Atlantikwall Bunker

The Atlantikwall Museum is an astonishing system of underground military bunkers and tunnels that were built under the Noordwijk sand dunes by German troops occupying the town in WWII.  The Netherlands was invaded in 1940, and suffered 5 years of Nazi-occupation.  The town of Noordwijk held an important strategic position, sandwiched between Germany and the North Sea, and even when much of Western Europe had been liberated from Nazi control, Holland remained under German control until May of 1945, when it was finally liberated by American and Canadian troops.  The Atlantikwall Museum is a 2 minute walk from The Flying Pig Beach Hostel. 

Similar bunkers and tunnel systems were built along the western coastline of Europe; stretching from the French-Spanish border and up into Norway.  This extensive system of coastal fortifications constructed by the German army is known as the Atlantikwall.  It consisted of batteries, bunkers, tunnel systems and minefields that acted as a barrier against an anticipated allied invasion.  This protective wall was never totally completed, and only a few bunkers have survived into the 21st century… one of which happens to be in Noordwijk. 

After the end of the war in 1945 the bunkers became a playground for local children and were eventually locked up for safety reasons.  It seems the bunkers were rather forgotten about for a time, but in 2004, and after a period of restoration, parts of the Atlantikwall bunker system have been opened up to the public.   

There are two main parts to the Atlantikwall Museum in Noordwijk.  The first is a museum which sits inside a former ammunition bunker, while the second part of the museum is a tour around the observational bunkers, canon bunkers, and the maze like tunnel system.  The main bunker is a huge expanse of concrete, with gun rooms, sleeping quarters, and observational decks that seem to sprout out in every direction.  The main tunnel runs underground for at least half a mile, with sub tunnels that develop into large rooms and bunkers every few hundred feet.  Some of the tunnels have been crushed under the severe weight of the sand above, but the majority of the structure has been restored, and to this day restoration work is continuing to repair more bunkers and tunnels a few hundred metres up the coast. 

The sheer scale of the bunker system is as startling as it is unnatural – there is a rather eerie feeling in the bunkers; surrounded by the 3m thick bomb proof walls, mesh grenade nets, canon positions, and observation decks.  But despite the heavy subject matter the fact is that a visit to the Atlantikwall Museum is a truly educational experience and a ‘must see’ for anyone staying at The Flying Pig Beach Hostel.