Built under Napoleon's orders in 1811 to accommodate 1400 soldiers, this hulking hilltop fortress (originally called Fort Morland) now houses a military museum incorporating an armoury, and a fantastic subterranean aquarium with 14 tanks filled with every species of marine life from the Waddenzee and North Sea, one with a walk-through tunnel. Kids love it.
It's 4km east of Den Helder; take bus 31 (10 minutes, every 15 minutes).
29.55 MILES
This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…
8.83 MILES
The patchwork of dune-scape running along the western coast of the island is a prime reason for visiting Texel. Salt fens and heath alternate with velvety…
8.84 MILES
Initially created as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into an impressive nature centre devoted to the…
19.05 MILES
The waterlogged area north of Alkmaar was once home to 15,000 tiny, yet productive, farms, each one an island, whose farmers tended their crops by rowboat…
Kaap Skil Museum Van Jutters & Zeelui
8 MILES
A stunning slatted-timber-encased reception building made from recycled materials frames the superb Maritime and Beachcombers Museum. Its extraordinary…
25.78 MILES
Housed in the former seat of the Staten-College (States' Council), the body that once governed seven towns in Noord-Holland, this absorbing museum has a…
21.98 MILES
The Stedelijk Museum's collection of oil paintings by Dutch Masters, including impressive life-sized portraits of Alkmaar nobles, is alone worth the entry…
7.75 MILES
Wineries across the Netherlands are few, so it's especially worth dropping in to De Kroon, a small but international medal-winning estate. One-hour tours …
2.28 MILES
In the vast former armoury of the Dutch Royal Navy, which still owns the building today, displays at the Marine Museum cover naval history mainly after…
6.34 MILES
This small dairy between Den Hoorn and Den Burg is a terrific place to taste and buy rounds produced from the local cows, sheep and goats. A glass viewing…
7.75 MILES
Wineries across the Netherlands are few, so it's especially worth dropping in to De Kroon, a small but international medal-winning estate. One-hour tours …
7.85 MILES
See beer being made at the island's brewery, housed in a former dairy, on an informative 45-minute guided tour (in English and Dutch). Tour prices include…
7.92 MILES
At this 3-hectare farm's orchards and fields, you can pick your own fruit (eg apples, strawberries, blueberries and grapes), vegetables (such as capsicums…
6. Kaap Skil Museum Van Jutters & Zeelui
8 MILES
A stunning slatted-timber-encased reception building made from recycled materials frames the superb Maritime and Beachcombers Museum. Its extraordinary…
8.83 MILES
The patchwork of dune-scape running along the western coast of the island is a prime reason for visiting Texel. Salt fens and heath alternate with velvety…
8.84 MILES
Initially created as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into an impressive nature centre devoted to the…