The Netherlands has a great "beach culture". With so much of the country near the North Sea, it's no wonder that tons of great beach towns have popped up, offering great cafes, bars, and nightclubs along the windy shores.
An easy and accessible beach is Zandvoort, only a 20 minute drive from Amsterdam. With a wide white sand beach, lots of great restaurants, and tons of "beach clubs" (where you can rent wind-screens and lounge chairs), Zandvoort is a popular destination. Even more popular is Bloemendaal beach, which I've mentioned a few times before. Bloemendaal is more catered to younger Dutch locals, usually from Amsterdam. It has great all-night parties, and lots of well-known DJ's are featured there.
Zandvoort is more child-friendly, and is a haven for many tourists from other European countries, such as Germany.
When the city becomes unbearably hot in the summer, many citizens head to the shore to beat the heat and feel a cool breeze. This is all the more necessary in the Netherlands where it is rare to have an airconditioning unit in your home! Last summer, however, it was only really really hot for a few weeks in July, so I can understand the reasoning behind not installing an air-co unit.
Zandvoort BeachSometimes the traffic from Amsterdam to Zandvoort/Bloemendaal is so thick, that they shut off the beach and prevent anymore people from heading to the shore. Those stuck in the traffic jams often just park roadside, unpack their picnics, and spend the day at some random park or grassy patch.
For those who do make it to the beach, a long day of sun-tanning (the Dutch loooove tanning), voetbal (soccer), windsurfing, and relaxing ensues. With a pint of beer, some great bar snacks (ie. bitterballen) and plushy couch at an outdoor cafe, you can't go wrong with a day-trip to one of the Netherland's great North Shore beaches!
5 comments:
Mmmmm sunshine. summer. the beach. all the things im dreaming of right now on the other side of the globe :-)
We have not been to Zandvoort/Bloemendaal beaches; we normally go to Scheveningen at The Hague and Hoek van holland.... Mainly because they are near to us. but now after reading your post, will surely visit these places too :)
parlezvouskiwi - Just after I wrote this post the weather here became cold and gloomy. I can't wait for summer to begin, and to stay here! Thanks for commenting!
~Lopa - I have not been to Scheveningen yet (that's SUCH a hard word to say in Dutch!) but it's on my list of places to visit this summer....I hear it's beautiful! Thank you for visiting!
I'm amazed! I haven't seen Danish beach yet.
Bluefish - I can imagine they are beautiful and pristine! Can't wait to see (through your eyes of course!) how they turn out to look!
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