Aurora / Friesland
Aurora: Kollumerwaard (Lauwersmeer)
Loading the forecast…
Next 72 hours
Next nights
Where to stand
Leave the car at the Kwelderweg car park in Kollumerwaard and follow the cycle path towards the Hooge Zuidwal, described as the darkest cycle path in the Netherlands. Look north over the lake. Lauwersoog harbour glows to the north-west, so keep it at the side of your frame.
View towards the pole
Flat grassland, reeds and the Lauwersmeer to the north; the lights of Lauwersoog harbour in the distance
Sky darkness (Bortle scale): 4
Rules and safety
This national park is managed by Staatsbosbeheer: stay on paths and roads and keep out of areas closed to protect birds. Keep dogs on a lead. Use a red light and do not shine torches at birds.
About the spot
Lauwersmeer is a national park on a former Wadden Sea inlet, on the border of Friesland and Groningen. Since 2016 it has been an International Dark Sky Park, one of two in the Netherlands. At a geomagnetic latitude of about 54°, the aurora shows low in the north during strong storms, as in May 2024.
Do not miss the next window
The best windows last a few hours: after a storm, after rain, on a clear night with an active Sun. Sign up and we will email you when the index at your spots goes above 60.