Castricum, Heiloo, Egmond aan Zee

One of the most beautiful nature areas in the Netherlands: the Noordhollands Duinreservaat. The 5300 hectare forest and dune area stretches between Wijk aan Zee and Bergen. The dunes were formed over thousands of years by wind and sea currents, which blew sand from the beach inland. There it piled up into high dunes.

Because it was built up layer by layer, there are differences in soil. In some places there are lime rich sand layers, in others lime poor sand layers. As a result, very diverse vegetation grows and you see many different types of landscape. From wet valleys to forest and open dune grasslands. Beautiful to see and very attractive for many animal species.

Enjoy the wide dunes, the forest strips, the open sand and the dune lakes. And all of this with the rolling North Sea in the background. You really get the ‘I am completely away from it all’ feeling here. A wonderful relaxing day out by bike.

Please note
For large parts of the Noordhollands Duinreservaat you need an access ticket or dune card. This applies to walkers and often also to cyclists on certain routes. Buy your ticket in advance online at https://pwn.nl
, at a sales point nearby or at a ticket machine at one of the entrances to the nature area.