Surf and turf. Or a Dutch-style California challenge, minus the desert.
Coming from Southern California, we are no stranger to sandy beaches or forested areas. We have plenty of both within a 30-minute drive. Indeed, the SoCal challenge is a social media ‘challenge’ where one visits the beach, the desert, and the mountains all in a day. While I don’t recommend doing all three in a single day, it is definitely doable over a weekend. In fact, we’ve had a few adventure weekends where we did just that.
The Netherlands is probably not the first place that comes to mind when considering European beach destinations. However, with about 450 kilometers (280 miles) of coastline, the Netherlands has some lovely beaches. And while there is no desert in the Netherlands, and no actual mountains as the country is rather flat and low-lying, there is plenty of forest. Within about a twenty minute bike ride through Den Haag, it is possible to picnic in the forest and go for a swim at the beach. This was also a way to see more of the area- and at minimal cost.
The Forest
Haagse Bos, which literally translates to ‘The Hague Forest’ is not far from where we stayed. This forest is one of the oldest in the Netherlands, and had once been part of a larger forest. Time and development shrunk the area that was once used as the hunting recreation grounds for the counts of Holland. Many of the forest’s trees were cut down in the 16th and 17th centuries, and this sparked conservation efforts to protect and preserve the land. The Acte van Redemptie, translated Act of Redemption, made it so that the land could not be sold and no one had the right to cut down trees. Today, the forest park is only about 100 hectares in area, but it provides a lovely green space for walking and biking, with a pond and many old trees.
Also within Haagse Bos is the Huis ten Bosch, the residential palace of King Willem-Alexander and his family. As it was just down the block from where Mees’ parents live in Den Haag, we walked past the gated residence on an after-dinner walk while waiting for the kids to return from Albert Heijn. The palace, while grand, looks rather cosy nestled in the green woods. That said, it is used for official functions. Indeed, Mees’ dad mentioned that not long before our visit, photos were taken on the palace steps after the swearing-in of the Dutch parliament.
Het Strand- The Beach
On our penultimate full day in Den Haag, we embarked on a cooky summer adventure, in true Haas style. I had wanted to visit the beach, mostly to see how it compared to our beaches in California, but also because while I hate sand- thank you Anakin Skywalker- I do love the ocean. While at brunch, this idea evolved into bringing the bunny to the beach. So after making a stop at the pet store for a bunny leash, we embarked on Pippa’s first beach adventure.
It was going to be impossible to bring the bunny carrier going by bicycle, so our party split up; Mees, Michael, and the girls would ride their bikes through the forest, while Jacob and I would transport Pippa via the bus, meeting up at Scheveningen.
The plan worked, but with some issues. For starters, we felt that we were racing the clock against an incoming “Code Orange”– a storm of concern that was expected to roll in late afternoon/early evening. The other issue was that rather than heading to a less busy area, we met up just south of the pier. This area, to me, was reminiscent of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in California. There were food stands, games, and amusement-park rides. While fun, this was not going to work too well for Pippa, who had not been out to the beach prior to this trip, and really wasn’t used to crowds.
So after some deliberation, we headed north of the pier. The girls took Pippa, and we followed on the bikes. It took longer than it should have to go the kilometer to the new spot; I struggled getting on the bike, which was a bit too high for me. Eventually we made it, but by then, it was time to head back to avoid riding the bikes in the storm. Though our time on the sand was short, it was still a fun experience. And we found that Pippa was content chinning the sand to claim it as her territory.
Some things to consider:
There are many other lovely beaches along the Dutch coastline. We were hoping to be able to visit the Dunes, located further north along a quieter area of coastline. We did not get a chance to go, as it would take longer via public transportation from where we were, and we limited our time outside because of the storm.
Hollandse Duinen National Park protects the South Holland coast, and the nature preserve is part of this protected area. While the management of national parks is a bit different from what I’m familiar with here in the States, the goals are similar: “The management of a national park is being aimed at nature conservation and development, nature oriented recreation, education and extension, and research.” Similar to park management in Great Britain, parks include nature areas, villages, estates, museums, and other developments.
Going by bike is probably the most flexible way to get around when heading to the beach. It is certainly possible to go by tram or bus, but bicycling allows for faster and easier transportation. There are bikes to rent from Donkey Republic, and it works similarly to other bike-sharing apps like Rekola in Prague.
We also found that while many busses note that bicycles are allowed on the bus, this is at the discretion of the driver. We were going to take the bus to get back, but were not allowed to bring the bike onto this particular bus, even though the vehicle was not very full.
Be weather aware. We found that the weather can be changeful in the summer, and we were watching the forecast closely so that we would not be caught biking in a severe summer thunderstorm. I did bring rain gear with me, just in case, though this would not have helped with bicycling in the rain.
Our forest and beach adventures, though short, were lovely. It was nice to have a slower-paced adventure on our last couple days in Den Haag. I wish we had more time to spend in the Netherlands to spend time as a family and to explore more. I hope we have the opportunity to return soon, because life is an adventure meant to be shared, and I loved every minute of our Holland adventures. Thank you for journeying with us. Proost!
P.S. The Code Orange did not live up to the hype. There were thunderstorms in Den Haag, but these arrived later than anticipated and lasted a mere 15 minutes or so where we were. Turns out we could have stayed longer at the beach. But, better safe than sorry.
References:
“The Hague Forest.” Denhaag.Com, 2024, denhaag.com/en/the-hague-forest.
“Conservation and Management of Natural Areas.” Conservation and Management of Natural Areas | Biodiversity-CHM.NL, 2024, nl.chm-cbd.net/en/policy-biodiversity-netherlands/conservation-management-natural-areas#:~:text=The%20management%20of%20a%20national,the%20Netherlands%20exists%20of%20forests.
The Cranky Camper 