Island guide

Ameland

Lighthouse, whaling captains and four dune villages.

1 museums

The story of Ameland

For centuries Ameland was an island of seafarers. Whaling captains lived here between voyages to the far north. Their houses and stories are still there in the villages.

The island has four villages: Hollum, Ballum, Nes and Buren. In Hollum the lighthouse, the museum in an old captain's house and the maritime centre sit close together. In Nes, where the ferry docks, the nature centre explains the dunes, the mudflats and the sea. Between the villages you cycle on flat paths through dunes and polder. Take an early boat, start in Hollum and end the day with the sun going down over the Wadden Sea.

1880Bornrif lighthouse built
55 mheight of the lighthouse
4villages on the island

Where does the boat leave?

How to get to Ameland. Always check current sailing times with the ferry company.

Holwerd (Holwert) → Ameland Wagenborg Passagiersdiensten Crossing approx. 50 minutes, or approx. 20 minutes by fast ferry (foot passengers only, no bikes) Train to Leeuwarden, then the bus to the ferry terminal, timed to meet the boat. Go to the Wagenborg Passagiersdiensten website ↗ Route with Google Maps ↗

Your museum day in Ameland

One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.

10:00MUSEUM
Abraham Fock Maritime Centre Start with the lifeboats, then walk on to the lighthouse.
12:30EAT
A village café in Hollum Lunch among the old captains' houses.
15:30SHOP
Nes village centre Small shops and terraces along the old streets.
19:00SLEEP
A hotel in Nes Close to the ferry and most of the restaurants.

Ameland in six moments

1424Ameland becomes a free lordship with its own lords.
1708The Cammingha line dies out and the Frisian stadtholder becomes lord of Ameland.
1777Ameland whalers are trapped in the ice off Greenland.
1871A dam is built between Holwerd and Ameland; it does not last.
1880Bornrif lighthouse is built near Hollum.
2009The Wadden Sea is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

What to do in Ameland

Six places to complete your museum day.

01
Bornrif Lighthouse

Climb the 236 steps for a view over the whole island, the mudflats and the North Sea.

Hollum1 hour
02
Sorgdrager Museum of Cultural History

An old commander's house where whaling captains lived, with furniture and objects from Ameland seafarers.

Hollum1 hour
03
Abraham Fock Maritime Centre

All about rescue at sea. Navigate by the stars, stand on a real ship's bridge and see the horse-drawn lifeboat.

Hollum1 to 2 hours
04
Ameland Nature Centre

The dunes, the mudflats and the sea, and the animals that live there.

Nes1 to 2 hours
05
Het Oerd

A growing dune landscape at the eastern end, home to more than sixty bird species.

East pointHalf a day
06
Cycle the four villages

From Nes through Ballum to Hollum, past dunes, woods and polder.

Whole islandHalf a day

Museums in Ameland

Buy your tickets online and plan the rest of your day around them.

Cultuurhistorisch Museum Sorgdrager

View Tickets & website ↗

On the map

All museums in Ameland. Click a museum for the route.

Plan your trip to Ameland ↗

Hidden story

Trapped in the ice

In 1777 a whole fleet of whalers was caught in the polar ice. An Ameland captain wrote down what happened.

Read the storyHide the story

In the summer of 1777 hundreds of ships were hunting whales off Spitsbergen. In August fourteen of them were trapped in the ice. The current carried them south along the coast of Greenland, and the ice crushed them one by one. Three captains led their men on foot across the ice to the shore. One of them was Hidde Dirks Kat from Ameland. Greenlanders took the castaways in and brought them to the west coast, where they spent the winter. Only in 1778 did they reach Europe again on Danish ships, and Kat published his diary forty years later.

Where: Sorgdrager Museum, Hollum

Beyond the city

On and around Ameland, the villages and the mainland are never far apart. Three places to combine.

Bus or bike from Nes

Hollum

The western village, with the lighthouse, the captain's house and the maritime centre.

Route by public transport ↗

Ferry from Nes, approx. 50 min

Holwerd

The Frisian harbour village across the water, looking out over the mudflats.

Route by public transport ↗

Ferry to Holwerd, then bus to Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden

The Frisian capital, with the Fries Museum and the leaning Oldehove tower.

Route by public transport ↗

Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.

SLEEP

Stay on Ameland

Ameland has hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and campsites, most of them in Nes and Hollum. By day you cycle from village to village or hop on the bus. Stay the night and you have the beaches and the mudflats almost to yourself in the evening. The next morning you are back in a museum in no time.

Find your hotel →