Accessibility and inclusion

The Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre aims to be a place where everyone feels welcome. At the same time, it is a historic site, with original paths and structures, situated within the Hooghalen Forestry Commission and the radiation-free zone of the Astron . This means that a great deal is possible in terms of accessibility, but unfortunately not everything is accessible everywhere. On this page, you will find a clear and up-to-date overview of what to expect, so that you can prepare well for your visit.

General information

The Memorial Centre comprises a museum building and a historic camp site measuring 500 by 500 metres.
The exhibitions and reception areas in the museum building are indoors; the camp site is outdoors and partly unpaved.
Our staff are happy to help you plan the ideal visit to suit your needs.
The Kamp Westerbork Memorial Centre is accessible by public transport using the Hub taxi. More information on how to get here.

Do you have any specific questions or requirements? Please feel free to contact us in advance.

A speech-to-text interpreter (Velowalker) types out the commentary for a guided tour of Camp Westerbork, whilst a sign language interpreter (NGT) signs the explanation with her hands

Physical accessibility

Museum building

The museum building is wheelchair accessible.
There are accessible toilets.
Assistance dogs are welcome.
There are seating and rest areas.

Camp site

Large parts of the campsite are accessible by wheelchair or walking frame.
There are a few benches on the campsite.

Important to note

The museum and campsite are 2.7 kilometres apart. To ensure the Astron, within which the campsite is located, remains undisturbed, you are not permitted to drive your own car to the campsite. During the museum’s opening hours, a shuttle bus runs between the museum and the campsite. This shuttle bus is accessible to wheelchair users. Do you have any questions regarding this shuttle service? Please feel free to contact us in advance.
The site is partly unpaved (sand and shell paths)
Distances on the site are considerable (the site measures 500 by 500 metres)
In bad weather, some paths may be more difficult to navigate

Sensory accessibility

For visitors with visual impairments

An audio tour with detailed commentary is available in the museum for use on the campsite.
Staff can provide assistance within the museum.
Not all texts and objects are accessible via tactile means.

For visitors with hearing impairments

Much of the information is accompanied by visual aids.
We are working on providing subtitles for audiovisual presentations.
Sign language interpreters are not normally available. Where this is the case for lectures or presentations, it will be indicated in the programme overview on this website.
For special events, langauage interpreters can sometimes be arranged; please contact us in advance.

A woman is holding a tablet displaying text written by a text interpreter (Velowalker) during a guided tour of Camp Westerbork

Sensitivity to stimuli and mental strain

The Remembrance Centre deals with a deeply emotional history. This can be very moving.

There are rest areas within the museum and on the grounds.
Visitors are free to explore at their own pace.
Staff are trained to treat visitors with warmth and sensitivity.

There are no fixed low-stimulus times, but quieter periods are often:

February–July: weekdays, the latter half of the afternoon. This is due to the large number of visiting school groups.
Holiday periods: early in the day or the latter half of the afternoon. This is due to the large number of leisure visitors between 11.00 and 15.00.

The Remembrance Centre regularly organises low-stimulus evening visits. These are announced in the programme guide on this website.

If you are unsure, please feel free to contact us for advice.

Language and accessibility

Information is available in Dutch, English and German. Explanations are written at B1 level wherever possible, whilst making extensive use of images, personal stories and audiovisual resources.

We offer tailored guided tours and programmes for groups. Please contact us for more information.

A man and a woman read a sign by the carriage on the site of the former Westerbork camp

Support and personalised arrangements

Are you visiting the Remembrance Centre and require specific support?

If so, we’d be happy to discuss personalised arrangements, such as adapted guided tours, additional support or a tailored program. Please contact us in good time.

A view through one of the windows in the barracks at the former Camp Westerbork, showing a group of young people taking a guided tour of the barracks

Latest information

Access to the campsite may be temporarily affected by weather conditions, maintenance or works. We do our best to keep this page up to date. If you’re unsure, please contact us in advance.

Contact us

Do you have any questions about accessibility, or would you like to tailor your visit to your personal circumstances?
Telephone: 0593-592600
Email: info@kampwesterbork.nl

We’re happy to help.

Find out more about

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How to get here

Located 10 kilometres north of Westerbork, the Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre is situated in Hooghalen. To be precise, it is 1.7 km east of the village centre. For cyclists, the Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre has a large bicycle park, whilst the adjacent car park offers space for buses as well as cars and has dedicated spaces for disabled visitors. Wheelchairs are also available for the latter group.

On the right, the side of the carriage at the Westerbork camp grounds, with the sun shining through the trees on the left

Featured

Museum

In the museum, you will discover the story of Camp Westerbork through personal narratives. Camp Westerbork is the story of one life taken - repeated 102,000 times. The temporary exhibition and the portacabin explore different themes within this history, offering ever-changing perspectives on the many layers of the camp’s past.

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Historic site

The historic site is located three kilometres from the museum. In 1971, the last huts at Camp Westerbork were demolished. As a result, the historic site was barely recognisable. To change this, a redevelopment took place in the early 1990s. The commander's residence, dating from 1939, along with monuments and reconstructions on the historic site, serve as a reminder of the more than 100,000 Jews, Sinti and Roma who were deported to the extermination camps in the East.