Beautybyfrieda

Last summer I was allowed to visit the very nice city of Leiden for a day for my birthday. This region is not called the Region of Surprises for nothing, because there are so many fun things to see and do here. I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited to visit Katwijk and the surrounding area, together with my 11-year-old son Job. With an overnight stay in the Pop-Up Cottage, a house on wheels that travels through Oegstgeest, Leiden, Wassenaar, Voorschoten and Katwijk. The last stop of the cottage was at Holiday Park Koningshof in Rijnsburg (Katwijk) where we were allowed to stay 1 night.

Pop-Up Cottage / Holiday Park Koningshof

The Pop-Up Cottage is too cute, we had never slept in something like this. It is small yet fully equipped, with a kitchenette, a fridge filled with local products, a double bed, a table with chair and a nice large round window. The goal is to enjoy the better outdoors, because this region has so much to offer. The cottage has no running water, luckily we were right next to the indoor and outdoor pool of Holiday Park Koningshof, and even though I have no experience with camping, the shower and toilet block looked clean and luxurious. An overnight stay in the Pop-Up Cottage is by invitation only and cannot be booked, but you can take a seat on the lovely terrace next to the cottage where you can read information about the region.

The two of us slept wonderfully in the Pop-Up Cottage. Thanks to Bizon Events, there were two cool Johnny Loco bicycles outside that we could use to explore the area. The park is clean, spacious with ample parking space everywhere. Outside you will find a large playground and for those who love fishing, on the edge of the holiday park is a large fishing pond where you can fish without a permit.

After Job has taken a dip in the pool, we sit down in the evening on the terrace at the restaurant of Holiday Park Koningshof. These spare ribs were delicious! Next to the restaurant and the reception is the Park Shop, here we got bread the next morning, which was freshly baked every morning.

Katwijk aan Zee

After dinner we drove to Katwijk aan Zee for a beautiful sunset. The wide beach here is so beautiful and peaceful. Did you know that it is one of the cleanest beaches in South Holland?

Katwijks Museum

A few minutes’ walk from the beach is the cozy center of the former fishing village of Katwijk. We went here the next day for shopping and lunch. In the afternoon we were invited to visit the Katwijks Museum. Job finds history and especially excavations very interesting, we were given a tour including a treasure hunt especially for him. This treasure hunt for children leads you through the entire building and wins you a prize for correct answers.

The museum combines a special collection of paintings with a fine collection of local and regional attractions. The museum is proud of one of the earliest known paintings by Jan van Goyen “Beach view with fishmongers in Katwijk” from 1641.

Beach pavilion Surf and Beach

The second evening we were invited by Beach Pavilion Surf and Beach to come and eat here and enjoy another spectacular sunset. This Beach Pavilion was voted the best beach pavilion in South Holland in 2020. You can sit here on the large lounge sofas and the food is fantastic.

Louwman Museum

After breakfast and a last splash in the pool, we checked out at the reception and drove to the Louwman Museum where 2 tickets were waiting for us. Job and I both love beautiful cars and this museum is full of them. The Louwman Museum is an impressively beautiful and large building and it houses the world’s oldest collection of automobiles. The museum gives a picture of the automotive industry and goes back to 1887. After you’ve seen everything, you’ll end up at the atmospheric Museumplein, a cozy central point with historic shops and characteristic facades where you can order some food and a drink.

Nature reserve Meijendel

Because the weather was so lovely, we drove to the Meijendel nature reserve, which is located in the middle of the Hollandse Duinen National Park in Wassenaar. You can walk for hours in this beautiful dune area and parking is free.

This ended our fun trip. At first you might not think of this region to go to, but it has pleasantly surprised me for the second time. The region has everything, the sea, beautiful beaches, wonderful places to eat, cozy terraces and beautiful nature. If you want to know more about all the fun things to do in this region, check out Region of Surprises and discover all the nice places.

XO Frieda

This blog post contains products that I received.