Natuurhistorisch Museum Terschelling

Terschelling is one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, a long, narrow island in the north of the country with a village at each end, wide sandy beaches on the North Sea side, and extensive tidal flats on the side facing the mainland. It is reached by ferry from Harlingen, and it has a long reputation for nature, tradition and an annual festival of outdoor theatre called Oerol. The Natuurhistorisch Museum, the natural history museum, sits in West-Terschelling, the island's main village, and it is the natural place to begin to understand the landscape that surrounds the visitor.

The museum is also known as the Centre for Nature and Landscape, and its theme is the natural world of the island and the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is one of the most important tidal areas in the world, a shallow sea of mudflats, gullies and sandbanks, where the tide rises and falls twice a day, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its mud is rich in invertebrates, which feed millions of birds on migration, and its waters are a nursery for fish. The exhibits explain how the tides, the weather and the shifting sands shape the islands, how the dunes formed and how plants and animals have adapted to the harsh and changing conditions.

A large aquarium is one of the main features, showing the marine animals that live in the waters around the island, including fish, crabs, shellfish and rays. Visitors can often touch some of the animals under supervision, which makes it a favourite with children. Other displays look at the birds of the island, which breed in the dunes and on the beaches, at the geology and history of the area and at the way people have managed the land. The remote nature reserve on the eastern part of the island, the Boschplaat, which can be reached only on foot, and which is partly closed in the breeding season, is explained, along with the work of conservation. Films and presentations add detail.

The museum suits families and anyone planning to explore the island, as it provides context for walks, cycling and visits to the beach. Opening hours vary with the season, so check before going. A rainy day is a good time for it.

Terschelling has other sights as well, including the Brandaris lighthouse, one of the oldest in the Netherlands, the museum of the lightship and buoys, and the cranberry bogs that produce the island's famous berries. The museum suits families, nature lovers and day trippers. Allow an hour or so, and plan the rest of the day on a bicycle.