Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Noordhollands Duinreservaat

The Wimmenummerduinen (Dunes of Wimmenum) are located between the coastal villages of Egmond aan Zee and Bergen aan Zee. The inhabitants of Egmond aan Zee - so called “derpers” (villagers) - still call the dune area Duinen van Six . In 1679, Jan Six - a regent and writer descended from a wealthy family - bought the area around the village of Wimmenum. Six belonged to the in-crowd of Amsterdam and is friends with Rembrandt van Rijn. A portrait the painter painted of him is world-famous today. The dune area was the family's fenced-off hunting domain until it was sold to the of provincial water supply company of the province of North Holland (PWN) in 1992.This company has opened the site to visitors. The Wimmenummerduinen are characterized by an open dune landscape with several dune lakes, wet valleys and drifting dune tops. Large pieces of dune have been blown away here and there in the foredune (main picture). Horses graze the dunes here to keep the landscape open. It is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of untouched dunes in the province of North Holland. During our 2024 visit, we were surprised by the large number of dune valleys filled with water. As far as I understand, this is caused by the high groundwater level due to the heavy rainfall in the preceding months.

The Wimmenummerduinen (Dunes of Wimmenum) are located between the coastal villages of Egmond aan Zee and Bergen aan Zee. The inhabitants of Egmond aan Zee - so called “derpers” (villagers) - still call the dune area Duinen van Six . In 1679, Jan Six - a regent and writer descended from a wealthy family - bought the area around the village of Wimmenum. Six belonged to the in-crowd of Amsterdam and is friends with Rembrandt van Rijn. A portrait the painter painted of him is world-famous today. The dune area was the family's fenced-off hunting domain until it was sold to the of provincial water supply company of the province of North Holland (PWN) in 1992.This company has opened the site to visitors. The Wimmenummerduinen are characterized by an open dune landscape with several dune lakes, wet valleys and drifting dune tops. Large pieces of dune have been blown away here and there in the foredune (main picture). Horses graze the dunes here to keep the landscape open. It is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of untouched dune in the province of North Holland. Immediately north of Egmond aan Zee are the so-called duinlandjes (dune lands) - a kind of allotment gardens. These originated around the year 1850, when villagers started growing potatoes in dune valleys. In the past, these fields also existed around other fishing villages, but nowadays they only can be found in Egmond. (PiP5).

The Noordhollands Duinreservaat (North Holland Dune Reserve) is with its 5.300 hectare one of the largest natural areas in the Netherland. This reserve is managed by PWN (Water Supply Company North Holland) is used for drinking water production at three locations. The Buizerdvlak lies north of Bergen aan Zee and is known for the impressive drifting dune that dominates the landscape. It is fascinating to see how the drifting sand slowly 'walks' to the east (between 3 and 5 meters per year) and covers all shrubs and conifers in the way under a layer of sand. (PiP3 shows the dune almost nine years ago; it is clear to see how much the dune has moved)

The ‘Noordhollands Duinreservaat’ (North Holland Dune Reserve) is with its 5.300 hectare one of the largest natural areas in the Netherland. This reserve is managed by PWN (Water Supply Company North Holland) is used for drinking water production at three locations. The ‘Duinreservaat’ stretches from Bergen aan Zee till Wijk aan Zee. It offers dunes, some of them with white sand (main picture and PiP1), large pine and oak forests (PiP2) and in the summer blooming heather (PiP3). The area is open to the public (walker and cyclist), however an admission ticket is needed.

White topped dunes in the ‘Noordhollands Duinreservaat’ (North-Holland Dune Reserve). This reserve is controlled by the provincial water company and stretches from Bergen aan Zee till the North Sea Canal, nearby Wijk aan Zee. The area is open to the public (walker and cyclist), however an admission ticket is needed. The photo is taken along the Verspijckweg (a bike lane through the dunes) just north of the village of Bergen aan Zee. PiP the same area with blooming heather in August.

White sand of the dunes and blooming heather in the ‘Noordhollands Duinreservaat’ (North-Holland Dune Reserve). This reserve is controlled by the provincial water company and stretches from Bergen aan Zee till the North Sea Canal nearby Wijk aan Zee. The area is open to the public (walker and cyclist), however an admission ticket is needed. The photo is taken along the Verspijckweg (a bike lane through the dunes) just north of the village of Bergen aan Zee.