5x Stargazing in the Netherlands

Goeree-Overflakkee is the island of nature reserves, picturesque villages and stargazing. A few years ago, landscape photographer Sander Poppe shot a special picture of the Ouddorp lighthouse on the Kop van Goeree. In the background - to many astonishment - flaunted a large part of the Milky Way.

At De Kop van Goeree, there is so little light pollution that on a clear night you can catch an enchanting glimpse of the Milky Way from the beach.

In the Dollard area in Groningen near the border with Germany, you will find the only bird hide outside the dikes in the Netherlands: the Kiekkaaste. The Dollard marshes are an internationally important nesting area for various birds and light pollution is therefore (fortunately) almost non-existent here.

That is why Kiekkaaste not only guarantees a good afternoon of birdwatching, but also an impressive night of stargazing in the Netherlands.

Lauwersmeer was officially declared a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association in 2016. This means that it is still really dark here and that this darkness is preserved for nocturnal visitors who come to admire the starry sky.

At Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer, sky platforms have been specially created for this purpose. Install yourself here with a nice pillow and feel insignificant under the impressive starry sky stretching far above you.

At Nationaal Park Dwingelderveld in Drenthe, the night is dark and the sky is clear. Thanks to Natuurmonumenten's five-kilometre Nachtwandelroute, you can also go on a night-time excursion here after sunset all year round.

The route takes you past sloping moors, fens and pieces of forest. With your senses on edge, nature just smells, sounds and feels completely different. You would almost forget to stop every now and then and marvel at the luminous sky above your head.

De Boschplaat on Terschelling was once the first area in the Netherlands to be declared a Dark Sky Park. This makes Terschelling one of the darkest places in the world. The perfect place to lie in the sand at night.

Climb one of De Boschplaat's high dune tops and view the starry sky as an impressive panorama. Can you spot the North Star?

Want to delve even deeper into the secrets of the universe after seeing the stars? Then hike the Milky Way trail in Drenthe, for example, where you walk through the universe yourself. Or how about a visit to the Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker. In this oldest working planetarium in the world, you will learn all about our solar system.