Round Schier

Dune valleys where rabbits happily hop through. Many special plants that you do not see on the mainland. An island where almost no cars drive and where you can get a breath of fresh air along the coasts. The touristic Schiermonnikoog has a lot to offer nature lovers. With only 950 inhabitants, this island is definitely cozy. The Wadden Island was formed after the flood of 1287. Before that, Schiermonnikoog was part of the mainland and it was part of Friesland. The old dunes of the island were created between 1450 and 1850, the younger dunes are still formed in a natural way even today. That is special, because dune formation by nature takes place in few places in Europe. Schiermonnikoog has many dunes, which contain the most lime of all dunes on the Wadden Islands. The old dunes on the island were created in the period between 1450 and 1850. As one of the few areas in Europe, natural dune formation still takes place here! Nature on Schiermonnikoog is given sufficient opportunities to expand further. Many special plant species can therefore be found in the humid dune valleys. Tourists can completely relax on this beautiful island, especially because cars are not allowed on the island. Cyclists will get their money's worth here, because there are 30 kilometers of cycle paths across the 18 kilometer long island. For more information about the beautiful'Schier\\\', you can contact VVV Schiermonnikoog. Here you can also get nice souvenirs, as a memento of your visit to the beautiful island! From the ferry port of Schiermonnikoog, where you can rent bicycles, shell paths take you past the most beautiful sights and various nature reserves on the island. Cycling in a westerly direction you reach via the marina, along the Bank van Banck and the Westerplas with bird hide. Here bird lovers can indulge themselves in the bird hide. Via the Westerburenweg you can reach the village in no time, where you can see the old island houses on the Middenstreek and Langestreek and, above all, visit the cozy terraces in the center. In the middle of the village center you will find the statue of the Schiere Monk in the Willemshof, which symbolizes the island. Whale jaws form the entrance to the Willemshof and are a reference to the island's rich seafaring past. After half a circle around the church, you cycle across the Torenstreek towards the white water tower, where the red lighthouse'Noordertoren\\\' already looms in the distance. When you arrive at the lighthouse via the dunes, you cycle down the lighthouse path towards the Badweg. There you turn left and just before the beach entrance take the cycle path on your right, which takes you through the dunes past various beach entrances and eventually to beach pavilion De Marlijn on Sint Bernardsweg, with bunker museum Schlei next to the beach entrance. Past the beach pavilion you can cycle a bit further on the shell path, through which you can view the salt marsh with its beacons called the Kobbeduinen and the Willemsduin and finally arrive in the polder. These triangular structures used to protect ships from getting stuck on the mudflats and the island, until the two towers took over this navigation. You can also follow the Sint Bernardsweg immediately to the right, so that you cycle back to the village via the polder. Along this road you will find the Wassermann bunker on the left, with the Vredenhof drowning cemetery behind it, and the Berkenplas recreation lake on the right.