History · Second World War
Atlantikwall Bunkers Near Kijkduin
The German occupation reshaped Kijkduin by force. This page sets out what happened and what remains, without dressing it up.
- Building the Atlantikwall led to the demolition of about half of Kijkduin's houses.
- Widerstandsnest 67, above uitzichtpunt Noord in Westduinpark, is a still-intact, visitable bunker.
- Most other bunkers in the area are covered by sand.
- From 1944, V2 rockets were launched at London from Landgoed Ockenburgh.
What did the Atlantikwall do to Kijkduin?
The construction of the Atlantikwall, Germany's Second World War coastal defence system, led to the demolition of roughly half of Kijkduin's buildings, including a large part of the Meer en Bosch villa park. The nature area and buildings north of the Monsterseweg were also damaged in accidents during the launching of V-weapons from the grounds of the Bloemendaal psychiatric hospital nearby.
After the war, only a handful of beach cafes and an Indonesian restaurant remained standing in Kijkduin. The rebuilding that followed, from the 1960s and 1970s onward, is covered on the history of Kijkduin page.
What remains today, and can you visit it?
Multiple Second World War bunkers remain in the dune area around Kijkduin and Westduinpark, most of them now covered by sand. One exception is Widerstandsnest 67, above uitzichtpunt Noord in Westduinpark, near strandslag 4C, a still-intact bunker that can be visited. Where sand has shifted and exposed other bunker remains, bats sometimes roost inside.
For current access arrangements, opening information or guided visits, check directly with the official site manager rather than relying on a schedule published elsewhere: the numbers and hours involved change, and we do not publish figures we have not verified for this specific site.
Were V2 rockets really launched from near Kijkduin?
From 1944 onward, V2 rockets were launched at London from Landgoed Ockenburgh, the country estate that borders Kijkduin to the south. This was part of a wider German V-weapon campaign; the launches from Ockenburgh sit alongside the V-weapon-related accidents recorded near the Bloemendaal hospital grounds during the same period.
Landgoed Ockenburgh's longer history, including its earlier use to intern Belgian soldiers during the First World War, is covered on its own page.
How do you get to Widerstandsnest 67 from Kijkduin?
Widerstandsnest 67 sits above uitzichtpunt Noord in Westduinpark, on the north side of the dune area near Kijkduin, close to strandslag 4C. From Kijkduin's boulevard, the bunker is reached on foot through Westduinpark rather than directly along the beach. For a fuller route description, see the Westduinpark dunes guide.
What happened to the rest of the Atlantikwall bunkers in the area?
Most Atlantikwall bunkers around Kijkduin were left in place rather than demolished after the war, and are now buried under drifting sand as the dune landscape reshaped itself over the decades. They are not signposted or accessible for visits. Widerstandsnest 67 is the single confirmed exception that remains exposed and open to the public.
Can you see Widerstandsnest 67 from the beach at Kijkduin?
Widerstandsnest 67 stands inland from Kijkduin's beach, on higher ground in Westduinpark rather than directly on the shoreline. It sits above uitzichtpunt Noord, a viewpoint on the northern edge of Westduinpark, so it is not visible from beach level at Kijkduin itself. Walkers reach it via the dune paths through Westduinpark.
Why did the Germans build the Atlantikwall through Kijkduin specifically?
Kijkduin sits directly on the North Sea coast, which made it part of the Atlantikwall's planned line of coastal defence against an Allied invasion from the sea. The construction requirements, including clear fields of fire and space for gun emplacements, are why roughly half of Kijkduin's existing buildings were demolished to make room. For the fuller demolition and rebuilding story, see the history of Kijkduin.
Key terms
- Atlantikwall
- The system of coastal fortifications built by Germany along occupied Western Europe during the Second World War, including the Dutch coast at Kijkduin.
- Widerstandsnest
- German for "resistance nest": a small, self-contained defensive bunker position; Widerstandsnest 67 near Kijkduin survives intact.