Dutch Dunes
Do you know what’s so special about the dunes? They’re like some kind of no-man’s-land. A separate piece of nature, set apart from the sea and ‘terra firma’. As soon as you leave the beach – with a stiff wind in your hair and the crashing of the waves in your ears – and head into the dunes, you will be overcome by a sense of tranquility. It’s sheltered from the wind, there is the sound of songbirds and the scent of different plants and trees. You may ask yourself in surprise: is this the Netherlands? The undulating landscape is in stark contrast to the normally so flat Dutch polder landscape.
Protection
And yet the dunes are inextricably tied to the Netherlands. They protect the land against the sea, because, as you maybe know, around one third of the Netherlands lies below sea level. The plants ensure that the sand hills are able to stand up to the sometimes wild sea. And the flora and fauna are what make walking and cycling through the dunes so special. So you'll understand that we treat these things with particular care.
Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
Between Zandvoort and IJmuiden lies Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, a glorious expanse of dunes of some 38 hectares which draws in two million visitors each year. Living here are over one hundred different species of bird, red deer, rabbits, roe deer as well as large grazers such as Highland cattle and a small number of wisent – a (dangerous) European bison that, with a bit of luck, you may get to see from a distance.
Walking and cycling
There are various marked footpaths. Short routes of 1.5 kilometres, the majority around four to ten kilometres and for the fanatics routes of more than one hundred kilometres. The dune areas are often extremely expansive and conceal all kinds of surprises such as military bunkers and magnificent viewpoints. So pull on your walking shoes or hire a bike and start in the visitor centre in Overveen for hiking maps, cycling routes and information on the landscape, history and management.
Amsterdam Waterleidingduinen
To the south of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park lies another extraordinary nature reserve, the Amsterdam Waterleidingduinen (‘water pipe dunes’). Together with the water from the River Rhine, this area supplies drinking water to the residents of Amsterdam. Discover how rainwater is filtered naturally through the dune sand and see if you can spot foxes, roe deer and fallow deer. Or, closer to the ground, fungus. Here you will find the largest collection of toadstools and mushrooms in the Netherlands, with no fewer than 970 species!
Tourist Information
VVV Zandvoort
Bakkerstraat 2/b
tel: (+31) (0)23-5717947
www.vvvzandvoort.nl
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