Heavenly Dutch Dune

This route takes you through Hollands Duin, a narrow but varied nature reserve above Noordwijk. Wind and water formed beach and dunes here. If you look closely, you can see traces of foxes and rabbits in the loose sand of the dunes. A desert climate prevails on the sandy southern slopes of the dunes: in summer the temperature on the ground can rise above 60 degrees Celsius. You will see plenty of dune violets, bitter herb and sand sedges growing here. Fortunately, they can withstand the cold, because on a clear summer night it can freeze here. People planted fields in this strip of dunes and extracted water from the dune soil. They also planted dense forests where you can now see squirrels jumping from branch to branch and hear woodpeckers drumming. If you walk over the tops of the dunes, you have beautiful views of the bulb fields in the polder, the villages and of course the beach, where the surf of the North Sea rustles through. An ideal time to pull out a blanket and put a grip in the picnic basket. Or to lie back and enjoy the sun.