Vlieland is a sparsely populated island of 12 x 2 km that lies between the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is famous for its rich flora and fauna, and is a major stopover location for migrating waterbirds.

Its landscape is made up of dunes, salt meadows, mud flats, beaches, polders and forests. Cars are forbidden except for the islanders, but the island is best explored by bicycle anyway. In June 2009, the Wadden Sea was added to the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.