Museum Katwijk

Museum Katwijk, the Katwijks Museum, is the local history museum of Katwijk aan Zee, the seaside town on the coast of South Holland where the Old Rhine reaches the North Sea. It stands on the Voorstraat, close to the beach, in the old part of the town, and it tells the story of a community that lived from the sea and later became a resort and an artists' village. The museum is modest in size but full of detail, and it gives a good introduction to the place before or after a walk on the beach.

The museum's subjects reflect the town's history. Fishing was the basis of life in Katwijk for centuries, and the exhibition covers the boats, nets and techniques of the fishermen, including the flat-bottomed bomschuiten that were hauled up the beach. Maritime history is another theme, with models, paintings and objects connected to the sea. The traditional costume of Katwijk, with its distinctive caps and dresses, is displayed, and a section on the Vuurbaak, the old beacon that guided boats before the lighthouse, adds a local landmark.

The town also has a Roman past. At the mouth of the Rhine, the Romans built a fort called Brittenburg, whose remains lay on the beach for many centuries and are now buried by sand and sea. The museum has a copy of the Peutinger Map, a medieval copy of a Roman road map, which shows the fort and the road network of the empire, and the display helps to understand Katwijk's place on the frontier. The exhibition of paintings is another highlight, since from the nineteenth century onwards, Katwijk drew artists who were attracted by the light, the dunes and the fishing folk. Max Liebermann and other painters worked here, and the museum shows local views and portraits.

Opening times are limited, with the museum usually open on certain days and with a suggested donation instead of a fixed ticket price, so check the schedule before you go. The visit takes about an hour. Staff and volunteers are knowledgeable and keen to talk about the town.

The museum is close to the Katwijk beach, the lighthouse, the dunes of the Katwijkse Duinen nature reserve and the old mills De Valk and De Vink, and a stroll can take in several of these. It suits families, history lovers and art fans. Combine the museum with a walk along the boulevard and a meal of fresh fish.