Nature
Westduinpark
Kijkduin's northern neighbour: 235 hectares of dune, a 33-metre summit, and cattle doing conservation work most parks pay contractors for.
- Westduinpark and the Bosjes van Poot together cover 235 hectares, bordering Kijkduin to the south.
- De Vulkaan, its highest dune, reaches 33 metres: the highest point near Kijkduin.
- Scottish Highland cattle graze here to keep the dune landscape open.
- Its dune-oak groves are a habitat found almost exclusively in the Netherlands.
What is Westduinpark?
Westduinpark and the adjoining Bosjes van Poot form a 235-hectare dune nature reserve inside the city limits of The Hague, immediately north of Kijkduin. The two areas are separated by the Nieboerweg, which tram line 12 partly runs over, and together they form a Natura 2000 site under the EU Habitats Directive.
The park is bordered by Scheveningen's harbour and the Afvoerkanaal to the north-west, Kijkduin to the south, the beach on one side and the city on the other. The Vogelwijk and Bohemen neighbourhoods border it, and the Duindorp neighbourhood is enclosed by it.
How high do the dunes get, and where's the best view?
The highest point in Westduinpark is De Vulkaan, at 33 metres: the highest dune near Kijkduin. Just south of it lies a nearly-as-tall dune known as "de Piek van Den Haag" (The Hague's Peak), which carries the remains of a bunker. Other viewpoints include Vogelwijk 1 and uitzichtpunt Noord, on the park's south side near strandslag 4C, above Widerstandsnest 67: a still-intact, visitable Atlantikwall bunker. See the Atlantikwall guide for details on visiting it.
The park's terrain varies sharply for a coastal reserve: dense woodland and open flats, steep slopes and viewpoints more than 30 metres above sea level.
What lives and grows in Westduinpark?
The fox is the largest wild mammal naturally found here, alongside many bird species including the nightingale. In July and August the poor, sandy soil turns yellow with mullein (koningskaars) and evening primrose (teunisbloem), set off by darker tansy ragwort (jacobskruiskruid) and blue-flowered viper's bugloss (slangenkruid). Low trees such as white poplar, hawthorn, privet, elder and sea buckthorn (duindoorn) grow alongside small groves of dune oaks: dune-oak woodland is a habitat found almost exclusively in the Netherlands.
Dogs are walked here in large numbers, and the park has bridleways for horse riders. Between 2011 and 2012, a Natura 2000 restoration removed some non-native, water-hungry species such as maple and Japanese rose (rimpelroos), giving oaks and hawthorns more room; large parts of the dunes reverted to shifting sand dunes (stuifduinen). Digging and drifting sand during that work exposed parts of old bunkers, where bats sometimes roost.
What grows in the dunes in summer?
In July and August, Westduinpark's dunes turn yellow with mullein (koningskaars) and evening primrose (teunisbloem), set off by darker tansy ragwort (jacobskruiskruid) and blue-flowered viper's bugloss (slangenkruid). Low trees such as white poplar, hawthorn, privet, elder and sea buckthorn grow alongside small groves of dune oaks, a habitat found almost exclusively in the Netherlands. Summer is the park's most colourful season for plant life.
Why are there Scottish Highland cattle in the dunes?
Scottish Highland cattle graze freely across parts of Westduinpark to help keep the terrain open: their grazing stops scrub and grass from taking over the dune landscape that the park's rare species depend on. The park stays open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, whose paths can cross the cattle's grazing routes.
What is the story behind the Bosjes van Poot?
The Bosjes van Poot are named after gamekeeper Willem Poot (1857–1932), who worked for Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a granddaughter of King William II of the Netherlands. She controlled the Westduinen estate into the twentieth century before it was sold to the municipality of The Hague.
This is a wooded, pine-and-oak area with multi-stemmed oaks growing from stumps that are sometimes centuries old, dating to before 1910 when the area was worked for oak coppice wood. Bunkers were built here during the Second World War, and rubble from housing demolished by the German occupying forces was dumped in the area. A water purification plant was added in the early 1980s.
How do you get to Westduinpark, and what's nearby?
Westduinpark is reachable by tram line 12 and bus line 22. Beach pavilions Zuid (at strandslag 11) and De Staat (at strandslag 10) sit along this stretch, and the Jutterskeet van Ome Jan (also known as the Strandjuttersmuseum, displaying items washed up on the beach) is at strandslag 5, closer to Kijkduin. The Haag Atletiek athletics track sits at the park's edge, on the Laan van Poot.
Is there a naturist beach zone near Westduinpark?
Part of the beach at Westduinpark is a naturist zone, between beach poles 104 and 105. This is a separate stretch from Kijkduin's own naturist section further south, so the two should not be confused when giving directions. Access is from the same beach paths that reach Westduinpark's regular stretch. See the Kijkduin beach guide for the naturist section closer to the village.
Key terms
- Stuifduin (shifting/drifting dune)
- An active dune where sand is not fixed by vegetation and continues to move with the wind: much of Westduinpark reverted to this state after the 2011–2012 restoration.
- Natura 2000
- An EU-wide network of protected nature areas; Westduinpark is designated under it as part of Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen.