Top 21 tips for Schiermonnikoog

Of course the beach is the biggest attraction of Schiermonnikoog, but there is much more to see and do.

item Nationaal Park Schiermonnikoog

Beach and sea: enjoy the sun, the sea and a fresh sea breeze, and check the weather page to see what the weather will be like.
Sights: discover the sights, from museums to monuments.
Nature: explore dunes and nature reserves on a walk or a bike ride.
Seals: go seal spotting, for example on a boat trip to the sandbanks.
Mudflat walking: walk across the exposed seabed with a guide on a mudflat hike.
Eating out: from beach pavilion to restaurant, find out where to enjoy food and drink.
With kids: the with kids page has the best outings for the whole family.
Hidden gems: away from the crowds, discover the hidden gems of Schiermonnikoog.

The 21 best tips for your visit to Schiermonnikoog

Below is a selection of the finest sights, museums, nature reserves and activities on Schiermonnikoog.

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1Cycling

Discover the region by bike. Thanks to the flat landscape, the high quality cycling lanes and a myriad of safe cycling routes, everyone - young and old - can look forward to a wonderfully relaxing cycling holiday. Whether you want to cycle for a day or go on a multi-day cycling trip, Schiermonnikoog is the place to be.

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Schiermonnikoog National Park

2Schiermonnikoog National Park

Schiermonnikoog National Park covers some 5,400 hectares of the island of Schiermonnikoog. It has been a national park since 1989 and part of the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site since 2009. What can you expect at the National Park? - Landscape: Dunes, salt marshes, beach, woods, polders and mudflats alternate. On the ...

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Eilander Balgexpres

3Eilander Balgexpres

The Eilander Balgexpres takes you along the wide beach of Schiermonnikoog to De Balg, the uninhabited eastern tip of the island. A tractor pulls a bus trailer with room for 45 passengers some fifteen kilometres across the sand, through a landscape that changes with every high tide. What can you expect at the Eilander ...

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Information centre Het Baken

4Information centre Het Baken

Informatiecentrum Het Baken in the village on Schiermonnikoog is the starting point for a visit to the island and Schiermonnikoog National Park. Since 2021 Natuurmonumenten and the tourist office have shared the building. What can you expect at Het Baken? - Exhibitions: An interactive exhibition tells the story of the ...

Reeweg 9

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Wasserman Bunker

5Wasserman Bunker

Discover a piece of hidden World War II history with a visit to the Wasserman Bunker, strategically located on Schiermonnikoog. This historic fortress is not just a reminder of a tumultuous ...

Prins Bernhardweg

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Duck decoy De Kooiplaats

6Duck decoy De Kooiplaats

Hidden within Schiermonnikoog National Park lies one of the most fascinating secrets of the island: Eendenkooi de Kooiplaats. This historic duck decoy is a unique place where nature, culture, ...

Kooipad 1

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Outdoor Pool De Dúnatter

7Outdoor Pool De Dúnatter

A charming outdoor pool located on the picturesque dune path on Schiermonnikoog. This pool offers refreshing water fun in a beautiful natural setting. What can you expect at De Dúnatter ...

Duinpad 10
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Sailing on the Wadden Sea

8Sailing on the Wadden Sea

Experience an unforgettable sailing adventure with Holland Sail on the breathtaking Wadden Sea. Whether you choose a day trip or a longer sailing vacation, the beauty of the Wadden Sea is sure ...

Stationsplein 3,

Enkhuizen

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Shell Museum Paal 14

9Shell Museum Paal 14

Shell Museum Paal 14 on Schiermonnikoog is the private museum of the De Boer family. It shows more than 1,500 species of shells and other beach finds. What can you expect at Shell Museum Paal ...

Martjeland 14
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Mudflat Hiking

10Mudflat Hiking

On a mudflat walk you cross the bed of the Wadden Sea at low tide. This unique tidal area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. What can you expect on a mudflat walk? - Walks: There ...

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Banckspolder

11Banckspolder

The Banckspolder is the only polder on Schiermonnikoog. This open farmland lies between the village and the ferry harbour, on the Wadden Sea side. What can you expect at the Banckspolder? - A ...

