Holiday apartment in Petten between dunes and beach
Accommodation in Petten
Holiday apartment in Petten between dunes and beach
Petten combines a broad sandy beach, diverse dune landscapes and tangible evidence of local and coastal history. Petten beach is an expansive sandy beach that begins at the Hondsbossche Zeewering. Petten is situated directly next to a dune area surrounded by forests, in which a small lake is hidden. In addition to its beach and dunes, Petten is known for its blooming tulip fields, whose fields take on all the colours of the rainbow from the beginning of April to mid-May. These landscapes offer different holiday focuses: a broad sandy beach, dunes, seasonal fields, and local and coastal history.
File:Schagen-Petten, voormalig Nederlands Hervormde kerk op Plein 1945 IMG 3234 2024-06-23 14.43.jpg
Photo: Michielverbeek via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Dune landscapes for active and relaxing days
The Pettemerduinen are a long, narrow strip of dunes between Zwanenwater and the Hondsbossche Zeewering. They include wooded areas, heathland, dune lakes and beach. This brings different impressions together within a compact landscape. In the wooded areas, you can go for a sheltered walk, enjoy far-reaching views from the high dune crests or breathe in the fresh sea air on the beach. The 26-metre-high panoramic dune viewpoint, also known as the Piramideduin Petten, can be climbed. From its summit, you can see the beach, dunes, Noordhollandsch Kanaal, the polders with their windmills and, in spring, the blooming bulb fields. The Piramideduin also offers views of the village and the sea.
Walking and cycling routes along the coast
Walking and cycling paths run through the dunes towards Camperduin. The Pad van Bigot is named after Mart Bigot and crosses the Hondsbossche Zeewering in Petten. Another option is the Zand tegen Zee route. It runs along the Pettemer Zeewering, the new foredunes and the Hazedijk van de Zijp, and also includes a section of beach with sea views. This allows you to choose different focuses when planning: paths through the dunes on the one hand, and the combination of coastal protection, beach and open views on the other. From 1 July through 31 August, free Kustbus line 851 connects Petten with Den Helder.
From fortified dike to dune landscape
Today’s coastal landscape is closely connected with the history of the Hondsbossche Zeewering. The Hondsbossche Duinen were created in 2015 as a sandy coastal protection structure on the site of the former Hondsbossche and Pettemer Zeewering. Reinforcing the coast with sand from the sea created a new beach and dune area; as a result, the fortified dike structure was transformed into a broad beach with a dune landscape. The Hondsbossche Zeewering was a 5.5-kilometre-long fortified dike between Camperduin and Petten that protected the land from the sea. It has a long history of storm damage and dike repairs.
Palendorp and Petten’s places of remembrance
The history of the village can also be discovered in a special way. Palendorp Petten commemorates old Petten, which was flooded by the sea a long time ago. The artwork consists of 160 posts measuring between six and twelve metres in length, arranged in the form of ten houses and a church. The history of the oldest memorial park in Petten dates back more than 300 years. The church in Petten was demolished in 1944; the churchyard and the gravestones from the church were preserved on site.
The right location for your holiday ideas
When choosing your holiday apartment in Petten, the desired combination of landscape, activities and local history may be the deciding factor. Those looking for paths and wide-ranging views will find specific points of interest in the Pettemerduinen, at the Piramideduin and along the Pad van Bigot. For days by the sea, the expansive sandy beach, the Hondsbossche Duinen and the beach section of the Zand tegen Zee route take centre stage. Tulip fields between the beginning of April and mid-May, as well as Palendorp and the preserved traces of the churchyard, add seasonal and historical highlights.
Discover more places
For further orientation, you can also explore Oudesluis, Burgerbrug, Sint Maartensbrug, Het Korfwater, 'T Zand, Sint Maartenszee, Sint Maartensvlotbrug and Callantsoog.
For the overarching travel overview: Zijpe.
