3 days of dutch Wadden Sea
The Dutch Wadden Sea area was what my mate Ruben and I targeted for three days in May. It appears this area is Unesco World Heritage since 2009. It stretches from Den Helder, in the northwest of our country, to Esbjerg in Denmark. Within the Netherlands it is bounded from the IJsselmeer by the Afsluitdijk.
Historically, the coastal regions were often subjected to large floods causing significantly changes to the coastline. Numerous dikes and several causeways have been built to prevent floods and nowadays this cross-border area is brimming with untouched nature. Mud flats, salt marshes, dunes, channels and sandbanks create a unique area. We’ve been told there is so much to discover, experience and explore here. And as lots of people just visit the islands belonging to this area, we felt more like riding along and exploring the coastal area of North Holland, Friesland and Groningen.
day 1, north holland
I had no clue that this part north of our capital offers so much beauty. From Den Helder you can see the contours of the island of Texel appearing in the Wadden Sea. Ruben and I headed south along the coastline where these dunes look quite familiar as what I'm used to when riding from Hoek van Holland. But still, every dune is unique and roads meander a bit more.
As we headed east more and more tulip fields appeared. Especially around this time of the year (April/May), the striking colours of the flowering tulip bulbs are overwhelmingly beautiful. To find out more about growing tulips and the trade of its bulbs we made a stop at Floratuin Julianadorp and had an extended chat with owner Arno Kroon. Arno grew up as the son of a father who was a butcher. But Arno didn't see himself taking over the shop as friends were into flowers. Especially tulips and daffodils. Setting up this kind of a business for his own, supported by his dad, was what he did in his early 20's. Steadily he expanded towards what it is nowadays. In their specialty store, they sell over 300 varieties of spring and summer bloomers. Arno mainly works on cross-breeding to generate hybrid flowers in all sorts of unique colors. He took so much time to tell us about this family business and eventually showed us around. No doubt that was the highlight of our day, although lunch at restaurant In Het Dorp was incredibly good as well!
We continued our ride towards the harbor of Den Oever from where we crossed the famous 'afsluitdijk' to get into the province of Friesland. Unfortunately, the 32 km dike could only be taken by bus at the moment due to roadworks.
From where the bus dropped us off we did the final 10 km stretch to this authentic Dutch city of Harlingen and checked in for a sleepover at Hotel de Bank.
day 2, friesland
Second stage of three brought us from Harlingen to Dokkum.
A good night of sleep in such a fancy suite followed by an incredibly good breakfast at Hotel de Bank was what kickstarted our day. Leaving Harlingen was about crossing bridges over canals, heading north again back to the Wadden coastline. Accompanied by typically Dutch skies we headed towards the small village of Sint Annaparochie where we got talking with farmer Teun de Jong and his wife Froukje. We were invited for a coffee stop and we were happy to.
This family business is around since late 1800 in this area called 'the Bildt' where they mainly grow potatoes. Farmer Teun tells us how mainly nature created the current landscape over time, how dikes were constructed by humans, and what makes its soil so suitable for potato agriculture. He tells us about the process from planting to harvesting and how their potatoes are exported all over the world. His stories sincerely impress me because farming isn't something I'm very familiar with. After enjoying our coffee while chilling in their garden en listening to all these stories Teun eventually shows us around in both their old barn and their brand new one. This whole context gains much of my respect, which I emphasize when we say goodbye.
Our ride continued to our lunch spot Restaurant De Zwarte Haan which is uniquely located right next to the Wadden Sea and surrounded by nature. We have the greatest lunch, topping off with a local dessert and double espressos.
If we then continued to roll, once again we follow along the coastline that makes us fall from one surprise to the other. Bright green grass on the dikes where sheep and its lambs graze, the quietest roads we've ever seen, and every now and then a peek on the Wadden Sea on our left side with the islands of Vlieland, Terschelling, and Ameland appearing in the distance.
A bit further inland it's all authentic farms accompanied by endless fields. If you like peace, space, silence, and endless views, this is where you need to be! And even more unique, we gained 30 meters of elevation in a ride of over 100 km...
day 3, groningen
Last stage of three. Dokkum to Winsum. A very aesthetic tiny house in recreation area Schreiershoek near Dokkum is where we woke up. And after another extended breakfast for the 3rd time in a row, we hopped on our bikes heading west to the province of Groningen.
Again, in a straight line towards the coast from where we were hitting dikes and dodging sheep again. Those endless views on the Wadden Sea truly never bores, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands looking different each hour of the day. Especially accompanied by these partly clouded conditions we faced. In the upper part of our country the provinces of Friesland and Groningen are split up by a man-made lake called the Lauwersmeer. An Unesco National Park that's noted for it's untouched nature and birdwatching. We made a short stop in the lovely looking port of Zoutkamp famous for fishing eel. An hour later we arrived in the ancient Niehove for a lunch break. After our 113 km route we arrived in Winsum at campsite Marenland where we spent the last night of this great trip.
This trip turned out to be so good and beyond expectations. This area might be the most beautiful nature reserve in our country. The routes we did we subliminal. If you feel inspired, please get out there and go! You won’t be disappointed.
Our main inspiration came from the official Visit Wadden site which offers plenty of information about the area. And for route info feel free to check out my Komoot collection of this trip.