Horse riding school Bruin

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 nature that surrounds Den Helder is fairly unknown, but certainly worth the effort. For example the "Huisduinerpolder". Located behind the hospital of Den Helder starts a path to the marshy polder, next to Fort Erfprins. The brackish influence of the North Sea water is noticeable in the vegetation due to the presence of salt-loving plants. In spring and autumn there are large numbers of curlews, sandpipers and oystercatchers at high tide. Brent geese, snow buntings and moorhens look for food in the winter. The polder is a breeding ground for reed singers and redshanks.

Hotel The Baron Crown is situated in the picturesque seaside resort Huisduinen, a stonethrow away from Den Helder, next to the beaches, sea and dunes. Within 5 minutes you reach the centre of Den Helder. Our hotel offers free WiFi. The suites feature a seating area with a flat-screen TV, DVD player, a minibar and coffee and tea. Each suite also has ironing facilities.

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.

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.

Storm aan Zee has a special location on the seadike of Den Helder, at the beginning of the Dutch coast. At our restaurant you can enjoy a magnificent seaview, De Razende Bol, Texel and the dunes of Den Helder.

Care & dairy farm Tesselaar is situated in Huisduinen. It's the only dairy farm in the township of Den Helder. The Tesselaar family started the farm in 2012. They own 40 milch cows and they make their own yoghurt and 10 different kinds of cheese! You can buy this and other products from their garden at the farmshop. But you can also visit their Alpaca's and garden.

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.

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.