Zandvoort Beach — Attraction in Zandvoort

Zandvoort is well-known for its beautiful beaches and dunes, as well as the popular Zandvoort circuit. Zandvoort is a populaire sophisticated seaside resort that honors its nickname: 'Seaside Pearl'. Zandvoort (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzɑntˌfoːrt] is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam water supply dunes. It hosts the country's most prominent motor racing circuit, Circuit Zandvoort. The municipality of extends to take in Bentveld; it had a population of 16,954 in 2017. A nudist bathing section of the beach begins about 2 km to the south, with six eateries, which extends kilometers further. Zandvoort is known to exist in 1100, called Sandevoerde (a combination of "sand" and "voorde", meaning ford; compare English Sandford). Until 1722 the area was under the control of the Lords of Brederode. The village was dependent on fishing for many centuries until the 19th century when it started to transform itself into a seaside resort, following the pattern set by similar towns in the United Kingdom. In 1828 the first resort was inaugurated. Thereafter many notable persons would visit Zandvoort, including Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1884 and 1885. In the middle of the same century, potato cultivation started in the dunes. In 1881 the railway station near the coast opened, followed by tram connection to Haarlem in 1899, which greatly increased the beach tourism. In 1905 one of the earliest Dutch fictional films was shot in the town, De mésaventure van een Fransch heertje zonder pantalon aan het strand te Zandvoort. During World War II, Zandvoort was heavily damaged. On May 23, 1942, beach access was no longer permitted and several months later the town was almost completely vacated. Resorts and avenues were demolished to make way for the coastal fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. After the war, the town's growth accelerated, matching the growth in tourism. In 1948, Circuit Zandvoort was built, hosting the Dutch Grand Prix for several decades, until 1985. The Dutch GP returned in 2021, in the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Zandvoort continues to be a major Dutch resort location, where nearly half of all employment is related to tourism. The Dutch singer Willem Duyn's De Eerste Trein Naar Zandvoort ("First train to Zandvoort"), modeled on the American song Chattanooga Choo Choo and chronicling chaos and mayhem on the first seaside train, was a hit in the...

For those who live in Amsterdam and near the nearest beach on the North Sea. You can get there by train and probably there are buses. The beach is large, or rather long, there are various cafes and restaurants. Usually when it's a nice sunny day, the beaches are packed with people, but you can always find a place. On the beach, you can rent bunkers, deck chairs, awnings from the wind if you want more cofort. There are also activities such as banana riding. A good place for windsurfing. As on the whole coast, so in Zandvoort the water departs from the shore and you need to go deeper if you like to swim well.The water is always muddy because of the sand. The currents often bring jellyfish and seaweed. There are a lot of shells from small shellfish on the beach, you can hurt your feet, so take beach shoes with you. Mobile kitchens-shops selling seafood-travel along the beach. The city itself is pretty, it resembles a resort town, with many small hotels that are located in private houses. There are cafes, restaurants, chain supermarkets, shops. If you do not leave the Netherlands for a vacation in the summer, then you can relax...

I'm not giving it a five star rating for several reasons. It's undoubtedly hugely popular and that's one reason. It caters for the mass market. I paid 10 Euros for a "screen" on a very hot sunny day in July. The beach is littered with café's - you'd need to walk a considerable distance to get away from the throng. We went from Amsterdam on the train which was a mistake on such a hot day. No aircon in the sprinter amde the 40 minute journey a nightmare for all travellers on the packed Sprinter. It made me appreciate even more the beautiful desereted beaches in my own location. But I'm not reviewing them. If you love the "seaside" as opposed to the beach, you'll love Zandvoort. Best avoid it on a sunny summer day in the holidays if you have to use the train. I'm not psoting pictures just because it's a seaside resort and you'll have a good idea what that's...