Beach Plain De Zandmotor, Panorama Mesdag and a Day in Delft: experience it all from your holiday home in Kijkduin!

Awaken your senses during a walk through the hyacinth forest of Ockenburg and visit several museums that take you back in time. Stroll through the well-preserved corridor system of the Atlantikwall Museum in The Hague and step inside an old-fashioned grocery store in Maasland that has never disappeared. Are you initiated in art or simply want to visit a true crowd-pleaser? Surround yourself with the internationally renowned masterpiece of Panorama Mesdag and imagine yourself in 19th-century Scheveningen! Oh, and have you never been to Delft before? Let your holiday home in Kijkduin be the perfect base for a visit to this characteristic old city!

Walk across De Zandmotor from your holiday home in Kijkduin

Off the coast of Kijkduin, a huge amount of sand was deposited into the sea in 2011 to create a multifunctional coastal landscape. On one hand to protect the coast, on the other to develop an area where both people and wildlife would feel at home. Over time, the sand has naturally spread along the coast, resulting in a wide beach. The sandbank is also considered a research experiment by Rijkswaterstaat to discover what the area means for nature development. Will more birds and marine animals be attracted and how will the sand spread along the coast? One thing is certain: water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers are excited about this immense beach.

Take a walk through the fairytale forest of Landgoed Ockenburg

Do you want to discover even more of the natural beauty along the South Holland coast from a holiday home in Kijkduin? Then be sure to plan a walking visit to Hollandse Duinen National Park. Here you’ll find two nature areas: the Hyacinth Forest and the Van Leydenhof. From the parking lot of Landgoed Ockenburg you can follow a 3-kilometre park route that leads through a forest filled with blue hyacinths. The blue sea of flowers among the ferns is not only a feast for the eyes, the hyacinths also give off a wonderfully sweet scent. Meanwhile, keep your ears open for the drumming of woodpeckers nearby! Another nearby nature area is the Van Leydenhof, which is especially beautiful in summer when the dune heather is in bloom.

Panorama Mesdag: the must-see attraction for art lovers!

Imagine a cylindrical painting with a circumference of 114 metres. That is the panoramic painting by Hendrik-Willem Mesdag, offering a 360-degree view over Scheveningen in the year 1880. Thanks to its impressive height of 14 metres, you truly feel as though you’ve stepped back in time. The panorama is a unique masterpiece created by several painters. Even Vincent van Gogh spoke highly of this painting. Initially panoramic paintings were a great success throughout Europe, but eventually the art form could not compete with the rise of film. Mesdag’s cylindrical painting is a rare surviving example, as many of its ‘peers’ have disappeared from the scene.

Visit the bunker complex of the Atlantikwall Museum The Hague

Located in the dunes of Kijkduin you’ll find a bunker complex with an underground corridor system: the Atlantikwall Museum in The Hague. Although many bunkers have made way for a shopping centre, six remain and are interconnected. Visit the complex with a guide. During the tour you’ll get an impression of how determined the Germans were during World War II to build and maintain a defensive line along the Dutch coast. For example, there is an air defence bunker that once scanned the skies for enemy aircraft.

Cycle to the Westland Museum from your holiday home in Kijkduin

Get acquainted with the history of the Westland, nowadays an area full of greenhouse horticulture. This museum takes you back to the horticulture of the past. In the historic garden you can see how products are grown using traditional fruit-growing principles. Many locally grown vegetables can then be purchased in the shop. The old barn also houses an informative exhibition and a collection of paintings. To round off your visit, sit down for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

Take a trip to Delft

Delft is well worth a visit! In addition to its old canals and the church square with the second-tallest church tower in the Netherlands, Delft is also the city of Johannes Vermeer and blue ceramics! As an art lover you will certainly want to visit the Vermeer Centrum Delft, where all the painter’s works are displayed in full size. Many of his artworks depict cityscapes of Delft, invariably covered by a typically Dutch sky.

Tip: take a walk along the Oostsingel to the Oostpoort Bridge. This white drawbridge with the twin towers of the historic city gate in the background makes for a picturesque view. The weeping willow and other trees make it one of the most photogenic spots in the city, especially in autumn!

Visit Museum De Schilpen in Maasland

In the centre of the quiet and picturesque village of Maasland, step inside Museum De Schilpen to the sound of a jingling bell. Just like in the old days, this was the sound of customers entering the grocery store. The rest of the interior and inventory still exude the atmosphere of an old-fashioned grocer’s shop, complete with candy. You can also take a look at the agricultural attic and the clothing attic, and admire many artefacts in the kitchen. The history of Maasland through the centuries is presented in the Maasland room. The museum itself is free to visit. You only pay a small fee for the guided tour, a village walk with a guide, and a drink in the conservatory.

Rent a holiday home in Kijkduin

Once settled in Kijkduin you’ll discover numerous places where you can take a fascinating dive into history. Visit the Scheveningen of the 19th century at Panorama Mesdag, admire Delft from the perspective of painter Johannes Vermeer, or explore bunkers from World War II. Are you considering a holiday on the South Holland coast and looking for recreation in nature? From your holiday home in Kijkduin you can one day wander across a vast sandy plain and the next day stroll through the Hyacinth Forest of Ockenburg!