Amelān is one of the inhabited Dutch Wadden Islands just out of the Frisian mainland. Amelān consists mainly
of sanddunes and is famous for its beautiful beaches.
There is a ferry service from the pier at Holwerd.
Wadden
Islands are a work in process, tides and currents constantly erode the western side and grow sanddunes in the east, like het
Oerd on Amelān.
The islands thus slowly "walk" to the east and over time Amelān has lost the settlements Oerd and Sier to
the sea. But the ferries proudly carry these names so they are not forgotten.
People have lived here since early times but the
island is first mentioned as Ambla in an 8th century document.
The island enjoyed a semi-independent status as
free lordship from 1424 until 1813 when it became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In the 18th century whaling brought
great wealth to the island, in particular to the village of Hollum. But a high price was paid in ships and souls that were
lost in the perilous waters of the Barents Sea.
In the 1870s a dike was build between Amelān and the mainland in an effort
to reclaim land from the sea. But the sea handily won and soon the dike was history. Parts of it show up at
low tide.
Presently Amelān thrives on tourism and in summer the island and the beaches can feel over-crowded.
Luckily most people use a (rental) bike so it remains relatively quiet and civilized.
Last time we were on Amelān was in
July 2017.
