Walking past impressive war memorials

Publish date 11 April 2022
Read time 5 minutes
Written by Sonja
Sonja van OpstapmetLisa
Westerbork uitgelicht

There are numerous war memorials in the Netherlands. These monuments come in the form of a plaque or a statue, but also in the form of an entire cemetery. Sometimes they are to honor the fallen civilian victims of a town or village, for soldiers or for a single person. We have collected for you in a blog some war memorials that are definitely worth visiting. In fact, you can also combine them well with a day of great hiking.

Waalsdorpervlakte

In the dunes of Meijendel near Scheveningen you will find a very special war memorial. More than 250 people were executed at the Waalsdorpervlakte during World War II. Today, this spot is one of the most important memorial sites in the Netherlands. Every year on May 4 during Remembrance Day, a Ceremony of Honor is held here. Flowers and wreaths are then laid and the Bourdon bell rings. In fact, the monument itself is very simple, but the surroundings around it are also beautiful.

Bourbonklok-640x360

The Waalsdorpervlakte is part of Meijendel. Meijendel is the largest interconnected dune area in South Holland. After your visit to the war memorial, you can take a lovely walk here, from a detour to a long hike. Because this area runs from Scheveningen through The Hague to Wassenaar and consists of dune landscape, water features, forests and kilometers of sandy beaches.

Wassenaarse Slag

In the same area, but a little further on, you will find another war memorial. Namely, that of the Wassenaarse Slag. This monument was erected in memory of fallen French allied soldiers.This monument is also beautifully located on the beach and you can enjoy biking and hiking in the area. At the Wassenaarse Slag you will also find a lot of nice catering establishments, such as Brasserie de Badmeester and Beachclub BAIT.

Atlantikwall

Along the Atlantic Wall

Do you really want to learn about World War II and have a nice walk at the same time? Then the Atlantikwall Den Haag memorial route is a must. There are two walking routes you can make yourself. One starting at Madurodam and one starting at Goudsbloemlaan.Both routes tell you all about the Atlantic Wall and World War II. Would you rather walk with a guide? That is also possible. You can find more information on the website of the Atlantikwall.

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