Den Helder brings together the history of the Royal Netherlands Navy, museums, a botanical greenhouse complex, and routes to explore on foot, by bike or on the water. Visitors can plan their stay around this mix of maritime culture and outdoor activities. A great place to start is right in the city centre: Hortus Overzee is a tourist attraction just a five-minute walk from the train station.
Maritime Culture and City History
Willemsoord was once a shipyard for the construction and maintenance of the Royal Navy. Today, it is a monumental district open to the public and undergoing gradual redevelopment. Visitors can get information at the information centre, which also sells regional products, cycling maps, and cycling and walking routes, among other things. If you want to buy a particular map or route there, check what is currently available beforehand.
Museumhaven Willemsoord is home to more than 30 distinctive ships, as well as workshops, a slipway, a restoration hall, an outfitting quay and a dock. ’t Schipperscafé is also part of the harbour area, which is considered a notable part of Willemsoord’s maritime district. A brewery, a beer café and a multi-purpose space are housed in the former bombproof barracks at Fort Westoever. An escape room has also been set up in the preserved rooms of the diesel generator and its associated control room. If you plan to visit these attractions, check beforehand what is currently available.
The Naval Museum tells the story of the Royal Netherlands Navy from the Golden Age to the Cold War. Visitors can walk through the former Rijkswerf and see historic ships such as the Tonijn submarine. Interactive activities include Navy Games, naval battle games and driving simulators. For a different perspective, the Nationaal Reddingmuseum Dorus Rijkers tells the story of rescue services in the Netherlands and offers an interactive experience for visitors of all ages.
Forts and the Defence Line
The Stelling Den Helder is one of the oldest surviving military defence lines in the Netherlands. Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to protect the Willemsoord naval shipyard, it is still largely visible in the landscape. Individual forts bring different parts of this history to life, though they were not built at the same time: Fort Dirksz Admiraal was built in 1811 as the central fort of the Stelling. Fort Westoever was built around 1825 to defend the newly constructed North Holland Canal against attacks on the port of Den Helder.
Fort Harssens was built around 1885 on the sandbank “de Harssens” at the mouth of the Nieuwe Diep. This coastal fort had two towers, each with two guns—the largest ever installed at a fort in the Netherlands. Comparing the forts’ construction dates and roles shows that the city’s military history is not tied to a single structure: it spans the defence of the port and canal through to the protection of the naval shipyard.
Gardens, Routes and Outdoor Activities
In addition to its greenhouse complex, Hortus Overzee features a Japanese garden with flowing water, stone bridges and turtles. The garden was designed by experts from Kyoto. This botanical attraction complements the city’s maritime themes, though it is not itself part of naval history.
For a cycling trip, visitors can pick up a free cycling route at De Helderse Vallei. The routes are 12, 18 and 26 kilometres long and pass various places of interest in Den Helder. The canoe route offers a different kind of experience: it is a continuous waterway with distances ranging from 3 to 14 kilometres. For a longer journey rather than a single route, Het Ziltepad follows churches along the Wadden Sea coast in Noord-Holland, Friesland and Groningen. It runs from Den Helder to Termunten, or in the opposite direction, and consists of 22 stages, each 15 to 25 kilometres long, which can be travelled on foot or by bike. Routes and their availability may change; check current details when planning your trip.
De KlimVallei is an eco-friendly climbing park in the Mariëndal recreation area. Its four courses feature obstacles at heights of 4 to 9 metres. Other activities on offer include canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and klootschieten. This makes it easy to include a range of activities in your travel plans independently of the historical sightseeing.
Getting There and Finding Your Way
The TESO ferry terminal can be reached by car, bicycle and public transport. Bus route 33 connects Den Helder NS railway station with the ferry terminal and stops at the entrance for pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders. Hortus Overzee is also a helpful landmark for navigating the city when arriving by train: the botanical complex is in the city centre, a five-minute walk from the station. Public transport details may change; check your connection for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Julianadorp Aan Zee, Julianadorp, Huisduinen
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