The Brandaris. This imposing building dates from 1594, the year in which Willem Barentz began his first journey. Islanders usually say the "tour" (tower). The Brandaris is the country's oldest working lighthouse. The first firehouse on Terschelling dates from 1323. It is the predecessor of the Brandaris, which took its current form in 1594. Its name is often associated with the verb burn because a real fire used to burn on the plateau as a beacon, but it is generally assumed that it comes from the Irish abbot Brandaan (Brendan). This sea traveler is venerated in many churches around the Baltic Sea and the coast of Flanders and Brittany and is often depicted as a saint with a burning torch. The Brandaris is not open to the public, but it can be used as a special wedding location for some years now. The Brandaris is manned day and night and serves as the sea traffic center for the entire Wadden Sea Region. Nowadays the tower keeper keeps an eye on everything with a lot of digital material, but it is still nice that the best man or woman also looks outside. Many a drifted surfer is grateful to them after a rescue!