Name and Location

The Vuurtoren Ameland, also known as Bornrif, is located at Oranjeweg 57, 9161 CB Hollum, Ameland, Friesland, Netherlands. Its coordinates are 53°26′57.2″ N, 5°37��32.6″ E.

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 by architect Quirinus Harder, chief lighthouse engineer of the Rijkswaterstaat. It replaced an earlier brick lighthouse from 1831 and was built to improve range and reliability amid shifting coastal sands.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower is a tapering cylindrical cast-iron structure, 55 meters tall with a focal plane height of 58 meters above mean sea level. The material used is cast iron, painted in horizontal bands of red-white-red-white. The lantern and gallery are made of iron, and the glazed lantern room houses the optic.

4. Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is a group of three white flashes every 15 seconds (Fl (3) W 15 s), with a detailed sequence of 0.2-second flash, 2.8-second eclipse, and so on. The light color is white, and it has a range of 30 nautical miles.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is managed by Rijkswaterstaat and maintained by the Dienst der Gebouwen and RCE heritage authorities. It is classified as a �����viewpoint” and not wheelchair-accessible, with visitors accessing the base freely but needing to climb an internal spiral staircase to reach the tower.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers panoramic 360-degree views of the Wadden Sea, North Sea horizon, Ameland villages, and dune landscape, making it a popular spot for bird-watching and seal-spotting.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

The lighthouse is nicknamed “Bornrif” in reference to the sandbank off Ameland's northwest coast. It survived both World Wars largely intact and served as a landmark for Allied and German convoys.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse has automated operation, hosts telecommunications equipment (GSM-900 antennas), and is classified as a communication mast. There are no public AIS or radar installations officially listed.

9. Further Information

For further information, refer to the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed monument register (ref. 7693), "Vuurtorens in Nederland" by Henk Vriesema (2006), and the Dutch Wikipedia article on Vuurtoren Ameland.