The sturdy red lighthouse on the northernmost tip of the island is the symbol of Texel for many people. So you definitely want to visit this while you are on our Wadden Island. Good news: you can!

Visit the lighthouse

The lighthouse is open to the public. After a staircase of 118 steps, you have a magnificent view of the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, the northern part of the island and the nearby Vlieland on the gallery, at 45 meters above sea level. In the dark, the light from the Texel lighthouse can be seen all the way in Leeuwarden.

The history of the lighthouse

Texel acquired a lighthouse in 1864, following many years of campaigning by Texel civil-law notary Kikkert. The seas around the island were so dangerous that many ships sank before the lighthouse was finally built. You can learn more about this in a brief exhibition in the lighthouse.

During the Second World War, the lighthouse was the site of a major part of the action of the Georgian Rebellion, or Russian War; in fact, the bullet holes are still visible in the walls of the tower.