The Lighthouses of the Netherlands

This is the front light of an upstream range for ships entering the Westerschelde. Located just off the beach on the north side of the Westerschelde, about 8 km northwest of Vlissingen.

Photo courtesy Christophe Boxus [Carceller]

Located on the north shore of the Westerschelde in Zoutelande, about 8 km southwest of Westkapelle.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

This light forms a range with the high light for ships at a distance approaching the Westerschelde; the red and green sectors warn nearby ships away from shoals to the south. Located just behind the sea dike at Westkapelle, at the western tip of Walcheren, marking the northern entrance to the Westerschelde.

Photo courtesy Bies [Flickr]

Schouwen is an island, separated from Walcheren by the Oosterschelde. Located behind the sea dike at Nieuw Haamstede at the westernmost point of Schouwen. Accessible by road.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

Established in 1552, inactive since 1924.  Located near Ouddorp at the western end of Goeree-Overflakkee, an island formed when two smaller islands were joined by reclaimed land. Accessible by road.

Photo courtesy De Kijkdoos [Flickr]

The Nieuwendijk range guides ships into the Vuile Gat channel north of the large island of Tiengemeten in the middle of the Haringvliet.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located on the waterfront in Willemstad, overlooking the Hollands Diep, a segment of the lower Mass east of the junction of the Haringvliet and Brouwershaven, the estuaries north and south of Goeree-Overflakkee; Willemstad is off exit 23 of the A29 freeway south of Rotterdam.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

Stenen Baken simply means Brick Beacon. Located in Oostvoorne, a town west of Brielle and south of the Europoort development.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

This light and its companion are popularly called paddestoelen (mushrooms); together they flank the entrance to the Rotterdamsche Waterweg, the commercial mouth of the Maas. Located at the end of the breakwater on the south side of the entrance. Accessible only by boat.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located on the the Middle Pier, a long mole dividing the Rotterdamsche Waterweg from the Calandkanaal. Accessible only by boat; there are distant views from Hoek van Holland and from the end of the N15 highway in Europoort.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located near the end of a long peninsula between the Rotterdamsche Waterweg and the Calandkanaal. As you can see, accessible by car.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located on the north side of the Rotterdamsche Waterweg, near the ferry terminal where Stena Line ferries arrive from England. Accessible by car.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located next to the railway station in the harbour at "Hoek van Holland". It's directly on the opposite side of the entry to Rotterdam's Europort. That's 450 m (1/4 mi) east southeast of the low light.

Photo courtesy oxidser.

Located at Willem van Houtenstraat 102 in Hoek van Holland, just east of the modern range light.

Located at the harbor of Scheveningen, a historic port which is now the oceanfront neighborhood of The Hague, the capital of the Netherlands.

Photo courtesy Sculpture grrl [Flickr]

(Promenade Pier). Located at the end of the pier, about 4 km north of the harbor lights.  Viewers will note that this is not a lighthouse, just a interesting tower next to the water.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located off the Seinpostweg on the south side of the harbor entrance in IJmuiden.

(A short note about syntax.  The capital I, capital J means that this once was a single character.  My Dutch friends indicated that the correct symbol would be a Y with an umlaut, and even my latest character set doesn't have that.)

Photo courtesy vunzie [Webshots]

Located at the end of the south breakwater at IJmuiden. Accessible only by boat; there are good views from the foot of the breakwater.

Photo courtesy Conny Foto [Webshots]

Located at the end of the north breakwater at IJmuiden.

Photo courtesy sandra richters [Flickr]

The lighthouse was built as a memorial to Jan C. J. van Speijk (or van Speyk), who blew up his own ship to prevent it from falling into the hands of Belgian revolutionaries at Antwerp in 1831. Located on the seaside boulevard in Egmond aan Zee, about 20 km north of Ijmuiden.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

Located in the village of Huisduinen, just west of Den Helder.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

This lighthouse was originally built at the western end of the island of Wieringen, marking an entrance to the Zuiderzee. In 1930, when the great dike called the Afsluitdijk closed off the mouth of the Zuiderzee and created the IJsselmeer, the lighthouse was relocated to the east end of Wieringen, marking the approach to the lock that admits ocean-going ships to the IJsselmeer.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

This old lightbeacon is well known and often visited. Located at the entrance to the old harbor of Enkhuizen.

Photo courtesy Emil de Jong [Flickr]

The village Marken is a museum and "carfree", that means paying for parking, entry ... The best way to reach the light is walking along the bicycle path (half an hour) or cycling.

Photo courtesy Nielsvk [Flickr]

Located on the waterfront in Harderwijk, which was formerly on the south shore of the Zuiderzee and is now on the south shore of the Veluwemeer, the remnant channel between the Zuid Flevoland polder and the mainland of Gelderland.

Photo courtesy Joke (mylights.nl) [Flickr]

The lighthouse now sits in the middle of a field in the Noordoost Polder about 3 km north of the Ketelmeer, the remnant arm of the former Zuiderzee between the Noordoost and Oost Flevoland polders. Private residence. Located about 8 km east of Ens.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

According to the Vuurtorens in Nederland site, the front light (Netherlands 1994) is on a 6 m post. However, several sites claim that the south pierhead light is the front light. Probably there are ranges on both lines. Located just off the Zuiderweg near the waterfront in Stavoren.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

Overnight accommodations available. Located near the harbor in downtown Harlingen, overlooking the Waddenzee.

Photo courtesy Stefan Schlautmann [Flickr]

stands not far away from the old light in the harbour.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

The tower is believed to date from about 1450. Located in Den Hoorn op Texel on the north side of the Zeegat van Texel. The island of Texel is accessible by ferry from Den Helder.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located on the highest point of Vlieland, just west of the port town of Oost Vlieland.  Vlieland is accessible by passenger ferry from Harlingen on the mainland; in the summer there is also ferry service from the northern end of Texel.

Photo courtesy Marc de Kleijn [pBase]

Located in Hollum at the western end of the island of Ameland; the island, a popular tourist destination, is accessible by ferry from Holwerd.

Photo courtesy Aldo van Zeeland [Flickr]

Located in the village of Schiermonnikoog.  (Known as the white lighthouse, opposed to the red shown above.)

Photo courtesy Heremiet [Flickr]

This light was located on the waterfront in Delfzijl, the Dutch port on the Eems, about 50 km east of Groningen.  It was built in 1889 but destroyed in 1940.

Postcard courtesy Klause Huelse [LeuchtturmWelt]