Cycling through the dunes

We start this cycle route south of Katwijk. From Katwijk we cycle in the direction of Wassenaar. Wassenaar consists of a village center surrounded by a wooded area with many villas and country houses. Many of these have traditionally been country estates, summer homes for wealthy city dwellers. In addition to many wealthy residents, these houses companies and consulates. Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima have their home on the Eikenhorst estate. The Duinrell estate is used as an amusement park. Nearby is the Duindigt racecourse, the only remaining grass racecourse in the Netherlands. We also pass the Backershagen and Wiltzanck estates and the de Paauw estate. Huize de Paauw is the current town hall of the municipality of Wassenaar. In the center of Wassenaar is the old Romanesque village church that partly dates from the 12th century and was partly built in the 16th century after destruction at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War. Princess Alexia was baptized in this church. Here we also find Oud-Wassenaar Castle. During World War II, the Nazis used the house to accommodate foreign guests. The castle was renovated after the war. The guestbook contains famous names such as Winston Churchill, Paul-Henri Spaak, General Montgomery and Oe Thant. Many large parties have been held there, including a wedding party for Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven in 1967. Events are still regularly organized and it has been one of Wassenaar's non-municipal wedding locations for several years. From Wassenaar we head towards The Hague. North of The Hague we go into the dunes. A vast dune area in the middle of the Randstad. The Hollands Duin runs from Wassenaar to well north of Noordwijk. A place to get a breath of fresh air or find peace after a busy day. The dunes are never boring. Sheltered forests, open plains and wet dune valleys alternate. In some places the sand may even drift again. In summer the temperature in this 'Dutch desert' can rise considerably.