The Vault

National World War II Treasure Room
The large Van Schaik Tunnel under St. Pietersberg hill is where you will find National Storage Facility no. 9, better known as the “vault”. From 1942 to 1945, this space provided protection for a large part of the Dutch national art treasures. When the Nazis began to fear an invasion via the coastline, they began construction of the so-called Atlantic Wall. In line with this strategy, all artworks had to be stored somewhere. The nearest bombproof shelter was under St. Pietersberg hill. About 780 artworks, including Rembrandt’s Night Watch, Potter’s Steer, and Vermeer’s Street, were brought here and stored until the end of the war. Your visit to the vault leads you through various waiting areas, shows you the defensive corridor which surrounds the entire complex and, of course, the place where the Night Watch was stored. The guides will also entertain you with anecdotes about the occupiers as well as the resistance.

Guided tours
only after reservation