North Holland: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

North Holland is surrounded by water on three sides and combines forests, heathland, dunes, peat meadows and polders with the Wadden Sea and Lake IJssel in a geographically compact area. Added to this are the sea and dunes, lakes and low-peat areas, as well as the forest-rich Gooi region. The Wadden Sea forms the world's largest contiguous system of tidal sand and mudflats and is of great importance for migratory birds. Tulip fields, windmills, drained polders, cheese markets and distinctive fishing villages are also among the Netherlands' visitor symbols in North Holland. In addition, the entire province offers a wide range of recreational activities on the water.

Landscape and Nature

The landscape is particularly diverse on Texel. The island features polders, dunes, forests, heathland, beaches, mudflats and wet dune valleys; a large part of Texel belongs to the Duinen van Texel National Park. Hiking, cycling, birdwatching and wildlife observation are possible there. To protect sensitive nature, some areas are closed to the public seasonally or permanently. Texel has 140 kilometres of cycle paths, including signposted routes through Duinen van Texel National Park, as well as more than 30 kilometres of beach and six museums.

De Slufter is a salt marsh openly connected to the North Sea, with salt-tolerant vegetation and walking trails. The family trail at De Slufter is partially paved and is accessible, among other things, to people using walking frames, mobility scooters and pushchairs. Ecomare, a nature museum, is located in the middle of Duinen van Texel National Park and provides information about the dune area, the landscape of Texel, the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. Seals, porpoises and birds are taken in there. In North Holland, Natuurmonumenten protects 52 nature reserves; almost all Dutch nature reserves and landscapes are freely accessible via hiking and cycling paths.

Paths and Activities

In Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, visitors can hike and cycle through dunes, past lakes and through forests and open landscapes to viewpoints. Santpoort Noord railway station provides access to Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. For orientation on longer routes, Routes in Noord-Holland is a central platform for hiking, cycling and water-sports routes throughout the province. The Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland also extends across the entire province and includes 250 kilometres of added hiking paths.

The long-distance hiking trail in North Holland is signposted in both directions and runs mostly along unpaved paths, quiet country roads or hiking trails. Thus, in addition to paths through dunes, forests and open landscapes, the regional trail network also includes longer stretches with different surfaces and routes. The information about the signposted routes, hiking trails and nature reserves shows the various landscape areas without combining them into a uniform landscape.

Culture and History

The Beemster Polder is a drained cultural landscape created in the early 17th century, with an orderly pattern of fields, roads, canals, dykes and settlements. The Beemster Polder was drained in 1612 using a 42-kilometre ring dyke, a ring canal and 43 windmills. The Dutch Water Defence Lines form a much larger historical context: they constitute a 200-kilometre-long defence system comprising the New Dutch Water Line and the Defence Line of Amsterdam, and include 96 forts as well as dykes, locks, pumping stations, canals and inundation polders.

Zaanse Schans is a freely accessible historic village with windmills, green wooden houses, crafts and historic industries. It also offers museums, a cheese dairy, a pewter foundry and opportunities for cycling and boat tours. Because of limited parking, Zaanse Schans recommends travelling by public transport; Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans railway station is a 15-minute walk away.

The Museumstoomtram offers a historic steam railway day trip from Hoorn via Medemblik to the Zuiderzeemuseum and Enkhuizen. The National Maritime Museum can be reached on foot from Den Helder Centraal railway station in 15 minutes or by bus line 33 to the “Marinemuseum” stop. The Alkmaar Cheese Market takes place on Waagplein every Friday from 10:00 to 13:00, annually from the last Friday in March to the last Friday in September. In July and August, there is also an evening market on Tuesdays from 19:00 to 21:00.

At the Stichting Leeuw rescue centre, located amid nature on Landgoed Hoenderdaell, admission is included in the price of a visit to Dierenpark Hoenderdaell. Thus, alongside historic landscapes, museums and regional traditions, the province is also characterised by facilities with a range of different thematic focuses.

Other places in this area: Amsterdam, Velsen, Langedijk, Graft-De Rijp, Aalsmeer, Alkmaar, Amstelveen, Andijk, Anna Paulowna, Beemster, Bergen, Beverwijk, Blaricum, Bloemendaal, Bussum, Castricum, Den Helder, Diemen, Drechterland, Edam-Volendam, Enkhuizen, Haarlem, Haarlemmerliede En Spaarnwoude, Haarlemmermeer, Harenkarspel, Heemskerk, Heemstede, Heerhugowaard, Heiloo, Hilversum, Hoorn, Huizen, Koggenland, Landsmeer, Laren, Medemblik, Muiden, Naarden, Niedorp, Oostzaan, Opmeer, Ouder-Amstel, Purmerend, Schagen, Schermer, Stede Broec, Uitgeest, Uithoorn, Waterland, Weesp, Wervershoof, Wieringen, Wieringermeer, Wijdemeren, Wormerland, Zaanstad, Zandvoort, Zeevang, Zijpe, Hollands Kroon, Loenen.

To the higher-level travel overview: The Netherlands.