Netherlands: The Shipwreck Museum on the island Terschelling

Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands. It is one of the West Frisian Islands.

Wadden islanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts recovered from shipwrecks. The islands are surrounded by famous shipwrecks, and even today many containers wash ashore that are blown off the decks of cargo ships in the North Sea.
Perhaps the most famous shipwreck off the coast of Terschelling is the Lutine, whose bell hangs in Lloyd's of London. Another famous ship was the Oka 18, which sank near the town of Formerum. Until recently her funnel could be seen rising out from the sea. In West Terschelling a pub was named after this ship.

The shipwreck museum in Formerum gives you an impression of the kind of 'treasures' the islanders have found in the past years.

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