Nature and Parks History Cultural Heritage Visitor Info Addresses

Noordwijk is a coastal twin town surrounded by extensive dunes and bulb fields. The high quality seaside resort Noordwijk aan Zee ("N. at Sea") has a sandy beach of 13 km, two prestigious seafront boulevards, a range of recreation facilities, restaurants and hotels from one to five stars, conference facilities, luxury villas and apartments and the inevitable bars and discotheques. Noordwijk-Binnen ("Inner N.") has the administrative centre and beautiful historical quarters around the Great Church. Noordwijk is a popular summer holiday destination, but also the place to stay for looking around the bulb fields.

QualityCoast Award
Noordwijk has received the QualityCoast Award since August 2007. More information at www.qualitycoast.info.

Nature and Parks

Dune landscapes
Noordwijk aan Zee is surrounded by mostly open dune landscapes. Much of the dunes around Noordwijk had been planted with alien pines in 1915-'40, but most of the trees have died due to Pine-weevils and storms. Accessible areas include:
Noordwijk Noordduinen (600 ha): open dune with some remnants of the pine plantation; in the south a mobile dune area marks an active nature restoration project. Accessible on footpaths and some cycle paths; dogs on a short leash from March till August. No fee.
Coepelduynen (135 ha, locally called Zuidduinen or "southern dunes"): a nice small open dune area; you can make a walk or bike tour up and down to Katwijk, but most of the inner area is closed. No fee, no dogs.

Old dune woodlands

Nieuw-Leeuwenhorst (38 ha, N'hout): access only for card holders.
Estate of Leeuwenhorst (98 ha towards N'hout, near the Conference Centre) has grasslands, bulb fields and coppice woodland. Open for the public, no fee.
The estate Offem (directly east to Noordwijk-Binnen) is a woodland surrounded by water. Closed to the public but one can walk around it.

Wildlife
Wildlife in the region is abundant and there is a chance to see Rabbit and Red fox. During spring and summer grasslands are rich in meadow birds (like Lapwing, Black-tailed godwit, Redshank, Oystercatcher) and many ducks. The Hogewegpolder (east of Offem) is locally recommended.

Nature Centres
Jan Verwey Natuurcentrum: overview of landscapes, flora and fauna of Noordwijk and surroundings. Temporarely housing in the 'Witte Mavo', Duinweg, Noordwijk.

History

In the 9th century a Scottish nobleman named Jeroen landed in Northgo ("northern dwelling") and started to convert the local pagans. After being captured and killed by invading Norsemen, he became the patron of the village and the magic power of his relics made Noordwijk an official place of pilgrimage in 1429. The town has received city rights in 1397 but never built a city wall.
Noordwijk-Binnen was entirely destroyed by fire in 1450, except for the church tower. But this was the last big fire, so this village retained much of its history. In 1570 the city of Leiden was under siege of the Spanish army and Dutch resistance leaders planned to burn down many big buildings around Leiden to prevent them from being used by Spaniards. But the arson of the Great Church of Noordwijk was redeemed by resistance leader Jonkheer Jan van der Does, who was also the local lord of the manor.
Noordwijk-Binnen flourished due to visiting pilgrims and the profitable cultivation of herbs since the 16th century. The historical quarter the Great Church is a witness of this period, with the Old Town Hall, the Voorstraat and the Lindenplein ("Lime square"). Around 1700 the Dutch botanist Clusius brought the first tulips to Leiden and found out that they did well in the sandy soils of the dune region. Gradually, bulb cultivation took over from the herbs and Noordwijk-Binnen became surrounded by bulb fields.
Noordwijk aan Zee has developed as a fishing village since the Middle Ages. At the end of the 19th century beach tourism came up, gradually transforming the fishing village with its tiny fishermen's houses and narrow streets to a modern seaside resort. The old centre has been greatly renovated but the traditional history can be experienced in the Museum Oud Noordwijk and to a certain extent through small scale fishing activities of the locals.

