Experience night-time in the Wadden

Nowhere is the darkness as all-encompassing as in the Wadden. In the last bit of pristine nature in the Netherlands, it gets properly dark. Whether you're on the Wadden Islands or along the Wadden coast. In clear weather you can see the Milky Way or the northern lights. Many businesses provide events and facilities where you can immerse yourself in this darkness. They are unique experiences that should not be missing from your bucket list.

Come and discover! 

Dark Sky Parks

Did you know that the Netherlands has two official Dark Sky Parks? And that both of them are in the Wadden area? At Boschplaat in Terschelling and in the National Park Lauwersmeer, you can experience the overwhelming darkness. For the latter, a brand-new night map has been made. It can be downloaded with the button below! However, the two Dark Sky Parks are not the only places where you can experience darkness. All across the Wadden area, there are various unique experiences to be had. On this page, you can discover the most beautiful and fun trips in the dark and you discover exciting stories. This page is supplemented regularly with new experiences and stories, so keep an eye out! 

Night map of Lauwersmeer

You want to do this - Immerse yourself in the darkness of the Wadden area with these ultimate experiences

Night of the Wad 2021

Night of the Wad 2021

During the Night of the Wad, you can participate in various darkness activities in a number of locations.

Starry walk on Schiermonnikoog

Starry walk on Schiermonnikoog

An unforgettable experience in nature!

Sleep outdoors

Sleep outdoors

Sleep under the stars – a truly exceptional experience.

Star gazing

Star gazing

Are you going out by yourself in the Dark Sky area? Visit one of the sky platforms near Lauwersmeer. These are observation points from where you can see the stars even better.

Star barn at Island Museum Jan Lont

Star barn at Island Museum Jan Lont

A visit to the Wieringen Island Museum is always worth the effort. The Darkness theme makes it even more unusual this year.

24 hours in the Wadden

24 hours in the Wadden

On this trip you spend 24 hours or 86,400 seconds finding out why this area is so unique.

Wadden experience point

Wadden experience point

The Wadden experience point in Den Oever is a vantage point over the Wadden Sea. You can look out over nature area ’t Schor, the Leidam with the largest spoonbill colony in Europe (Vogelsandt), the former island Wieringen, the port of Den Oever and the Afsluitdijk.

Night-time excursion with a forest ranger

Night-time excursion with a forest ranger

Several times a year, Staatsbosbeheer (the Dutch Forestry Commission) organises a stars excursion or full-moon excursion in Lauwersmeer national park. Keep an eye on the activities calendar of the National Park

Star gazing on Texel

Star gazing on Texel

It is truly dark on Texel! A great place to really enjoy a starry night. Besides Ecomare, there is also the observatory of Public Observatory De Jager. It has fixed telescopes, sunspot viewers and a free-standing binoviewer. There is always something unusual to see!

You want to read this - Discover everything about the Darkness of the Wadden along the Wadden coast

Experience the Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer - (click on the image to start the video)

You want to find out more - Discover everything you want to know about the darkness phenomenon

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