Noordwijkerhout is a town and municipality in the western
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, in the province of
South HollandSouth Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
. The municipality covers an area of 23.40 km² (of which 0.80 km² water) and had a population of 15,121 in May 2006. The town is in the bulb growing region (the
Duin- en BollenstreekThe Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in South Holland, The Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland between Leiden and Haarlem, the combination of beaches, flower fields, lakes and history makes this area attractive...
) of the Netherlands, famed for its tulips.
The municipality of Noordwijkerhout also includes the following towns, villages and townships: De Zilk.
History
The coastal dunes where Noordwijkerhout is located have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological digs in the area just north outside of town have found items and implements from before Christ. During the
RomanAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
era, this region was inhabited by a Germanic tribe, called Cananefates by the Roman writer
TacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
.
Recreation and tourism
Noordwijkerhout is about 5 kilometers from the
North SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and provides access to the beach and nearby hiking opportunities through the dunes. Just north of town is the
Oosterduinse meer (Eastern Dune's Lake) which is used for swimming and windsurfing.
Noordwijkerhout is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (
Duin- en BollenstreekThe Duin- en Bollenstreek is a region in South Holland, The Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland between Leiden and Haarlem, the combination of beaches, flower fields, lakes and history makes this area attractive...
). In the spring when the bulb flower fields are in bloom, many tourist come to the region to admire them. The town's
fairA fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
is held during the first week of September.
External links