Best things to do in Den Helder

Den Helder Essentials

Den Helder serves as the primary base for the Royal Netherlands Navy, a legacy reflected throughout its maritime landmarks. This selection features the historic Willemsoord naval yard, home to the Dutch Navy Museum and the museum submarine HNLMS Tonijn. Explore Napoleonic history at Fort Kijkduin, view the 19th-century Lange Jaap lighthouse, and visit the Atlantikwall Centrum. Beyond naval heritage, the list includes the Hortus Overzee botanical gardens and coastal viewpoints like Kaaphoofd, overlooking the Marsdiep strait toward Texel.

Den Helder Essentials — Map

Plaats / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Lange Jaap Lighthouse

Lange Jaap, also known as Kijkduin Light or Den Helder Light, is an active lighthouse near Fort Kijkduin in Huisduinen, Netherlands.

Zandcee / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Dutch Navy Museum

The Dutch Navy Museum is a naval museum in Den Helder, Netherlands.

Zandcee / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Fort Kijkduin

Napoleonic fortress built in 1811, featuring a network of underground tunnels and a North Sea aquarium.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

D

Nationaal Monument voor het Nederlands Reddingwezen

A carillon monument dedicated to the Dutch lifeboat service, located on the Helden der Zeeplein.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

E

HNLMS Tonijn

A Potvis-class submarine and the only one in the Netherlands open to the public, preserved as part of the Dutch Navy Museum.

Nick-D / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen

HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen is a Jan van Amstel-class minesweeper of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Arch / Public domain

G

HNLMS Schorpioen

HNLMS Schorpioen is a Schorpioen-class monitor built in France for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1860s.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

H

Atlantikwall Centrum

Museum focused on the history of the German Atlantic Wall coastal defense line and its impact on Den Helder during World War II.

I

Hortus Overzee

Botanical garden featuring a Japanese garden, tropical greenhouses, and a collection of exotic plants and butterflies.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

J

Kaaphoofd

A historic stone pier and viewpoint offering panoramic vistas of the Marsdiep strait and the neighboring island of Texel.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

K

Huisduinen

Coastal village providing viewpoints over the North Sea and the surrounding dune landscape near the lighthouse.

Marcel Stijkel / CC-BY-SA

L

Schouwburg De Kampanje

Theatre and cultural venue housed in a restored industrial building within the historic Willemsoord naval complex.

M

Petrus en Pauluskerk

Neoclassical Roman Catholic church dating from 1840, notable for its architectural design and historic religious significance.