1st DELFZIJL Groningen
On the Dutch side of the Lower Ems, just a few kilometres before it flows into the North Sea, Delfzijl is the gateway to the Netherlands for German skippers - either on the onward journey buten along the Waddenzee or inland via the Eemskanaal towards Groningen. There is a little bit of tourism in the small town with its red-brick streets, but the port, which is number five in the Netherlands, makes the big money mainly from the chemical and aluminium industry. www.zv-neptunus.nl
Need more information? You can find this article about harbour tips in the Netherlands in BOOTE issue 07/2021 from 16/06/2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
2 DEN HAAG Zuid-Holland
The Hague is the only city in the south of the Netherlands to have two marinas, one on the inland side and one on the sea side (in Scheveningen). Its population of around half a million people includes the government, parliament and the royal family. Even though Amsterdam holds the title of the country's nominal capital, The Hague also has a lot to offer: The exciting combination of modern and classically representative architecture is particularly striking, along with a whole range of museums and a lively cultural and gastronomic scene. www.denhaag.com
3. KAMPEN Overijssel
The time-honoured town of Kampen lies at the mouth of the river IJssel into the Ketelmeer, the south-eastern tip of the IJsselmeer. For many decades now, the area has been securely dyked and embanked. But before that, it was basically on the open North Sea and traded with the whole of Europe via the Zuiderzee, especially with the brother states of the Hanseatic League, to which Kampen also belonged. Many buildings, such as the imposing Koornmarktsport, whose round towers are reminiscent of Lübeck's Holstentor and which today houses exhibitions, bear witness to the town's rich past. www.holland-hanse.de
4th TERSCHELLING Friesland
In the north, the West Frisian Islands shield the Wadden Sea from the open North Sea; there are five large inhabited islands, from Schiermonnikoog in the east to Texel in the west. Terschelling forms the centre, almost 30 kilometres long but barely three kilometres wide on average. Overgrown dunes characterise the landscape in the interior, wide beaches line the seaward side and salty marshes line the Wadden Sea. The main town is West Terschelling with its large marina, lively streets around the Brandaris lighthouse and plenty of nature all around.
Need more information? You can find this article about harbour tips in the Netherlands in BOOTE issue 07/2021 from 16/06/2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
5th MAASTRICHT Limburg
You could hardly be further away from the sea in the Netherlands: The south of the province of Limburg lies between Germany and Belgium, with the Meuse forming the border. This border triangle - in which borderlines hardly play a role - is a fitting location for the European city of Maastricht. The university also provides a youthful and international flair: there are almost 20,000 students for every 120,000 inhabitants. www.besuchemaastricht.de
6. VLISSINGEN Zeeland
On the North Sea coast, the Westerschelde separates Belgium and the Netherlands. The only unenclosed estuary of the Scheldt delta provides access to Antwerp, Europe's second largest harbour. Vlissingen in the south of the Walcheren peninsula is one of the pilot stations for this waterway. It was once even an English garrison town. The high harbour walls and the sometimes rough sea on the doorstep give you a foretaste of the not-too-distant English Channel.
4th TERSCHELLING Friesland
In the north, the West Frisian Islands shield the Wadden Sea from the open North Sea; there are five large inhabited islands, from Schiermonnikoog in the east to Texel in the west. Terschelling forms the centre, almost 30 kilometres long but barely three kilometres wide on average. Overgrown dunes characterise the landscape in the interior, wide beaches line the seaward side and salty marshes line the Wadden Sea. The main town is West Terschelling with its large marina, lively streets around the Brandaris lighthouse and plenty of nature all around.
Need more information? You can find this article about harbour tips in the Netherlands in BOOTE issue 07/2021 from 16/06/2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
5th MAASTRICHT Limburg
You could hardly be further away from the sea in the Netherlands: The south of the province of Limburg lies between Germany and Belgium, with the Meuse forming the border. This border triangle - in which borderlines hardly play a role - is a fitting location for the European city of Maastricht. The university also provides a youthful and international flair: there are almost 20,000 students for every 120,000 inhabitants. www.besuchemaastricht.de
6. VLISSINGEN Zeeland
On the North Sea coast, the Westerschelde separates Belgium and the Netherlands. The only unenclosed estuary of the Scheldt delta provides access to Antwerp, Europe's second largest harbour. Vlissingen in the south of the Walcheren peninsula is one of the pilot stations for this waterway. It was once even an English garrison town. The high harbour walls and the sometimes rough sea on the doorstep give you a foretaste of the not-too-distant English Channel.
