Top 4 Natural Monuments around Harlingen

One of the 11 fountains. Every 11 cities has one.

Harlingen was once a center of whaling. Today, we no longer seek to kill these great and magnificent animals, but rather to save them from death. Especially since, for unknown reasons, they are now increasingly stranded in shallow waters. The Harlingen fountain is a life-size sperm whale. It lies lost in the Zuiderpier, but every now and then its powerful jet of water reveals that it is very much alive. Thus, "The Whale" reminds us of the profound influence that humans have on all that lives in the sea. You can reach the fountain by strolling along the wall on the left side of the harbor. Almost opposite the Harlingen harbor crane as the crow flies is the whale – the Harlingen fountain. https://www.bloggmaus.de/2022/04/elfstadtetour-11-fountains-in-friesland.html

The fountain is a tribute to the world-famous, Franeker-born astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort. His hypothesis that a 'cloud' of billions of comet-like objects orbits our solar system represented a breakthrough in astronomy. The fountain is constructed as a series of waterfalls cascading from a bowl into the basin along a vertical chain of dark pearls. One of the pearls is silver, like the moon, another is gilded, the color of the sun. The 'Oort cloud' itself is a mist of fine droplets falling from a golden latticework into the bowl.

In the middle of the part of the north wall of the church where there was apparently an extension, there is a decapitated statue. According to the literature, a statue of Mary.

The north wall of the church is well worth studying. The tufa (natural stone, not brick) is the oldest part. The monastery bricks date from later times and the Frisian yellow bricks are from later again. There appears to have been a round side extension that was demolished and the wall was filled with monastery bricks. The church is also raised, as evidenced by the top layer of the wall consisting of monastery bricks. The Romanesque windows are also bricked up with monastery bricks.

The church of Achlum is open to visitors on Saturdays from July to mid-September from 1:30 to 5:00. The mound was created in the Iron Age from around 500 BC. A monastery was built there from the 13th to the 16th century. It was partially excavated in the 19th century, but has now acquired a sharper relief. It is a striking point in the landscape.

... a very nice spot for a long-distance view and even with a free parking space. On the dike you have a great 360° panoramic view ...😎

The Wadden Sea (Frisian: Waadsee, German: Wattenmeer) is a marginal sea between the Wadden Islands and the North Sea on one side and the mainland of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark on the other. The area stretches between Den Helder in the Netherlands and Esbjerg in Denmark, has a length of 500 km and an average width of 20 km. The area is about 10,000 km², of which about 7,500 km² are tidal areas (mudflats and sandbanks), 1,100 km² are islands and 350 km² are salt marshes and summer polders. The rest consists of shipping canals. Several rivers flow into the Wadden Sea. The estuary expanded into an estuary such as the Dollart, the Lauwerszee, the Middelzee and the Zuiderzee. The Wadden Sea has great natural value and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The World Heritage covers more than 12,000 km², including the transition area to the North Sea (approx. 4,000 km²). The Wadden Islands of the Netherlands and Schleswig-Holstein and the estuaries of the Ems, Outer Jade, Weser and Elbe are largely excluded. However, these areas mostly fall under the Natura 2000 regime. The protection measures are coordinated by the International Wadden Sea Secretariat in Wilhelmshaven, in which the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark work together. The Wadden Sea is not only a nature reserve, but also important for fishing, recreation, mineral extraction and other economic activities. The Dutch Wadden Sea area was declared state property in 1981 and assigned to the provinces of North Holland, Friesland and Groningen. In 1986 the Wadden Sea was also divided into municipalities. Fantastic nature and great cycling paths.