Pension Westerburen
The Westerburen guesthouse is located on one of the village's oldest streets. The current village of "Schiermonnikoog" was built at the beginning of the 18th century after the old village of "Westerburen" was threatened by the encroaching sea, due to significant dune erosion on the west side of the island. It was then decided to rebuild the village, approximately four kilometers east of the old village. Construction began on the Middenstreek and Voorstreek, which is why the oldest houses on Schiermonnikoog now stand on these streets. In the late 19th century, many captains and shipowners lived on Schiermonnikoog. They bought these old island houses and replaced them with modern houses, including the Westerburen guesthouse, which was built around 1900.
2023, new owners
Aïcha Kroes-Yattara grew up in Mali, West Africa, where she lived in Ségou and Bamako. At sixteen, she came to Schiermonnikoog to be reunited with her mother, Mariame. In the Netherlands, Aïcha completed various culinary training programs and worked in various island kitchens, where she further developed her love of cooking. Together with her husband, Halbe, she has two children, Zahra and Joshua, who both grew up on the island. Inspired by her family and her caring nature, Aïcha later started working at the local drugstore, where she served islanders and guests with attentiveness and sound advice for years.
Halbe Kroes was born in Kollum, in the northeast of Friesland. After high school, he moved to Schiermonnikoog and found his place in the hospitality industry. At Hotel Duinzicht, he learned all facets of hospitality, completing the necessary training. After working in various hospitality settings and taking courses in wine and craft beer, he chose a new direction in 2019 as a doctor's assistant. He now (occasionally) combines this job with running the guesthouse. Together with Aïcha, he now brings his experience and love of hospitality to life at Pension Westerburen. A place where care, warmth, and simplicity converge.
Already in use as a guest house in 1920
Around 1920, the house was already in use as a guesthouse and had a veranda that opened onto the street. Otherwise, the building was virtually identical to its current state; see the photo above from this period. After having had several owners, of which the Kuipers family was one of the long-term owners (for over 40 years), the guesthouse was purchased by the Visser family in 1993. They ran it until January 2002, after which the Westerburen guesthouse was taken over by the Weldring family. Johan and Mariame (pictured here) owned Westerburen until early January 2023. They made many changes and improvements in the more than 20 years they owned the guesthouse. Now it's their daughter and son-in-law, Aïcha and Halbe Kroes, who have owned this bed and breakfast with a rich history since 2023. It's wonderful that every member of both families still helps out at Westerburen, something they are proud of.
African influences
Aïcha's roots in Mali give Westerburen a warm West African touch. The curtains, bedspreads, and artwork reflect her home, softly interwoven with island life. Besides the influences from Aïcha's native land, we also focus on local products. At breakfast, you'll taste the attention to provenance: cheese from the local cheese shop "Van Schier," beer from all the Wadden Islands, and coffee and cocoa from the fair-trade coffee roaster Peeze. Sustainability and fair trade are therefore very important themes for us at Westerburen.
Conservatory
We serve breakfast in the morning in the conservatory at the front of the guesthouse. It's a lovely place to relax during the day, with a view of the Middenstreek region and a terrace right outside. You can help yourself to drinks in the well-stocked refrigerator or coffee machine. Just write down what you use, and we'll settle your bill before you leave. Books, magazines, and some games are available for when the weather calls for staying indoors or for those cozy evenings. And of course, there's good Wi-Fi everywhere.
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