Den Helder - Naval Museum - North Sea aquarium of Kijkduin fortress - Texel

Route: Amsterdam - Den Helder - Naval Museum - North Sea aquarium of Kijkduin fortress - Texel - Amsterdam
Duration: 10 h
Our first stop we will make at Den Helder which lies on the northernmost point of the province of North Holland and is surrounded by water on three sides. The city has many maritime highlights to offer - from long beaches to the naval base to the attractive Naval Museum. Den Helder was part of the defence line 'De Stelling van Den Helder', built in the time of Napoleon. The city is surrounded by fortifications, some of which have been renovated and are accessible to the public today. There we will visit to one of the most imposing structures in Den Helder is the Naval Museum. The three museum ships stand out a mile away; the monitor Schorpioen, the mine hunter Abraham Crijnssen and the submarine Tonijn, which are spread out around the museum premises in an impressive manner. The 78 m long U-boat, which weighs a million kilos, is accessible for museum visitors - a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of the command centre and galley of a submarine. But that's not all the Naval Museum in Den Helder has to offer. About 15% of the Naval Museum's collection, containing around 20,000 objects, is available for show, such as ship models, weapons, uniforms and works of art. After we will go to Fort Kijkduin, situated in front of the gates of Den Helder, was built at the beginning of the 19th century on the orders of Napoleon, to defend the strategically important city. The fortification, surrounded by a high wall, houses eight arches. Today, these arches contain museum rooms dealing with the history of the fort, amongst other things. In the fortress we will visit to  North Sea aquarium has also been set up in Fort Kijkduin, where you can walk through a 12 m long tunnel under the fishes' world of the North Sea. In the beginning, it was the first aquarium in the Netherlands where visitors could walk through a twelve-metre-long underwater tunnel where you can experience the sea under water. The theme of the aquarium is since the opening entirely focused on the life in the North Sea. Because the aquarium is equipped in two beeches with several small aquariums, it creates a good image for example, the tide, seaweeds, the life of an eel and the sable colors of rays.  Not only the North Sea is mentioned, but also the fish migration to the Wadden Sea is discussed. Fort Kijkduin is located at the place where the North Sea and the Wadden Sea meet. Visiting our aquarium is an exciting and educational adventure, where you can, not only see and feed fish, but also touch the fish! After your meeting with the local fishes we will go to ferry which reach us to the Texel island. Texel, the biggest Dutch Wadden Island, boasts 30 kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches, nature reserves full of birds and seals, and pleasant villages. This beautiful piece of nature is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with reason! After free time we will return to Amsterdam.
Price: Per person