Katwijk Aan Zee offers more than a beach holiday: the beach and dune area sit alongside a historic lighthouse, a museum with links to art and fishing, and the Andreaskerk. This makes the town appealing to visitors with a range of interests. You can focus your stay mainly on the sea, or give greater weight to art, fishing history and coastal change. The places below offer concrete points of reference for these interests.
Beach and dune area
At the beach, you can enjoy the sun, sea and relaxation. People with disabilities can access the beach via paved beach paths or with a special beach wheelchair. As access arrangements may change, check the municipality’s latest information before your visit.
Katwijk and the dune area are part of Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen. This brings the beach together with the wider natural setting of Katwijk and the dune area. This distinction is useful when planning: the beach offers a direct connection with the sun, sea and relaxation, while its national park setting also draws attention to Katwijk and the dune landscape.
Vuurbaak and coastal history
The Vuurbaak, also known as Vierboet, is the Netherlands’ second-oldest surviving lighthouse building, after the Brandaris. It is 14 metres tall, and its viewing platform is about 30 metres above sea level. The two measurements refer to different points: the height of the building and the elevation of the platform. They should therefore not be treated as equivalent. Its historic rank after the Brandaris gives the Vuurbaak a place in the history of Dutch lighthouses; the height measurements add a sense of its physical scale.
Art, fishing and historic buildings
The Katwijks Museum brings together art and fishing heritage. It displays paintings by artists such as Bernardus Johannes Blommers, Willy Sluiter, Jan van Goyen and Jan Toorop, and also has an extensive collection on fishing heritage. Two distinct subjects therefore come together in one museum: works by named painters and a collection on the history of fishing. The museum is housed in a former shipowner’s house dating from the early 20th century. The building’s former use adds its own architectural history to the perspectives on art and fishing.
Katwijk has been known as an artists’ village since 1873. This historical detail adds a specific point of reference in time to the town’s artistic character. The Andreaskerk offers a different perspective on history: it was built in 1460 and now stands on the coastline after several storms removed dunes. Its construction date and present location point to different aspects of the same building—its age and the way storms have changed the coast.
Art throughout the year
Art also takes different forms here. The Kunstvereeniging Katwijk regularly organises activities. During the summer months, these include art workshops and talks connected with the DUNAatelier. The DUNAatelier hosts changing exhibitions. The art-related attractions therefore differ: the Katwijks Museum features paintings, fishing heritage and a former shipowner’s house, while the exhibitions at the DUNAatelier and the summer activities associated with them offer another perspective. If art is important to your stay, you can choose between these different subjects and formats.
You can choose a focus for your stay: the beach and dune area offer a nature-oriented perspective, while the Vuurbaak, museum and Andreaskerk bring art and coastal history to life. These places do not offer the same experience; together, they show the different sides of Katwijk Aan Zee.
Discover more destinations: Rijnsburg, Valkenburg, Katwijk
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