Cultural Heritage

Voorstraat-Lindenplein
Great or St. Jeroen church: situated at the monumental Voorstraat. The tower with its walls of 3 meters thick is from the 13th century, while the rest of the church is from 1450 in Late Gothic style. Until the Reformation the parish church was also a pilgrimage church to honour St Jeroen. The organ was built in 1865 by the company Knipscheer and was renovated in 2000; it can be heard during summer concerts.
Café 'Thomas': across the Great church at the Heilige Geestweg 2. This 17th century building is already a bar for 250 years. Like the equally old village farm (Voorstraat 16) it has a step-gable, an oval cartouche window of bricks and the front in the middle of the building. 'Thomas' also has a child head ornament in the gable. This kind of Renaissance art occurs in more buildings in Noordwijk-Binnen.
Kerkstraat 1a: the stone tablets at the Van Limburg Stirumstraat side show that this building was used as town hall till 1887.
Lindenplein ("Linden square"): called Marktveld ("Market field") in former days, when agricultural products and fish were sold here. The two pumps of natural stone are from the 18th century. The pure dune water was used for the preparation of medicine.
Lindenhof: at the Lindenplein is actually a country-house with a large garden. The red beech tree in its side garden is the most remarkable tree of the village. The many linden trees provide a monumental aspect in the old village streets. Many were planted around 1760 by the local authority. The trees are being pruned every three years, at the outer side as a typical Dutch linden espalier, while towards the centre the branches are allowed to grow towards each other. Over the centuries large green gates have been created in this way, which is a unique phenomenon in the Netherlands.
Raadhuis (Voorstraat 42): as the stone at the top of the entrance shows, the old part stems from 1887. The sandstone gate of the former orphanage has been built-in at the Voorstraat side.
Voorstraat 16: built as a village farm in Dutch Renaissance style in the 17th century. Over the centuries the broad step gable has been pulled inside due to the heavy roof. The farm fields were situated north to the village in the Old dunes, while its meadows were situated in the moist beach plains towards the east. In the second half of the 20th century the farm building became a private house.
Voorstraat 19: the oldest private house of the village, from the 15th century. The Late Gothic style is especially visible in the details of the stair gable, which has beautiful pinnacles and small vertical alcoves.

St. Jorisdoelen: a kind of living monument, because still, every Friday evening during the summer months, members of the St. Joris guild shoot at the popinjay at the top of a 20 m high post. This takes place since 1477, traditionally with cross-bows, which makes the St. Joris guild the oldest of Holland. The place is not accessible for the public but the shooting can be watched from the road. Offemweg 17.

Wind mills:
Hoogewegse molen: polder mill (wip mill) from 1652, greatly renewed in 1711, built to drain the Hoogeweg polder. Near Noordwijkerhoekbrug and Haarlemmer Trekvaart (direction Voorhout).

Museum Oud Noordwijk

Kapel aan Zee
Vuurtoren
Hoogewegse molen

Visitor info

Beach
The entire beach is accessible but dogs are banned during summer days. During summer many beach pavilions offer shelter, shade, ice cream, coffee, tea and snacks.

Hike & bike
There are many cycle paths and routes in this region and direct paths to Zandvoort or Katwijk through the dunes. Bicycles can be rented locally. Most dune areas are ideal for a combination cycling and walking.

Coast&Sea Walk Noordwijk: The walk goes through the dunes via the sand drifts, dune forest, three viewpoints, open dune and pine forest to the transition to the beach at the Duindamseslag and back over the beach. The whole walk is 12 km and takes 3 hours. The walk starts and ends at the Vuurtorenplein in Noordwijk. Download pdf

Water sports
The beaches and the freshwater lakes Kagerplassen (Warmond) and Oosterduinsemeer (N'hout) offer a range of opportunities.

Transport
By air (Schiphol Amsterdam Airport): head for the airport's train station and buy a train ticket to Leiden (Central Station) and a "strippenkaart" (multiple bus ticket) to facilitate bus connections. By train (Leiden Central Station): buy a "strippenkaart" if you don't have one and board bus 40 or 42. By car: there are many parking facilities but during peak days make sure you come early.

Addresses

Tourism
Visitor Center Noordwijk, De Grent 8, tel. 071-3619321, info@noordwijkinfo, www.noordwijk.info