A one-hour walk through and around Wassenaar’s old town takes you past 22 historic monuments. The walking landscape includes forests and pastureland, an extensive dune area and a nearby beach. You can choose between exploring historic sites and following trails through different landscapes.

History on foot

The Poetry Route in Wassenaar features 21 poems by poets who are or were associated with the town. The poems can be seen on façades, in the paving and at other locations in public spaces. Exploring the town on foot, you’ll encounter them at various points along the route.

The country estates also offer a chance to explore history while hiking: three walking routes have been put together to discover the estates of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands in Wassenaar and Voorschoten. The Wassenaar Country Estates Zone opened as a large public park for walking in 1961. De Paauw Country Estate was created in the 17th century on the grounds of two older farms. The entire park at Backershagen is a Rijksmonument, a protected Dutch cultural heritage site.

The Dorpskerk in Wassenaar preserves further traces of history, including a Van Wassenaer family coat of arms on the lords’ pew and a tomb monument in the churchyard. At Ter Horst, two types of gardens sit side by side: a geometric French garden dating from the last quarter of the 17th century and an English landscape garden. This combination is considered unique in the Netherlands.

Walking routes and dune landscapes

Meijendel is part of Hollandse Duinen National Park. It offers opportunities for cycling and longer walks through forests and high dunes, as well as views of infiltration lakes. Meijendel is one of the ten nature areas in the Netherlands with the most bird species. Nightingales are another special feature: nowhere else in the country are there so many.

De Tapuit, Dunea’s visitor centre, is the starting point for visits to Meijendel and offers walking and cycling routes. The walks described vary in length, landscape and destination. The 4.5-kilometre Dunea walking route runs from De Tapuit through the Vogelbos to the beach, then returns via a viewpoint. The 3.2-kilometre Eikenroute passes through the wooded part of Meijendel and includes a birdwatching hide overlooking the infiltration lakes. The 2.6-kilometre Reeënroute starts at the De Kieviet car park and leads through high dunes, deep valleys and lush forests to the De Piek viewpoint. The routes therefore range from 2.6 to 4.5 kilometres, with the birdwatching hide, beach and viewpoint each offering a different highlight.

Kijfhoek & Bierlap is an area within Meijendel that requires a day ticket. Visitors may see Galloway cattle or Konik horses along the trails.

Art and gardens

The Clingenbosch sculpture garden displays almost 70 works by national and international artists. At Museum Voorlinden, the Piet Oudolf garden offers a different focus: it blooms for three seasons and contains more than 60 types of perennials and ornamental grasses. Sculpture and garden planting thus offer two distinct ways to experience art and design.

Museum Voorlinden is accessible by car, public transport and bicycle. When planning a visit, you can choose between three modes of transport. Alongside walks, gardens and hikes of varying lengths, this offers a range of options, with culture and nature each providing their own highlights.

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