The Brandaris Lighthouse

The Brandaris stands at West-Terschelling, a square yellow brick tower built in the 1590s to replace an earlier light lost to the sea, and it has worked ever since, which makes it the oldest surviving lighthouse in the Netherlands. It is not a picturesque striped affair: it is blunt, square, about fifty metres, and it dominates the village and the harbour approach from every direction. It is a working light and traffic post for the Wadden shipping lanes, and the inside is closed to the public, so a visit means walking up to it and around it. The dune ridge behind the village gives the view of it that most people want.

What you actually see

• The tower itself - square, brick and visible from most of the western end of the island.
• The harbour front - the ferry quay and the fishing boats directly below it.
• The dune ridge - the walk behind the village for the standard view of the light.
• The two shores - Wadden mudflats on one side of the island, open North Sea beach on the other.

When to go

May to September, when the ferries are frequent and the island works by bicycle, which is how everyone gets around. Book the crossing and any accommodation early for summer weekends and school holidays. Out of season the crossing is rougher, daylight is short and much of the village is closed.

Honest expectations

You cannot go in, which surprises most visitors, and from the ground the tower photographs as squat rather than tall. Reaching it means a ferry crossing of up to two hours each way, so this is a day rather than a stop. Terschelling in high summer is fully booked and loud. Wind and rain are constant factors here.

Nearby

The island beaches and the Wadden flats, with Harlingen and its old harbour at the mainland end.