Netherlands > The Horse Lifeboat

On the ground floor, breakfast is ready. Each table is set. We take a seat at a table for two. Coffee, orange juice, and a fried egg are brought to us. The other items are already on the table. If we want, we can take some sandwiches with us for lunch, the waitress explains. A plastic bag is specially provided for this. Today we follow the ANWB cycling route towards Ballum and Hollum. The route starts at the ferry harbor. We cycle through Nes to the starting point. From there, we follow the dike along the waters of the Wadden Sea. The weather is nice and sunny. After a few kilometers, we arrive at the Ballummerbocht. From here, the western side of the island becomes wider. At the statue of the Dike Guards, we leave the dike. We cycle straight toward Ballum. The island of Ameland was for centuries owned by the Cammingha family. They had a castle built in Ballum. In the 18th century, they sold the island to Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange-Nassau and Hereditary Stadtholder of Friesland. The castle was demolished in the early 19th century. The characteristic Ameland houses and the freestanding bell tower from that period still define Ballum’s village view today. From Ballum, it is a short distance to Hollum. Hollum is the westernmost village on the island. The restored houses of the whaling captains give the village a historic character.

Netherlands - The statue of the Dike guards

On the beach, the rescue society gives a demonstration with the horse-drawn lifeboat. In the past, this was how the rescue boat was launched into the sea. Ten horses pull the lifeboat to the water’s edge. In two groups of four, the horses are harnessed to the sides. They pull the boat into the sea while the remaining two horses pull the cart from under the lifeboat. The spectacle is watched by many tourists. Rows of people stand on the beach and in the dunes watching. In the past, this method of launching the rescue boat has also gone wrong. In 1979, eight horses died when their harness could not be released quickly enough. The horses drowned in the rough sea. The Horse Grave in the dunes commemorates this sad event. We return to Hollum for a drink on a terrace. Afterwards, we pick up the cycling route again. The route passes the 17th-century church of Hallum. Unlike the freestanding towers of Nes and Ballum, the tower in Hallum is attached to the church.

Netherlands - A demonstration of how the lifeboat was launched in the past

In Nes and Ballum, the towers served more as warning beacons in case of danger. Through the dunes, we ride toward the lighthouse, passing the bunker museum. During the Second World War, the Wadden Islands were a strategic location. The Germans built several bunkers in the dunes to prevent attacks via the islands. The museum showcases one of these bunkers. Inside the concrete complex, you can see how the island was guarded at the time. Incidentally, the war on the islands was not over on May 5, 1945. The Germans only left the island in June 1945. The striking red-and-white striped Ameland lighthouse was built in 1880 to guide shipping. The 55-meter-high tower served as a beacon at night. Since 2005, the lighthouse has been out of use, which means we can now climb it. After no fewer than 236 steps, we reach the viewing platform. From the top, we can see almost the entire island. Thanks to the beautiful weather, we can also see Friesland and Terschelling. Stunning.

Netherlands - The striking red and white lighthouse of Ameland

At the foot of the lighthouse lie the nature reserves of the Hollummerduinen and the Lange Duinen. We follow the yellow route and walk into the dunes. The route leads toward the beach. Through loose sand, we walk into the dunes. To our left, we have a view of the North Sea; to our right lies beautiful nature between the dunes. At high tide, this area can flood. A gorgeous vegetation has developed in the marshy area. Around us, we hear birds chirping. The walk through the dunes has two options: a longer route of over eight kilometers and a shorter one of four and a half kilometers. We choose the longer dune walk. When we start the second part, walkers coming from the other direction warn us that it gets wet further on. The tip to wear boots here seems justified. We’re not too afraid of getting our shoes a bit wet and decide to continue. When we walk around the inner lake, the path becomes muddier. Soon we are faced with a large body of water. The banks are also flooded. This is more water than we expected. What is the best choice? Walk through the roughly ten-centimeter-deep water or turn back? Since we plan to hike more in the coming days and our shoes likely won’t dry in a day, we decide on the latter option.

Netherlands - The beautiful nature reserve Hollum dunes

We return and pick up the short route instead. This path also leads through beautiful nature. After nearly two hours, we are back at the lighthouse. It’s now four o’clock. We grab our bikes and ride through the dunes back to Nes. Headwinds and dune hills make the ride tough. Fortunately, the view of Ameland’s nature and dunes makes up for it. After twelve kilometers, we’re back in Nes. We park the bikes at the church and order a drink on a terrace. Before heading back to our hotel, we quickly book a restaurant for tonight. Inside is fully booked, but we can still eat on the heated terrace. That sounds fine to us. When we arrive at the restaurant in the evening, it turns out a table has become available inside. In the cozy little restaurant, we opt for the fish platter — a selection of various types of fish for two people. A fun and, above all, delicious choice.