Environment

Get a breath of fresh air during a walk, build sandcastles with the kids for hours or just relax with a good book in the sun. It's great to be on the beach in Callantsoog. After a nice day on the beach, treat yourself to a snack and a drink in one of the beach pavilions.

In spring, the many flower fields around Callantsoog are in full bloom. The Kop van Noord-Holland region is home to the largest connected flower bulb area in the Netherlands. You can admire the vast colourful fields from the car, but the most fun is to walk or cycle through the flower fields.

Het Zwanenwater nature reserve is home to Western Europe's two largest natural dune lakes. The view over the lakes and the surrounding nature is always different. You can spot many different species of plants and birds here. In early summer, the Zwanenmeer nature reserve is in bloom with thousands of orchids. A beautiful sight.

Picturesque canals and world-famous cheese market

Visit the picturesque town of Alkmaar. Stroll along the many canals or discover the city by canal boat. Be sure to visit the world-famous cheese market on Waagplein. Here, cheese is still traded in the traditional way.

Surf lessons in small groups

Say sea, and we think of water sports. The waves at Julianadorp aan Zee are best explored from a surfboard. A wetsuit keeps you nice and warm in the water. So you can take surf lessons from April up to the last day of October. Are you a surfer already? Then you can just hire equipment at Surfschool High5 and head for the water. And if there are not enough waves, you can hire a SUP board or take a beach yoga lesson.

The French emperor Napoleon ordered the Kijkduin Fortress to be built when he was visiting Huisduinen. On your visit to the Kijkduin Fortress you can find out why it was built and what happened on this historical site before and after Napoleon! A visit to the Kijkduin Fortress is an exciting adventure you should not miss!

For anyone who wishes to know more about the fascinating history of the Royal Netherlands Navy the Naval Museum is just the place to go. In the permantent exhibition the visitor can follow the development of the naval vessel, be introduced to various naval heroes.

Eye to eye with the world of animals

From lions, brown bears and cheerful ring-tailed lemurs to gaudy lories and jumping wallabies … In animal park Hoenderdaell you can meet a great variety of animal species. The well-being of the animals is central and as regularly animals in distress are accommodated – and later on released in nature – every time there are different animals to be admired.

Upon entering museum Vreeburg you can almost taste the atmosphere of how people lived around the year 1900 here in the Boerderijmuseum. View the various farmer tools used in those times and even see an old working grain harvester! At the rear of the farm museum you will find the Carriage Museum. Here you can get a closer look at beautiful authentic carriages, which are all still in mint condition. For the little ones fun events are organised, such as a children's afternoon or collectors’ day. To get an impression of these museums, you can take a look at the website.

Play Park de Batavierstraat is a cosy park where the children can play, climb and scamper about to their heart’s content. Tired of playing? Why not have a delicious drink on the sunny terrace or in the quaint restaurant. We can even accommodate your stomach’s appetite. Only to finish off with a well-rested, fun game of miniature golf.

Kaas uit het vuistje

Alkmaar is above all Holland's cheese town. The cheeses are sold by dealers on a clap of hands. Thereupon the 400 year old cheese porters' guild goes into action, carrying the cheese off on barrows after the lot has been weighed at the Waag (the official scales). The cheese market is every friday from 10.00 - 12.30 hours.

Cheese City Alkmaar

Alkmaar is also known as the Cheese City. A visit to the Hollands Kaasmuseum allows you to play games and take an interactive look into the preparation of dairy products throughout the centuries. There is even a treasure hunt for the children, ensuring a lovely day out!