Walking through Den Helder

A relatively short walk through the Kop van Noord-Holland, but yes
one with a lot of variety: this tour takes you through dunes, forests and a
park-like neighborhood on the west side of Den Helder. With Fort Kijkduin on the route
you also enter a special part of Dutch history.
If you want to cool your feet after walking, you can of course walk
just to the beach. It is tempting to come here, especially when the weather is nice
stick around and enjoy the beach life.

After a few kilometers from the dunes you enter the Mariëndal nature reserve. Here the former bulb soil has been converted into low dunes, dune grasslands and water features. With a bit of luck, you can spot a fox in the early or late hours during its search for a rabbit or hare. Slightly easier to see are the geese, snipes and oystercatchers. Just outside Den Helder you walk into the Grasduinerpolder. The brackish influence of the North Sea water is noticeable in the polder: salt-loving plants such as milkweed and strawberry clover grow there. Special bird ponds have been dug to make the area even more attractive for passing waders. At high tide in spring and autumn, large numbers of curlews, sandpipers and oystercatchers are on land. In winter, brent geese, snow buntings and moorhens search for food. At the southern end of this area, Lange Jaap, a lighthouse that was lit in 1878, towers above the horizon. At almost 64 meters it is the highest cast iron lighthouse in Europe.

Museum Fort Kijkduin is a national monument that is more than worth a visit. The fort was built in 1811 by order of Napoleon Bonaparte and originally consisted of a reduit with two bastions. During the strengthening of the sea wall, part of the defenses surrounding the fort disappeared. A North Sea aquarium has been built in the underground tunnel system of Fort Kijkduin. Here you can experience the North Sea very close.