Netherlands > Cycling on Schiermonnikoog

It rains heavily during the night. The forecast for today isn’t very good—too bad, because we’re planning a day trip to Schiermonnikoog. Over breakfast, we check the latest weather report. It turns out a low-pressure area is sitting right over Friesland, and all the showers seem to be circling around Schiermonnikoog. Maybe it won’t be so bad? We decide to go for it and cycle to the ferry. The showers might hold off, but a strong north wind is blowing over the dike. It takes some serious pedaling to reach Lauwersoog. We arrive at the harbor well before departure and buy our ferry tickets. It doesn’t seem too busy. We take seats on the upper deck, watching Lauwersoog grow smaller behind us. The ferry sails through the channel between the sandbanks. On one of them, a seal is sunbathing—what a nice surprise! Forty-five minutes later, the boat docks at Schiermonnikoog’s harbor. Schiermonnikoog is a relatively small island—just sixteen kilometers long from west to east. The island has only one village, also called Schiermonnikoog, located three kilometers from the harbor. We cycle along the dike and the mudflats to the center.

Netherlands - The Hotel van der Werff on Schiermonnikoog

Birds are foraging on the mudflats, and the tide is slowly coming in. More ferry passengers seem to have the same idea as we do. Like many other tourists, we order coffee on the terrace of Hotel Graaf Bernstorff. Until the Second World War, the island was privately owned. After the war, it became property of the Dutch state. Right next to the terrace stand two enormous whale jawbones, arranged as an arch. They came from a whale caught by Klaas Visser, captain of the expedition ship Willem Barendsz, in 1946. Schiermonnikoog played an important role in whaling. Since the 1960s, whaling has ceased because it was no longer profitable. Our cycling route starts opposite the whale arch and the Willemshof behind it, heading westward. The Westerplas is a freshwater lake on the island where many birds come to breed. From the birdwatching hut, we look out over the water. We then cycle to the eastern side of the island, where the Knobbeduin is located—one of Schiermonnikoog’s highest dunes. On a clear day, you can see both the North Sea and the Wadden Sea from the top. Today, however, it’s cloudy and hazy. The bike path to Badstrand is closed due to construction work. It feels a bit awkward that other cyclists still go through, but we take a detour. Passing the duck decoy Kooiplaats, we reach the Wasserman bunker, which played an important role in the German defense of northern Netherlands during the Second World War.

Netherlands - The bunker was meant to protect the Germans from northern attacks

It was built to house a radar installation, though it was never actually placed. Via Badstrand, we head to the red lighthouse of Schiermonnikoog. Standing 44 meters tall, it has been guiding ships since 1853. Around three o’clock, we’re back in the village of Schiermonnikoog. While sitting on a terrace, we notice it’s getting cooler and windier. So far, we’ve had a dry day, but that seems about to change. We quickly cycle back to the ferry, and on the way it starts to drizzle lightly. This time, we take seats inside. The ride back to Anjum is much easier than this morning—we’re cycling with the wind. The speedometer shows we’re cruising above 30 kilometers per hour along the dike. What a difference from the way there! In Oostmahorn, on the shore of the Lauwersmeer, we stop for dinner. Of the three restaurants, two are closed on Tuesdays. The third is a small, simple place, and luckily there’s one table left. It’s a perfect spot for a meal and to warm up a bit. After dinner, it’s just a ten-minute ride along a bike path through the fields back to Anjum.