A small trip to Texel

With all the kids away from home, Miss Micro-adventure and Me planned a weekend on the Island Texel.
Texel is an island in the North of the Netherlands.
It is the biggest and most populated of the Islands in the Wadden Sea.

We left the car behind on the parking at the harbor of Den Helder and cycle the “Ivan the Terrible” on the ferry to Texel. The double-decker ferry leaves from Den Helder every hour .The crossing lasts only 20 minutes

We found a place to put up our tent on a mini camping ground of a farm.
Very cheap and your wakeup call is from gooses, sheep’s and cows.
( Miss Micro adventure also heard a snoring pig that night, but I missed that. LOL )

The size of Texel is roughly 22km bij 8km. But there is over 135 kilometres of beautiful cycling path, mostly separate from the road. You can bring your own bicycle as we did, but there are also more than enough rental bikes available on Texel.


The North sea

Much of Texel is nature reserves which are home to rare plants and animals: nature which is unique in the Netherlands and even in Europe.

The Maritiem Museum in Oude Schild






The outhouse

Swallows


The Light house

The Lighthouse
The bold red lighthouse on the northern tip of the island is for many people the symbol of Texel.
After taking the staircase of 153 steps we had a magnificent view, over the North Sea, Wadden Sea and the nearby island of Vlieland.



Turbulent history
In 1864 Texel got a lighthouse, after years of campaigning. Before the establishment of the lighthouse every year many ships perished, because the surrounding waters were so dangerous for shipping.
The lighthouses played a important in the revolted of the German army battalion of Georgians in 1944.


The 'old land' is characterised by the presence of ‘stolp' farms, garden walls and sheep pens.


The old fort

After two fantastic day's and 110 km on the tandem, the ferry was waiting for bringing us back to Den Helder.