Noordwijk aan Zee
Noordwijk aan Zee
Noordwijk aan Zee is a seaside resort with energy, where you can enjoy unique activities all year round. Look for your favourite terrace, the most beautiful part of the beach or shop-until-you-drop. Feel the warm sand between your toes on a beautiful summer day, look for adventure and undertake a water activity, or go for a walk in the extensive area of the dunes. Noordwijk aan Zee has it all.
A sparkling seaside resort
Noordwijk aan Zee is an experience all year round. Go shopping in the cozy Hoofdstraat or get an ice cream from one of the many ice cream shops. Grab the first rays of sunshine on the beach in the spring, rent a beach bed in the summer, take colourful walks through the dunes in the autumn and seek the comfort in a pleasant restaurant in the winter. Noordwijk aan Zee is fun, on the water, in the sand. You don't have to do much to enjoy yourself here. Put down your beach towel, watch the kite surfers fly into the air and enjoy life. There is always an activity in Noordwijk aan Zee that suits you.
More about activities
Over the years
Noordwijk aan Zee has a rich history as a seaside resort, in which spa treatments, trade and fishing played an important role. With a convenient location close to Dutch capitals, Noordwijk has been a tourist spot for Dutch, Germans and Belgians for centuries.
More about historyThe sea has a beneficial effect
Noordwijk has recently obtained the official ESPA (European Spas Association) Spa status based on the quality of the sea water, the air and the surrounding area. It is not surprising that Noordwijk was known for its herbs and cures centuries ago. The salt of the North Sea, the fine sand and fresh air have a proven beneficial effect. Watch the video and see what the sea does for you.
Early fishing history
With its location by the sea, Noordwijk has traditionally always been a fishing village. Around 1474 Noordwijk had a fleet of 38 bomb barges. Bomb barges are relatively large boats that were mainly used for coastal fishing. Noordwijk lies directly by the sea, but without a harbor, the ships had to come to the coast and land through the waves. Until 1913 the bomb barges were in operation. The supply of fish was large in the North Sea, mainly herring, cod, haddock and plaice were caught. The fishing also led to many secondary activities and companies that were associated with fishing. For example, Noordwijk had several herring smokers, forges and cooperages (a workshop for wooden barrels and barrels). Museum Noordwijk offers more information about fishing, with images and objects from that time.
Tourism in Noordwijk
Noordwijk aan Zee has been a seaside resort, attractive for tourists, since 1866. The 13-kilometer long beach offers endless opportunities for walking and getting a breath of fresh air. In the early 19th century, many day trippers came to the sea to enjoy the medicinal effect of the water. At the same time, hotels and catering establishments started up, with Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin being the first hotel. Noordwijk is also an attractive location for business meetings. The hotels in Noordwijk are used for large international meetings, such as the nuclear summit in 2014, when President Obama stayed at Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin. Every year 1 million people come to Noordwijk to enjoy Tourismus in Noordwijk
Remains of World War II
In Noordwijk aan Zee there are places where you can visit landmarks remaining from WWII. Near the bicycle path on the Bosweg you will find the Atlantic Wall, kilometers of bunker corridors, recently renovated by volunteers. These bunkers were built by the Germans and served as ammunition depots, firing locations in the defence of the coast and residential bunkers. At two kilometers from the beach Langevelderslag you will find the Noordwijk Radio Station, which had an emergency function for Langeveld airfield in Noordwijkerhout during 1939 and 1940. During WWII, the radio station was used by the German occupiers to monitor radio traffic. The radio station has been empty for a while. Since early 2017, it has been staffed again by Defense employees.