Grand Hotel Beatrix

Discover Napoleon's fort and walk among sharks in the aquarium

Follow in the footsteps of Napoleon Did you know that sharks live in the North Sea? Would you dare to feed them? This is possible in the North Sea aquarium of Fort Kijkduin! A visit to the aquarium is an exciting and educational adventure where you learn everything about the underwater life in the Wadden and North Sea. Spectacular is the 15-metre-long walk-through tunnel. The historical museum of the fort is also very interesting. Walk through underground tunnels and discover 200 years of military history about Den Helder and the Napoleonic fortress itself. The new family exhibition explores the lives and work of the soldiers stationed in the fort in 1939 during the mobilization of the Dutch army.

The 'Stelling of Den Helder' is one of the oldest stll presence military defensive lines in the Netherlands. The 'stelling' is build in commisioned by Napoleon as a protection of navy base Willemsoord. The city of Den Helder got his shape because of the 'Stelling' which is still seeable in the landscape. The 'Stelling of Den Helder' is very important for the authenticity and identity of Den Helder.

Beach entrance Huisduinen lies almost under de most beautiful and oldest lighthouse of the Netherlands, called ''de Lange Jaap'' and is named after the old village Huisduinen, which lies directly next to it. This beach is a nice and quiet family beach, with its own paviljon ''Factor 30''. You can find the toilets and beach shower here. In de surrounding area there is a beautiful old fort - ''Fort Kijkduin'', which you can visit. It has a magnificent sea fish tank, and a overview of the history of this fort. You can walk and cycle in a big dune area ''de Grafelijkheidsduinen''.

The Defense Line Den Helder is one of the oldest military defense lines still in the Netherlands. The Defense Line...

A breathtaking location on the seadike of Den Helder. You can enjoy the great dishes and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. On the amazing terrace near the Northsea you might spot a seal of close your eyes and enjoy the sun. Do I need to say more? If it is colder, you have the most beautiful seascapes from the conservatory.

Visit this striking building and discover the story of the Atlantic Wall

When you look towards Den Helder, at night you can see a bright light shining from miles away (33,5 miles to be exact!). It's ''De Lange Jaap''; the symbol of Den Helder. It is the tallest cast-iron lighthouse of Europa, and the second-highest lighthouse in the Netherlands. It towers above everything else at 63 meters tall.

De Razende Bol is a jewel in the collection of nature reserves managed by Landschap Noord-Holland. For a few years they have been responsible for nature management on this sandbar that is also known as Noorderhaaks. The sandbar is constantly under the influence of current and wind, the location is therefore constantly changing. The Razende Bol is slowly moving in the direction of Texel.