Banckspolder

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Koningshuis

12Koningshuis

Museum In het Koningshuis on the Nieuwestreek on Schiermonnikoog is a small museum about the island's history. It is in the former headmaster's house and is named after its last resident, ...

Nieuwestreek 1
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Het Rif

13Het Rif

Het Rif is a large sand flat with salt marsh on the southwest tip of Schiermonnikoog, between the Westerplas and the Westerstrand. A wide, open landscape where thousands of birds rest. What can ...

Het Rif

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Westerduinen

14Westerduinen

The Westerduinen are the dune area on the west side of Schiermonnikoog, west of the Badweg. Here high drifting dunes, wet dune valleys and birch woodland alternate. What can you expect at the ...

Westerduinen

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Bunkermuseum Schlei

15Bunkermuseum Schlei

The Bunkermuseum Schlei on Schiermonnikoog offers a unique glimpse into World War II through the eyes of a small but strategically important island. The museum, located in an authentic German ...

Einde Prins Bernhardweg (linkerkant)
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Kobbeduinen

16Kobbeduinen

The Kobbeduinen are a tongue of dunes reaching from the main dune area into the Oosterkwelder, east of the village on Schiermonnikoog. From the top you look out over the wildest salt marsh in ...

Kobbeduinen

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Oosterduinen

17Oosterduinen

The Oosterduinen are part of the large dune area of Schiermonnikoog, east of the village. A varied landscape of dune tops, open grassland and wet dune valleys. What can you expect at the ...

Oosterduinen

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Cabinets of wonder Gribus

18Cabinets of wonder Gribus

The Gribus Cabinet of Curiosities, located in It Aude Kolonyhus (The Old Colony House), invites you to step into a world filled with mysterious finds and unique objects from around the ...

Badweg 67a
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De Balg

19De Balg

De Balg is the far eastern tip of Schiermonnikoog: a vast sand plain with low dunes. It is one of the youngest nature areas in the Netherlands and one of the quietest and darkest places in the ...

De Balg

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Oosterkwelder

20Oosterkwelder

The Oosterkwelder is a large salt marsh on the Wadden side of Schiermonnikoog, east of the Banckspolder. Natuurmonumenten calls it the wildest salt marsh in the Netherlands. What can you expect ...

Kwelderpad

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Westerplas

21Westerplas

The Westerplas is the largest freshwater lake on Schiermonnikoog. It lies southwest of the village and is one of the best birdwatching spots on the island. What can you expect at the ...

Westerplas

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Shops with character

Between cycling and walking, Schiermonnikoog has a few shops you will not quickly forget.

Thijs’ Vliegerparadijs: this kite shop is on the beach at the end of the Badweg, near beach post 4; you can buy or rent kites and join in with power kiting, land sailing or kite buggying.
’t Peperhúsjen: the building is small, but the choice in this old-fashioned sweet shop in the village, once a bakery, is huge: traditional Dutch sweets, liquorice and sugar-free treats.

item Vuurtoren Noordertoren Schiermonnikoog

Hidden gems on Schiermonnikoog

Besides the national park, Schiermonnikoog has small spots that many visitors simply cycle past.

Whale jaw: by the Willemshof in the village stands the lower jaw of a blue whale, a reminder of the part Schiermonnikoog played in Dutch whaling after the Second World War.
Got Tjark: in the island dialect the name of the Got Tjark church simply means "big church"; the churchyard holds the grave of artist Martin van Waning, who made the monk statue.
Zuidertoren: the white Zuidertoren once worked with the red Noordertoren as a leading light and now belongs to a foundation of islanders.
Westerplas bird hide: southwest of the village a boardwalk leads to the bird watching hut Westerplas, built so openly that birds come right up underneath it.
Minne Onnespad bench: on the dike by the Reeweg, the granite Bank Minne Onnespad faces the Wadden Sea on one side and the Banckspolder on the other, where thousands of barnacle geese stay outside the summer months.

Practical tips

These tips help you get even more out of your visit to Schiermonnikoog.

Tides: plan a beach walk or a bike ride along the coast with the tide table.
The weather: the weather page shows the forecast and hours of sunshine for the coming days.
By bike: most sights are easy to reach by bike.

» View our complete 'see & do' list with many more museums, attractions, monuments and other places of interest.