Zandvoort, The Netherlands

Zandvoort was already known in 1100 and was then called Sandevoerde; a composition of sand and furrow. Until 1722 the area was in the hands of the lords of Brederode. For centuries, the village lived from fishing, but in the 19th century other sources of livelihood emerged. In the United Kingdom, sea bathing was on the rise, and the Zandvoort physician dr. Mezger introduced this practice in Zandvoort. In 1828 the first bathhouse was inaugurated. Numerous celebrities went to Zandvoort, including Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary in 1884 and 1885.

In 1881, Zandvoort aan Zee station was connected to the railway network, and in 1899 a tram connection with Haarlem followed (later extended to Amsterdam), which greatly promoted bathing tourism. The beautiful station building still stands today.

In 2003, almost half of the jobs in Zandvoort are related to tourism. Along the various boulevards there are continuous beach bars on the beach, which attract many day trippers.

Zandvoort is also home to the famous Formula 1 racing circuit, the Circuit Park Zandvoort.

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