Theme
Remarkable nature results from soil, water, wind, salt, management and time. North Holland contains exceptionally varied habitats within short distances, from wet dune valleys and tidal flats to peat lakes and urban-edge wilderness. Each place has its own species and best season. This theme page helps you choose nature reserves in North Holland by landscape, species and time of year. Monthly guidance on the detail pages provides direction, but wildlife remains dependent on weather, water levels and chance.
12 places
North Holland’s richness often lies in transitions. Dry dune borders wet valley, fresh water meets brackish habitat and open grassland touches reeds or scrub. Along such edges, many plants, birds and insects find food, shelter and breeding space.
A small area can therefore support a remarkable number of species. Those who look only at the centre of a landscape often miss the most valuable edges. Notice transitions in height, moisture, vegetation and soil.
Many areas would change rapidly without management. Mowing, grazing, removing topsoil, water-level control and seasonal closures preserve vulnerable conditions. This does not make nature less real; it shows how rare species depend on careful intervention in long-influenced landscapes.
Grazing animals, mown plots, weirs and temporary fences are therefore not interruptions to the story, but part of it. They show how management preserves the conditions on which vulnerable species depend.
Photo: Willem Reinier de Jong
Credit: Photo: Willem Reinier de Jong / Nederland Onder Je Voeten
Licence: All rights reserved
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Zandvoort, Bloemendaal and Noordwijk
Between Zandvoort and Noordwijk lie the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes: an extensive dune landscape of open sand, flower-rich grasslands, wet valleys, scrub, woodland and long water channels. Water for Amsterdam…
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Photo: Michielverbeek
Credit: Photo: Michielverbeek, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Den Helder and Hollands Kroon
Between Den Helder and the former island of Wieringen lies Balgzand, an extensive landscape of tidal flats, channels, salt marshes and saline grasslands. At low tide, thousands of birds spread across the expos…
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Photo: Txllxt TxllxT
Credit: Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Texel
Between De Koog and De Slufter lies De Muy: a young dune landscape with steep slopes, an elongated wet valley, grasslands, the Muy lake and the dark pine copse known as Oorlogsschip. Unlike De Slufter, the inf…
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Photo: Milliped
Credit: Photo: Milliped, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Diemen
On the eastern edge of Amsterdam lies De Vijfhoek, also known as the Diemer Vijfhoek or PEN Island. The nature area developed around 1970 on dredged and reclaimed material in the IJmeer. Within a few decades…
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Photo: Dqfn13
Credit: Photo: Dqfn13, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
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Special nature
Alkmaar
Between De Rijp, Schermerhorn, Grootschermer and Noordeinde lies the Eilandspolder: a centuries-old low-peat landscape of narrow grasslands, ditches, reed fringes and small lakes. The old peat island lies high…
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Photo: Maarten Sepp
Credit: Photo: Maarten Sepp, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
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Special nature
Landsmeer
Between Landsmeer, Den Ilp, Ilpendam and the North Holland Canal lies the Ilperveld: a watery low-peat landscape with long ditches, reed beds, wet meadows, quaking bogs and hundreds of narrow peat islands. Clo…
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Photo: Rijkswaterstaat
Credit: Source: Rijkswaterstaat Image Bank, Rijkswaterstaat, via Wikimedia Commons. Attribution to Rijkswaterstaat is mandatory.
Licence: Attribution only – Rijkswaterstaat
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Gooise Meren
Between Amsterdam, Hilversum, Weesp and Naarden lies the Naardermeer: a natural lake with clear water, extensive reed beds, swamp woodland and waterlogged grasslands. The area faced repeated attempts at draina…
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Photo: FrDr
Credit: Photo: FrDr, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Bergen
Near Schoorl lies one of the widest and highest dune areas in the Netherlands. The Schoorl Dunes contain open sand, steep dune ridges, heath, pine woodland and wet dune valleys. The transitions between these l…
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Photo: Marion Golsteijn
Credit: Photo: Marion Golsteijn, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Amsterdam
Between Sloterdijk and Halfweg lies the Lange Bretten, an elongated urban wilderness of reeds, scrub, water, muddy paths and open grassland. Railway lines, harbour edges and residential districts remain close…
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Photo: Rasbak
Credit: Photo: Rasbak, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Texel
On the north-western side of Texel lies De Slufter, a rare salt marsh connected directly to the North Sea by a channel and a branching network of tidal creeks. At high water, seawater penetrates deep between t…
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Photo: Wolk
Credit: Photo: Wolk, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Licence: Public domain
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Wormerland
Between Wormer, Jisp, Neck and Oostknollendam lies the Wormer and Jisperveld: an extensive lowland peat landscape where waterways replace roads. Thousands of narrow grassland plots lie like green islands among…
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Photo: MatsAlkmaar
Credit: Photo: MatsAlkmaar, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: No changes.
Special nature
Schagen
Behind the dunes south of Callantsoog lies Zwanenwater, an almost intact landscape with two large natural dune lakes, broad reed and marsh zones, wet valleys, heath and open sand. Spoonbills, cormorants and ma…
View this placeNorth Holland’s nature reserves differ greatly. Texel and the coast offer dunes, salt marshes and tidal flats. Inland lie peat lakes, reedbeds and meadow-bird areas. Around cities, different forms of nature emerge, often on former industrial or infrastructure sites.
Each landscape requires a different way of looking. Along the coast, wind, salt and tide dominate. In peatlands, water level and management are decisive. Urban-edge nature often depends on spontaneous development, quiet and connections between fragmented areas.
The same place can be completely different each month. Spring birdsong, flowering orchids, breeding colonies, migrating birds and winter raptors each follow their own calendar. Use monthly guidance on the detail pages, but expect no guarantee.
Visit early or late in the day if you want quiet and wildlife. Stay on paths, keep your distance and respect temporary closures. Nature remains dependent on weather, water levels and chance. That unpredictability is precisely what makes every visit different.
Concrete examples include De Muy and De Slufter on Texel, Balgzand, Naardermeer, the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes and Wormer- en Jisperveld. They range from dune valleys and tidal flats to peatland, reedbeds and meadow-bird habitats.
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