Ameland, West Frisian Island municipality in Friesland, Netherlands
Ameland is a West Frisian island in the Dutch Wadden Sea with four main villages: Hollum, Ballum, Nes, and Buren. Dune landscapes stretch from the northern side to flatter meadows and salt marshes along the southern coast.
Ritske Jelmera received the territory as a free lordship in 1424 and the island remained largely autonomous until 1813. After the Napoleonic Wars, it officially became part of the Netherlands and lost its special status.
Residents wear traditional costumes during special occasions and preserve old seafaring crafts in their museums and homes. Local families keep stories alive about the whaling era, when many captains sailed the world's oceans and returned with wealth.
Regular ferries run from Holwert on the mainland and bring visitors with cars or bicycles to the island. Buses connect the four villages, and most paths are flat enough for cyclists of all ages.
A dike construction project from 1871 aimed to connect the island to the mainland, but severe storms destroyed the structure while work was still ongoing. The remains lie beneath the Wadden Sea today and are sometimes visible during low tide.
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