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| Freshwater lakes dot the landscape of the sand dunes. |
Monday, April 18, 2022
After our lunch break, we left the "Coney Island" style vibe of Scheveningen Beach to enter the protected dunes areas. There are long stretches and many kilometers of park land, which is only open to bikers, hikers and beach walkers. This section was probably my favorite biking of the trip.
The Dutch coast dunes provides a habitat for lots of wildlife, and includes 50 per cent of the Netherlands' biodiversity. Mammals include deer, rabbits, Highland cattle and bison (unfortunately, none of which was spied by our group.)
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| Following our fearless leader, Willem |
Our ride along the dunescape was peaceful and serene. We couldn't see the North Sea from our riding paths - too far away. But we saw inland lakes and could climb up on platform lookouts at a few places.
The protected dune area is called Meijendel and is the largest contiguous dune area in South Holland. The nature reserve stretches between Scheveningen, The Hague and Wassenaar. The nature reserve consists primarily of open dune landscapes, water features, forests and miles of sandy beach. More than 250 species of birds are found in the preserve.
The following information about the dune ecosystem is from the DK Eyewitness Guide:
The dunes can reach heights of 10 meters, and form a natural sea wall from the North Sea. They play an important role in the purification of water. Drinking water has been collected from underground reservoirs beneath the dunes of Holland since the 19th century. The process was developed as a means of supplying safe drinking water for the cities....Initially, the water was piped directly from the dunes - which collect fresh water in the form of precipitation - but this led to a build up of salt in the supply. To remedy the problem, an innovative new system was set up whereby river water from inland was piped to the dunes to undergo a natural filtration process. This method is still in use today.
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| A water tower, that is part of the water filtration system described above |
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| View from atop a platform lookout - you can see The Hague on the horizon |
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| Freshwater lakes and rivers are part of the water purification process |
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| Our (approximate) last part of today's ride |
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