High dunes, white sand, bonfires on the beach, tranquil forests, car free streets, cute shops, loud gulls, quaint houses, children running around with ice creams, the smell of fried fish in the main street ‘Dorpsstraat’, bicycles everywhere and a very red lighthouse; the Frisian Island Vlieland has a lot of charming assets, whatever season you’re visiting.
Vlieland is the smallest inhabited island – 1100 persons – of the so-called Wadden or Frisian Islands and lies the farthest of all of them from the Dutch mainland. It’s a very pure and undisturbed island – and therefore a great destination for peace seekers, although the town can be very lively in summer.
Being on an isolated location is always a bit exciting. It gives you a sane feeling; probably because everything is simply much more manageable. The tranquility that comes along with the vacuum of choices makes you wonder how it would be to live in a world that is completely divergent and unresponsive to yours – and gives you the feeling you’re having a break in another era. This is Vlieland’s ambiance, and perhaps its even better to catch it in photos than words:
