Zandvoort

Zandvoort
Municipality
Zandvoort Town Hall
Zandvoort Town Hall
Flag of Zandvoort
Flag
Coat of arms of Zandvoort
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Zandvoort in a municipal map of North Holland
Location in North Holland
Coordinates: 52°22′N 4°32′E / 52.367°N 4.533°E / 52.367; 4.533
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceNorth Holland
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorDavid Moolenburgh (CDA)
Area
 • Total
43.97 km2 (16.98 sq mi)
 • Land32.12 km2 (12.40 sq mi)
 • Water11.85 km2 (4.58 sq mi)
Elevation
3 m (9.8 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)
 • Total
17,168
 • Density534/km2 (1,380/sq mi)
DemonymZandvoorter
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
2040–2042, 2116
Area code023
Websitewww.zandvoort.nl

Zandvoort (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzɑntfoːrt] ⓘ) 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 host of the Dutch Grand Prix from 1950 through 1985 and from 2021 to 2026.

The municipality extends inland to take in Bentveld; it had a population of 17,374 in 2025. A nudist bathing section of the beach with six eateries begins about 2 km (1¼ miles) to the south and extends kilometers further.

History

Map of Zandvoort, 2014
Zandvoort aan Zee
Organ Grinder in Zandvoort, 1883 painting by Fritz von Uhde. Click to expand.
Zandvoort, water tower

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.

Before the Second World War (in 1935), Zandvoort was known for having an unusually large number of National Socialist Movement (NSB) supporters. In the 1935 provincial elections, around 25% of local voters supported Anton Mussert's party, the highest share of votes the NSB received in any municipality in the Netherlands. Immediately after the German invasion in May 1940, an SS unit was stationed in Zandvoort. Combined with the town's relatively large number of NSB supporters, this led to a worsening situation for its Jewish residents. During the night of 4-5 August 1940, the synagogue was blown up. 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 was scheduled to come back in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was cancelled. It returned in 2021, in the 2021 Formula One World Championship and hosted the Dutch GP until 2026. 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 summer of 1983.

Transport

Zandvoort has a station, with half-hourly services to Haarlem and Amsterdam, with extra services from Haarlem during the summer. The station is Zandvoort aan Zee railway station.

Local government

The municipal council of Zandvoort consists of 17 seats, which are divided as follows since 2026:

Notable people

Sport

References

  1. ↑ "Burgemeester David Moolenburgh" [Mayor David Moolenburgh] (in Dutch). Gemeente Zandvoort. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 2042KB". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "CBS Statline". opendata.cbs.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-08-14.
  6. ↑ "Gesloopt Zandvoort liet kans op wederopbouw vol allure liggen. Haarlemse rijksbouwmeester bedacht al in oorlog plan voor mondaine nieuwe badplaats". Haarlems Dagblad (in Netherlands Dutch). 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  7. ↑ "Historie van de synagoge". De website van zandvoortnamenmonument! (in Netherlands Dutch). Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  8. ↑ "Zandvoort municipal election 2026". verkiezingsuitslagen.nl (in Dutch). 18 March 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ouderen Partij Zandvoort". Opzandvoort.nl. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  10. ↑ "Jong Zandvoort". jongzandvoort.nl. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  11. ↑ "De propositiepartij van Zandvoort". Zandvoort Echt Een (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  12. ↑ Stichting, Anne Frank (23 September 2010). "Margot (left) and Anne Frank on the beach at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, August 1940". web.annefrank.org.