Camping in Katwijk

Situated directly on a 5 km long sandy beach on the North Sea coast, the South Holland town of Katwijk is ideal for camping with the family. Cosy beach pavilions, entertaining events and blooming landscapes make camping in Katwijk a relaxing pleasure. This popular holiday resort is a meeting place for active sports enthusiasts who enjoy kitesurfing, swimming and hiking throughout the season. But nature lovers also come to the seaside resort to enjoy the tulip blossom and the extensive wooded dune areas.

Special features of camping in Katwijk

The campsites in Katwijk are within walking distance of the wide sandy beach, surrounded by playgrounds, hiking trails and pancake houses. They are a good starting point for numerous activities. The campsites offer varied entertainment for the little ones with animation programmes and excursions suitable for children, while adults can expect evening entertainment, shopping opportunities and plenty of space to relax in the healthy sea air. The campsites offer a variety of accommodation options - from simple pitches and camping cabins to comfortable holiday flats, there are suitable arrangements for every preference and family size. The campsites are located close to the centre of the fishing village of Katwijk and just a stone's throw from the attractive cities of Leiden, Haarlem and Delft.

How to get there

Travellers can easily reach the North Sea coast of Katwijk by car, caravan or motorhome via the A1 or A3 motorways. From Hamburg it is only around 500 km to Katwijk, mainly via the A1 motorway. Campers from Munich drive around 850 km on the A3 motorway. In the Netherlands, this becomes the A12, which leads around 130 km through the interior of the Netherlands, continuing on the N11 until shortly before Leiden, where travellers have to change to the N206. The N206 crosses the tranquil city of Leiden, which is well worth a visit as the birthplace of Rembrandt. Finally, motorists leave the N206 to travel the last few minutes to Katwijk on the N441.

Traffic jams on the main A1, A3 and A12 motorways are particularly frequent during the holidays and at weekends. Holidaymakers should therefore allow more time. Shortly before the Dutch border, you can stock up on snacks or refuel at the Knauheide motorway service area. Alternative routes for the A3 and A12 are the A40, which becomes the A67 on the Dutch side, and then the A12 near Utrecht to avoid traffic jams.

Top 5 sights

• Museum of Ethnology: Exhibits from the Arctic to Oceania such as weapons, armour and religious artefacts can be seen in the large museum.
• Space Expo: Visitors can experience the launch of the Ariane rocket and the everyday work of astronauts in space at the Space Expo.
• Vuurbaak Lighthouse: Lighthouses are as much a part of the coastal region of the Netherlands as fresh fish. This lighthouse towers 14 metres high and is open to visitors in July and August.
• Naturalis: In addition to fossils millions of years old, the natural history museum also exhibits dinosaur skeletons and a mammoth
• Aquamar: In subtropical warmth, the Aquamar indoor pool provides water fun with wild water rides and whirlpools.

Top 3 insider tips

• Katwijk's museum: Small but mighty - the local museum in the holiday resort is interesting for art lovers. In addition to an impressive collection of paintings, visitors will also find a large exhibition on local history and model ships.
• Duinrell: Adrenaline fans and families can look forward to fast-paced fun, thrilling white water rides and a giant swing boat called Mad Mill at the Duinrell amusement park. Directly adjacent is the Tikibad with its large slide paradise.
• CORPUS reis door de mens: This exhibition at Oegstgeest offers fantastic insights into the workings of the human body and an informative journey of discovery through the brain and co. not only for families with children.

Activities and excursions

Adventure trails, sand and water playgrounds and exciting excursion destinations are sure to delight young and old alike. Many destinations can be easily reached by bike.

Eldorado for cyclists on the North Sea coast

Cycle along the monument cycle path along the farms and through the dunes and enjoy the salty sea air. There are many bike hire stations near the campsites in Katwijk, which also hire out children's bikes and trailers so that the whole family can go on long bike rides. Along the way, holidaymakers will come across many child-friendly restaurants that offer views of the sea and are ideal for a stopover. Ambitious mountain bikers can hire sporty bikes locally and take part in numerous organised cycling excursions.

Kitesurfing for beginners and pros

As there are good wind conditions in Katwijk, it has become a paradise for kitesurfers in recent years. Windsurfers and golfers will also find ideal conditions. Holidaymakers can learn the sport at the many local surf schools, which offer courses for all levels. The theory about the weather, steering and the wind window is clearly explained before heading out to sea. The right equipment is also available for hire and sale there.

Events

There's something going on in Katwijk throughout the holiday season: colourful markets, festivals and parades ensure a great atmosphere.

April

• King's Day: the streets are decorated and there are many flea markets and other markets in the centre. Children sell their old toys, adults offer household goods. There are also many stalls selling Dutch food.

May

• Lifeboat Day: On this day, holidaymakers can take a look behind the scenes of the Royal Dutch Rescue Institution (KNRM). Stories are told and films are shown at the stations.
• National Mill Day: Every year on the second Saturday in May, Mill Day takes place, with everything from pancake baking to music festivals. Numerous mills in the region are open on this day.

August

• North Sea Summer Festival: At the beginning of August, the big festival takes place on the boulevard in Katwijk with a wide range of daytime and evening activities. Around 23,000 visitors of all ages flock to the seaside resort.
• Flower parade: The Bollenstreek is filled with colourfully decorated floats and cars that delight with enchanting flowers in all shapes and sizes. During the parade, the flower industry puts on a show of superlatives.

Gastronomy

In every beach pavilion and at many snack stalls near the beach, holidaymakers are offered the popular Dutch specialities of frikandel, bitterballen and chips. Kibbeling, breaded fish cut into bite-sized pieces, which tastes particularly good with garlic sauce, and herring with onions are also popular in the coastal region. The quaint pancake houses, which offer savoury filled cakes as well as sweet pannekoeken and of course poffertjes, are very popular with families with children, but also with many other holidaymakers in Holland. The Dutch serve their famous Heineken or numerous other beers such as Amstel or Grolsch with their food. The coffee and cocoa of the Dutch is also impressive: Hot or cold Chocomel is an export hit and is not drunk in Germany for nothing.

Best time to visit

The camping season in Holland starts at the beginning of April and lasts until October. The climate is relatively warm and mild, but there is also frequent rain in the form of showers. The average annual temperature is 9.5 degrees Celsius and the warmest months are July and August. The least rain falls in April. As the tulips and daffodils bloom in bright colours in spring, this month is ideal for camping in Katwijk. In summer, the average temperature of the North Sea is around 20 degrees Celsius and invites you to cool off in the shallow waves.