The second stage of the North Holland Trail starts in De Waal, the smallest village on Texel with fewer than 300 inhabitants. It used to be situated by the sea. The draining of the Waal en Burg polder meant that De Waal now lies on the border between the old and new land of Texel. In this picturesque village, you will find a friendly atmosphere, narrow streets, old cottages, and farms.
The cozy Den Burg
From De Waal, you walk along the characteristic Bomendiek—formerly known as the Waaldam, which protected the island against the encroaching seawater—to the polder and hamlet of Tienhoven. You do, however, walk past the charming Den Burg. This largest village on Texel has many restaurants, nice shops, and terraces. There is a market on Mondays. A literal highlight is the Hoge Berg at 15 meters. It is a special place, as it is the highest point of the moraine from the penultimate ice age and the highest point on Texel.
Garden walls and sheep shelters
Before you arrive in the fishing harbor of Oudeschild, you will first encounter two characteristic elements of the island: garden walls and sheep sheds. Until the second half of the 16th century, farmers were allowed to graze their livestock anywhere. After that, this right lapsed, and the livestock had to remain on their own land. Therefore, garden walls were constructed from sods. In 1968, the area around the Hoge Berg became a protected landscape reserve. Another phenomenon on the old land of Texel are the sheep sheds: small barns in which hay and fodder for the sheep were stored.
Soak up culture in Oudeschild
Oudeschild is a village on the sea dike of Texel. It is a real fishing port where you can also enjoy good seafood. There is a marina, and if you want to go out onto the Wadden Sea, you can book a boat tour here. Or visit the brewery of the authentic Texel Skuumkoppe. The center of Oudeschild is not on the route, so if you want to visit the village, you will have to make a detour. On the route, however, are the Apotheek – a piece of protected grassland where farmers grazed their sick sheep to regain their strength – and the star-shaped Fort De Schans, which was built on the orders of William of Orange. At the ferry port, you board the boat again to naval base Den Helder.