But what many people don’t know, is that Katwijk harbours a hidden archaeological monument: it’s situated by the Roman limes.
“Katwijk was the end point of the Roman limes, the northern border of the Roman Empire that split the Netherlands in half 2,000 years ago.”
The Roman limes – limes is Latin for ‘border’ – was the northern border of the Roman Empire and cut the Netherlands in two at the time. Alongside this border, the Romans built fortresses, watchtowers and other defences. Katwijk was the end point of the Dutch limes and harbours plenty of archaeological finds, such as the Brittenbrug: the disappeared fortress. On the intersection of Kanaaldijk-Buitensluis, you can find more information on this fortress at Kalla’s Toren. The Katwijks Museum also tells about the Roman times.