On the far northern side of Groningen city, where the provinces of Groningen and Friesland meet each other at the picturesque Lauwersmeer lake, lies the small village of Lauwersoog. From here it's a 45-minute (regular) ferry ride to the island of Schiermonnikoog. The greater part of this 18km long and 3km wide Wadden island is a national park where cars are forbidden, but there are plenty of wonderful options for cycling and hiking on the island. Only a thousand people live here and most of these in the only village of the same name. In fact, birds outnumber people on the island in all seasons. The best thing about Schiermonnikoog in our humble opinion is the easy access to Europe's widest beaches. Nature lovers will also love the fact that half of all Dutch flower and plant species can be found here. The island is visited by some 300,000 tourists every year.