget to dress for cold weather on that occasion, because there is always wind. After traversing the barren wastelands of the dunes, territory of breeding birds, rabbits, and birds of prey, you can recuperate at the Heartbreak Hotel. This is a little beach-restaurant dedicated to The King. You can get interesting snacks there, such as a Terschelling tosti [4] and a cranberry milkshake. Yes, cranberries! The story goes that a barrel of cranberries once washed ashore, and since then the island has them everywhere! Cranberry products, I mean. It being the last restaurant before the next island, Heartbreak Hotel is also the place where beach sailors go to get a snack; land yachting on a three wheeled and wind-surf sail driven cart, and flying kites are also popular activities in these parts. Oerol FestivalEvery year there is a festival on Terschelling called "Oerol". The whole island becomes the stage for open-air performances: dance, music, art, and street theatre. There are things to watch and listen to everywhere! It takes place somewhere mid-June. Important to know is that the program is only available on the island itself, and tickets have to be bought for the major performances. Still, there are plenty of free happenings left if you don't succeed in getting any. Night LifeWest Terschelling is the largest town on the island and, small as it is, logically about the only place where there is some night life. As I said, the place is small, so everything should be easy to find. The ViewThe view from the island is beautiful; to the north there is the wild North Sea, to the south the Shallows with stretches of glimmering water. Even further you can see the main land, Friesland, and the beautiful Dutch clouds. On nice days you can see many traditional sailing ships going back and forth. From far out at sea and from almost everywhere on the island, especially at night, you can see the very old and sturdy lighthouse of West Terschelling, the Brandaris. It has a typical square shape which reminds you of the days when there was only a fire on top. How To Get AroundForget about cars: they're expensive to bring onto the island. Just rent a bike: everything is close by. Taxis and buses are available too. How To Get ThereIn Harlingen, Friesland, take either the fast (45 min.) or the slow (2 hours) ferry to West Terschelling. The slow one goes to Vlieland first though. The boat zig-zags across the Waddenzee, home of seals who bask in the sunlight (when there is some) on the many mud-flats (wadden). The sea is pretty shallow; with a guide it is possible, during low-tide, to walk to one of the islands over the shallows - an activity known as wadlopen. How To Get BackThe fast boat, the koegelwiek, transporting only passengers, can only be reserved on the day you take it, so get up really early (before 8 o'clock!) Details can be found at the tourist information (VVV). It is wise to visit them, because the ferry schedule can change at short notice. [5]
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