Bloemendaal: Culture, Nature and Coast

Bloemendaal offers a range of options to consider when planning a stay: the old village with its Dorpskerk, a historic memorial site in a protected natural area, gardens and theater venues, and the beach at Bloemendaal aan Zee. These themes offer different areas of focus. Consider whether village history, nature, culture or the coast is most important for your trip. The places and details below can help you explore these interests in more concrete terms.

Memorial Sites and Village History

The Eerebegraafplaats Bloemendaal is located in Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland, a protected natural area. In the dunes, 372 victims were given individual graves. On October 28, 2010, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science designated the Eerebegraafplaats a national monument of the Netherlands. The site thus connects the remembrance of the victims with its location in a protected natural area.

Another memorial site is the Monument 16 april. It commemorates the victims of the mistaken bombing on and around Duinwijckweg in Bloemendaal on April 16, 1945. The monument was unveiled on April 16, 2025, in Simon de Heerplantsoen in Bloemendaal. It consists of a bronze sculpture on a natural-stone plinth beside an apple tree. The Eerebegraafplaats and the monument mark different historical themes: the cemetery with its 372 graves, and the remembrance of the bombing victims.

In the center of the old village, the Dorpskerk stands in the middle of Kerkplein. Its acoustics are particularly well suited to small-scale concerts. The church is therefore both a clear landmark in the village and a distinctive cultural attraction.

Heemtuin Garden, Walking Park and Dunes

Thijsse’s Hof is an approximately two-hectare Heemtuin garden containing only native plants from the Kennemer Dunes. It is the oldest Heemtuin in the Netherlands. Visitor information dated August 28, 2026, lists Thijsse’s Hof as accessible to people using walkers or wheelchairs, as well as to people with strollers. You can therefore take both the plant collection and the explicitly stated accessibility conditions into account when planning your visit.

Caprera in Bloemendaal is an open-air theater and walking park set between woods and dunes. In contrast to Thijsse’s Hof, whose description highlights the Heemtuin garden and its native plants, Caprera’s two defining features are its theater and walking park. If you are comparing cultural venues and natural areas, these differences offer a concrete basis for choosing.

Beach and Getting There

The beach at Bloemendaal aan Zee is 4.3 kilometers long. In 2026, the Blue Flag, an international environmental award, flew at Bloemendaal beach. It is awarded annually to participating beaches and marinas that are proven to be clean and safe. Since the status is awarded anew each year, check it for the year of your trip.

To get to Bloemendaal aan Zee, the municipality recommends taking the train to Zandvoort station and then continuing by beach bus, the Noord shuttle bus. Check connections before your trip. This gives you a specific travel tip to help plan your stay, alongside the cultural and natural attractions.

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