Den Helder is a port city in North Holland. It is the main base of the Royal Netherlands Navy and is also an important civilian port.
Den Helder is the northernmost settlement on the mainland of Noord Holland. Den Helder is named as such since 1928. Before that, the city was called Helder, but was also referred to as t Nieuwediep and Willemsoord. Den Helder was the local name, which was solidified as the town name in 1928.
Den Helder has been an island town up to 1610, when the Zanddijk between Callantsoog and Huisduinen was completed. The town was a naval one, with most of its income coming from fishing. East of the town was the Nieuwediep inlet, which formed a natural harbour. Stadtholder Willem V ordered to investigate the option of creating a new harbour for the royal navy in 1779, and after much resistance from Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Medemblik, the other three major harbour cities along the Zuiderzee, work started in 1781 to make the Nieuwe Diep into a harbour. Den Helder subsequently became one of the home ports of the royal navy.
During Napoleonic French occupation, the town was fortified . The navy permanently stayed when the French were defeated. Den Helder became an outport of Amsterdam with the completion of the Noordhollandsch Kanaal. The town subsequently expanded, got a steamboat connection to Amsterdam in 1845 and a railway connection to Amsterdam in 1865. Meanwhile, the national naval university also moved to the town. The town of Juliadorp was founded in 1909 after the town moved back to fishing since the Noordhollandsch Kanaal allowed ships bound for Amsterdam to do there directly, from which the trade suffered. 10% of the people in Den Helder migrated to elsewhere in the country.
The city, during World War Two, housed parts of the German Navy, and the entire town was declared a Sperrgebiet in 1943, meaning that Den Helder no longer was accessible to regular people. In favour of the Atlantikwall and having a free range of sight, many buildings along the seadike were demolished. Since the fall of the Nazi-German Empire, the city has been largely expanded upon.
- The city's sea wall provides a good view of the constant parade of ships entering and leaving the port.
Museums and other things to see in Den Helder are:
- Fort Kijkduin, a fortress built in 1811.
- Oude Rijkswerf Willemsoord
- Marinemuseum - this museum records the history of the Royal Netherlands Navy, and includes several preserved warships and a submarine. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Den Helder's train station to the museum.
- Nationaal Reddingmuseum Dorus Rijkers
- Käthe Kruse Poppen- en speelgoedmuseum
- Oranjerie De Groene Parel
- Kunst & Natuur project De Nollen
- Hotel Lands End, Havenplein 1, +31 223 625658.
- Spijz, Koningstraat 70, 1781 KJ Den helder, +31 223-613035. Also suited for: Vegetarian, lactose free, gluten free, organic and sugar-free.
Hotel Lands End, Havenplein 1, +31 223 625658.
Spijz, Koningstraat 70, 1781 KJ Den helder, +31 223-613035. Also suited for: Vegetarian, lactose free, gluten free, organic and sugar-free.