Den Helder: Naval History, Gardens and Routes
Accommodation in Den Helder
Den Helder Between Naval History and Nature
Den Helder combines maritime history with museums, gardens and outdoor activities. The city’s story ranges from the former naval shipyard and fortifications to a botanical greenhouse complex, alongside routes on the water and on foot and by bicycle. These varied aspects offer practical starting points for planning a stay in Den Helder.
Getting There and Garden Design
Bus route 33 connects Den Helder NS railway station with the TESO ferry terminal. It stops at the entrance for pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders. The ferry terminal is also easily accessible by car, bicycle and public transport. As public transport information can change, check the latest bus timetable before you travel.
In the city centre, Hortus Overzee is a botanical greenhouse complex and tourist attraction. It is a five-minute walk from the station. The garden includes a Japanese area with running water, stone bridges and turtles, designed by experts from Kyoto. A visit combines botanical garden design with a clear connection to Japanese aesthetics.
Willemsoord and Maritime Heritage
Willemsoord was once a shipyard for the construction and maintenance of the Royal Navy. Today it is a monumental, publicly accessible district that is being developed in stages. The information centre provides visitor information; regional products, cycling maps, and cycling and walking routes are also sold there.
The Willemsoord Museum Harbour is a distinctive part of the maritime district. It includes more than 30 notable ships, various workshops, a slipway, a restoration hall, an outfitting quay, a dock and ’t Schipperscafé. Together, these places offer insight into different aspects of maritime work and the harbour district.
The Stelling Den Helder also shapes the city’s history. It is one of the oldest surviving military defence lines in the Netherlands and was built in the name of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to protect the Willemsoord naval shipyard. Much of the line can still be seen in the landscape.
Forts and Museums
Several forts illustrate the history of the city’s defences. Fort Westoever was built around 1825 to defend the newly constructed North Holland Canal against attacks on the port of Den Helder. The former bomb-proof barracks now house a brewery, a beer café and a multifunctional space. An escape room has also been set up in the preserved diesel-generator rooms and the associated control room. Fort Dirksz Admiraal was built in 1811 as the central fort of the Stelling Den Helder.
Fort Harssens was built around 1885 on the sandbank “de Harssens” at the mouth of the Nieuwe Diep. The coastal armoured fort had two towers, each with two guns; these were the largest guns ever mounted on a fort in the Netherlands.
The Naval Museum presents the history of the Royal Netherlands Navy from the Golden Age to the Cold War. Visitors can walk around the former Rijkswerf and see historic ships such as the Tonijn submarine. The museum also offers Navy Games, sea-battle games and driving simulators. The Nationaal Reddingmuseum Dorus Rijkers is devoted to the history of rescue services in the Netherlands and offers an interactive experience for visitors of all ages.
Routes and Outdoor Activities
Visitors can pick up a free cycling route at De Helderse Vallei. Cycling routes of 12, 18 and 26 kilometres pass several points of interest in Den Helder. The canoe route is a continuous waterway with various route lengths, from 3 to 14 kilometres. These details offer different ways to plan: from a cycling route past Den Helder’s attractions to a waterway with several possible distances.
Beyond Den Helder, Het Ziltepad runs along churches on the Wadden coast in Noord-Holland, Friesland and Groningen, from Den Helder to Termunten or in the opposite direction. The route comprises 22 stages, each 15 to 25 kilometres long, which can be covered on foot or by bicycle. Its regional scope is therefore quite different from that of the cycling routes that pass Den Helder’s attractions.
De KlimVallei is an eco-friendly climbing park in the Mariëndal recreation area. It has four courses with obstacles at heights of 4 to 9 metres. In addition to climbing, visitors can go canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and play klootschieten. These active experiences complement the museums, gardens and historic sites as other possible highlights of a stay.
Discover more destinations: Julianadorp, Huisduinen, Julianadorp Aan Zee.
Return to the main travel overview: Den Helder.
