The Village - Schiermonnikoog

In the 17th Century, Schiermonnikoog was made up of multiple little villages, the biggest one was called “Westerburen”, on the westside of the Island. This part of the island slowly “disappeared” in to the sea; therefore the islanders were forced to move to the eastside of the island. This is how the current village was formed, also known as “Oosterburen”.

During this time, the island was owned by the Stachouwer family who were responsible for the still very evident characteristics of the village. Streets were built from the west to the east side of the island to minimise the impact of the wind. The first streets ran parallel to each other, now known as Voorstreek and Middensteek. Subsequently they created “Langestreek” on the north side of the village.

Places of interest

In the village you can find many beautifully restored, traditional island houses. The oldest house on the island, called “Marten”, can still be found in the street named “Middenstreek”. This charming little house was built in 1721.

In the centre of the town, the jaw of a blue whale can be found to commemorate the whaling era, just after the Second World War. These were brought back to the Island by Klaas Visser, a Captain from the island aboard the Willem Barentzs.

To honour the monks who founded our island a bronze statue was created in 1961, by artist Martin van Waning. This statue can be found in the centre of the village, next to the city hall.

There are many more sights on Schiermonnikoog, discover and explore them all!