Even before the scavenger hunt has really started, Linde (7) and Maartje (5) are already eager. The houses with the starfish on the facade are the first stop of the new Logbook of Den Helder. Together with mother Laura, they are the very first family to try out the exploration of the city center and Willemsoord.
While Laura glances at the route map every now and then, Linde and Maartje are mainly busy searching. Where was the next photo taken? Have they found the right facade? And what might have happened here in the past? Before they even realize it, they are fully engaged in the sleuthing.
The logbook points the way, but doesn't reveal everything. Using photos, children find the next place themselves. Along the way, they answer short questions, look around more closely, and discover stories that might normally go unnoticed. Less than five minutes into the journey, the city is no longer a collection of buildings, but one big treasure hunt.
Right from the first assignment, exactly what the logbook was made for happens. The children suddenly look up at the facades on Spuistraat. Among the decorations, they discover starfish, shells, and other objects that could also wash ashore on the beach.
To the question of what the craziest thing is that could wash ashore here, the answer is without a doubt:
“A whale!”
From that moment on, the tone is set.
The route passes twelve special places and a bonus stop. Something new happens at every stop.
At the Dubbele Bollard, the girls enthusiastically start measuring. “Six hundred!” shouts Maartje when she has to estimate how tall the artwork is. And actually, she is right, because the bollard is exactly six meters high.
A moment later, they are standing with the Wervians. As soon as the bronze shipyard worker comes into view, they immediately want their picture taken. In no time at all, Linde is lying on the ground and Maartje is hoisted onto his shoulders. As if the Wervian has turned into a friendly giant.
Linde and Maartje immediately climbed onto the Werviaan for a photo. What can you come up with?
Take the nicest, funniest, or most creative photo with a Werviaan during the route and stand a chance to win every month. four free tickets to the Maritime Museum.
👉 Share your photo via #ditisdenhelder, Tag us @ditisdenhelder or send him to [email protected]
New questions await again at Willemsoord.
What would you find most difficult if you had to live on a lightship at sea for weeks?
“Going to the toilet!” Maartje shouts immediately.
At Het Dok, the girls put their fingers in their ears. Not because it is so noisy there now, but to imagine how much noise used to be heard here when large naval ships were built and repaired.
In this way, every stop turns into a short conversation. Not because someone tells a story, but because the children start looking, thinking, and fantasizing for themselves.
After more than an hour, the exploration is over. Time to relax and enjoy a delicious lunch at Deugeniet.
And which place did they like best in the end?
Linde knows it immediately.
“The starfish houses.”
Maartje doesn't actually have to choose at all.
“I liked everything!”
The Den Helder Logbook shows that you don't need a museum or an amusement park for a fun afternoon together. By looking closely, answering questions, and searching for the next place, you discover a city full of stories.
Perhaps you, too, will soon be estimating the height of the Dubbele Bolder. Or you might suddenly point up at the starfish on a facade you have walked past dozens of times.
One thing is certain: after this journey of discovery, you will look at Den Helder differently.
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