On the boat to Texel, you can already see that tourism is the economic driving force for the island. Texel has a rich history of trade and beachcombing. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Texel was of strategic importance to the VOC, which traded with Asia. The sailing ships often waited weeks or months 'in the Roads of Texel' for favorable winds, cargo, or crew. This waiting stimulated economic activity on the island, with Texel residents supplying provisions and drinking water to the ships.

A guidebook is available at the Texel Tourist Information Center with stories about Texel during the VOC period. It also describes a walk in and around Oudeschild. Start at the Maritime and Beachcomber Museum and follow the route along the harbor, the cannon, and the 'Roads of Texel'. The walk continues past the Havenzicht restaurant, De Ruyterstraat, Kerkesteeg, and Skillepaadje, where barrels of drinking water were transported to the VOC ships.

At the end of the Skillepaadje are the Wezenputten, named after the children who were supported by the proceeds from the water. The route continues through the Labyrinth and Schansweg to the Galgenlandje, where wrongdoers were once sentenced to death. The walk ends at the Wadden Sea side of the dike and returns to the harbor.