Album: Netherlands: Harlingen
Flatboat in the Harbor of Harlingen
Flat-bottomed ships (NL: ‘Platbodem‘) are sailing vessels specially designed for use in the Wadden Sea. A flat-bottomed vessel, as the name suggests, has a flat bottom and no keel. Instead, a flat-bottomed vessel has drop-down pulleys on the left and right sides of the boat’s exterior. Because of the shallow draft, flat-bottomed vessels can also operate in the shallow waters of the Wadden Sea and can easily dry out at low tide.
In the harbor of Harlingen you can admire a whole series of such partly historic flat-bottomed ships, which you can also rent or charter for small or larger excursions and sailing trips.
Cannon in Harlingen Harbor
A small historical cannon near the outer harbor wall in the harbor of Harlingen
The Lighthouse of Harlingen, Waterfront
In the center of the picture, the railroad line and the small train station, which actually only consists of a platform and a ticket machine. On the left in the picture you can see the waterfront, where a historic sailing ship is located, which can also be visited. On the right you can see the lighthouse of Harlingen. The lighthouse was in operation until 1998 – today you can spend the night here. However, staying overnight in the lighthouse seems to be so popular, that the lighthouse is booked out many months in advance. The view of the open must be magnificent – the price for staying at the lighthouse are too.
The picture is taken from the pedestrian bridge that connects the waterfront with the city center. Near the pedestrian bridge is a parking lot where payment/timekeeping is completely automatic: There are no parking tickets. Instead, the license plate number is recorded when you enter – and when you leave, you pay the amount due directly at the barrier.