Oostvoorne offers different ways to experience nature, the coast and history: marked paths in the Duinen van Oostvoorne, a medieval castle ruin in the town centre and a beach on Lake Oostvoorne. When choosing what to do, you can focus on the activities that interest you—from hiking and birdwatching to mountain biking, diving and surfing.
Dunes, tidal landscape and Lake Oostvoorne
The 264-hectare Duinen van Oostvoorne nature reserve has marked walking and cycling routes. Rare plants, including marsh germander, grow in the damp dune valleys. In the Netherlands, this plant is found only on Voorne-Putten. The area thus combines paths through the dune landscape with a special botanical feature.
The Slikken van Voorne offer a different kind of coastal landscape: shaped by the tides, they change as new channels and sandbanks form. The area is a sanctuary for seals and birds and is suitable for hiking and birdwatching. Those interested in coastal landforms and wildlife will find a different focus here than on the marked paths through the Duinen van Oostvoorne.
On the north shore of Lake Oostvoorne is a beach that is one of the lake’s two bathing-water sites. The hard lakebed provides excellent visibility, making the beach popular with divers and surfers. This makes it a specific spot for water sports, complementing the area’s nature and hiking activities.
Castle ruin and Biberbunker
The Burcht van Oostvoorne is a medieval ruin in the town centre. The remains of a residential tower dating from the 13th century have been preserved. The remnants of the tower make the site’s history tangible through a surviving structure.
The Biberbunker offers a different chapter of history: it is a German command bunker from the Second World War and is now a museum. Visits are available on request or by reservation. The castle and the Biberbunker represent two different historical periods; for the Biberbunker, contacting the museum in advance or making a reservation is part of planning your visit.
Routes to suit your interests
There are marked routes for cycling in the nature reserve. A dedicated Oostvoorne mountain bike route follows Oostvoorne’s old coastline and runs through Geuzenbos. At Landgoed Mildenburg, a 30-hectare estate in Oostvoorne, straight avenues divide the historic parkland. There is also a two-kilometre route there, which can be requested free of charge.
Another option is the Betoverend Oostvoorne route. It is 13.3 kilometres long and takes about two hours and 40 minutes. The distance and duration make it easy to distinguish this route from the two-kilometre route at Landgoed Mildenburg. TOP Oostvoorne is the starting point for exploring the Voorne dune area.
Which of these options you choose depends on whether you want to focus on a route with a specified distance, a mountain biking trail, nature watching or historic sites. This lets you tailor your experience of Oostvoorne’s different sides to your interests, without experiencing its nature and culture in the same way.
Discover more destinations: Rockanje.
Go to the main travel overview: Westvoorne.
