Surroundings

What to do in the area….

World heritage ‘The Wadden Sea´

Eating, drinking and going out

Smoek Vakantiehuisje

Holwerd

Holwerd is the largest village of the present municipality Noardeast Fryslân (formerly: Dongeradeel) with currently about 1500 inhabitants and has good facilities for both residents and tourists.

Although Holwerd is mostly known from the ferry service to Ameland, we think we ourselves can offer a lot to tourists.

Besides a number of catering facilities and extensive club life, there is a lot to experience for nature and culture tourists, there is much possible for making beautiful walking and cycling trips.

Or try walking the mud flats, this can vary from a trip to Ameland, or a so-called wandering tour where you accompanied by experienced guides a trip on the mud flats, but not the crossing to Ameland makes.

The first thing you will see when you – from every direction – approach Holwerd, is the church tower of the Reformed Church from the beginning of the 13th century. It is situated on a steeple from the beginning of our era. Take a walk through the old village centre and be surprised by the beauty of the old houses and views. (top of page)

Welcome to Holwerd

View of the sea dike

View from the sea dike

The church tower from the 13th century

Windmill ‘The Hope´

The Baptist Church

Characteristic vistas

The Hogebuurt with a view of the church tower

Take a walk through the old village centre

The supermarket within walking distance

UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘The Wadden Sea´

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UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘The Wadden Sea´

In 2009, the Wadden area and the Wadden Sea were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, officially recognising and recognising the unique status and beauty that we have known for a long time.

The Wadden Sea extends from the coast of Denmark via Germany to the Netherlands.

The Wadden Sea is a recognized biological ecosystem that you can only find on the Dutch-German-Danish North Sea coast. On the Wadden Sea, tides and low tides alternate every six hours, so the landscape changes from moment to moment.

An extensive system of channels is interspersed with dry sandflats. This variety of landscapes makes the Wadden Sea a unique habitat for more than 10,000 often rare plant and animal species, which produces an exceptionally large food wealth.

It is also an indispensable stopover for millions of birds during their migration. (top of page)

The Wadden Islands

Five islands, that means five times enjoying! The combination of the open horizon, the boundless air that stretches over the Wadden Sea and the natural transition between mud flats and the sea makes a visit to the Wadden Sea a special experience.

On the Wadden Sea you are miles away from crowded agendas, crowds and appointments.

Leave everything behind and experience the island feeling. Enjoy the beauty and the centuries-old rhythm of low and high tide. What remains is something that should characterize every outing, but on the Wadden Islands goes without saying: total relaxation. (top of page)

A day out in Ameland

wadlopen

Ferry Holwerd-Ameland

The Wadden Islands

Mudwalk hikings

Dressed with shorts, warm outerwear and good mudflat walking shoes, you will brave the mudflats. With a mudflat walk you will experience all facets that the mudflat has to offer.

From beautiful views, silences, an overwhelming nature to seals in the wild. During the mudflat walking the guide will explain everything about the origin of mudflat walking and nature. On the mud flats every sea breeze is your breeze. Cold, rain, storm? Sometimes it takes a while, but how beautiful mudflats are!

With mudflats you walk over the bottom of the Wadden Sea, this is of course only possible when it is low tide. Nature has it all in control on the Wadden Sea. This makes it very special and exciting. Walking on the mudflats is therefore not entirely risk-free, so you can never go on the mudflats without guidance. Photos: Douwina Iedema] (top of page)

Cycling and hiking

For lovers of nature, views, tranquility and space Holwerd, its surroundings and the wadden coast offers fantastic opportunities for beautiful cycling and hiking.

You can use the cycling and walking routes that we have selected for you and that we have included in the information folder, or you can determine your own distance and route.

Rent your bike for the best enjoyment Holwerd, the wadden coast and other surroundings. Contact us and your bikes will be ready at the time you wish. Bike rental Holwerd is located about 75 metres from the holiday home. (top of page)

Take the bike, or go hiking

A Dike of a Wijf

Waiting for High Water

The Men of Holwerd at Sea

Sense of Place

Sense of Place is a collection of cultural landscape projects, started by the founder of the Oerol festival Joop Mulder. The idea behind this is to highlight and enlarge the forgotten cultural history and beauty of the Wadden area through various projects.

Various artists have been given the opportunity to design temporary and permanent art that will be exhibited at various locations along the Wadden Sea coast.

Two already iconic works of art will be added to the landscape at Holwerd:

Dike of a Wijf

A vast landscape from which a voluptuous dike rises. An enormous female nude, covered with grass, about one hundred metres long and up to twenty metres high. Mother the woman, the Dutch deerne, thick buttocks, full breasts, milk and real butter, sheep and buttercups; tender and juicy in one breath! She lies beautifully on the dike with her ‘fertile’ shapes.

With behind it the nursery of the seed potato and the building ground of many other vegetables. As part of the seawall, it offers security and safety. In short, a ‘Dijk Van Een wijf’!

This landart project by Nienke Brokke on the dike near Holwerd will soon be a soft welcome for all travellers to Ameland.

Waiting for high water

“Waiting for high water” is a statue of Jan Ketelaar. The statue consists of two women, five metres high, welded from metal. A full woman and a thin woman. They look out over the sea.

The sculpture is about the search for balance and exchange. (top of page)

Holwerd at Sea

In 2013, the first plans were made for what should become the attraction on the Wadden Sea coast in the future: Holwerd at Sea.

For years a small working group of residents, entrepreneurs and municipal support has paved all kinds of paths, created support and opened doors, giving the entire region hope and perspective again.

The pillars of the revolutionary plan are to boost the quality of life, economy and employment, which will make the years of decline a thing of the past.

It is expected that the first activities will start at the end of 2019/early 2020 and that the first contours will become visible.

From Holiday home Smoek you are in the first row to follow the progress of Holwerd aan Zee and as soon as it is completed, you can look out from the living room on the water……… (top of page)