Round Terschelling

Terschelling is one of the Wadden Islands that borders the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. With a total beach length of thirty kilometers and a total length of more than seventy kilometers, it is not surprising that this pleasant island is bustling with tourism. Although the summer attracts many tourists to Terschelling, the island has a lot to offer. Almost 80% of the island consists of natural dune landscape and salt marshes.

The dunes are divided into different areas. The western part of the island, the Noordsvaarder, originated from a sandbank that merged with Terschelling around 1850, and the Kroonpolders were created between 1921 and 1929 when drift dikes were built. The wet dune valleys grow the cranberry, a plant that began to grow on the island after a barrel of berries washed ashore in 1845.

In addition to dunes, grassy grasslands have also been created, which you can find in the Terschellinger Polder. Livestock farming is a popular way of earning a living here. In the zone along the inner dune edge, a lot of grain used to be grown and although this arable farming disappeared, the alder hedges are still reminders of it. These were planted to protect the fields against drifting sand from the dunes.

The real nature lover should not miss the Boschplaat, a valuable nature reserve of almost ten kilometers long. A valuable salt marsh vegetation grows here, where sea lavender, sea wormwood, salt marshes and other salt-loving plants predominate. It is an Eldorado for birds such as the spoonbill, the sandwich tern, the common tern, the cormorant and various types of gulls.
You park your car for free at the starting point of this route and cycle via the old water tower in Hoarne to the Stichting Passantenhaven Terschelling. Here you can experience tourism at its best: water sports enthusiasts and pleasure craft make the port a bustling place where there is always something beautiful to see. Nice boats and friendly people create a pleasant atmosphere.

Then you come to the Coffee Mill. This former corn mill is also called the Formerumermolen, a name that refers to the village on the Frisian Wadden Island where the mill is located. It is the only windmill on the island. The Coffee Mill was originally built in 1838 at a different location on Terschelling, but in 1876 the mill was transferred to Formerum. The wooden octagonal mill is a national monument and can be viewed by appointment. You can see the coat of arms of Terschelling in the thatched roof of the mill.