Bovenkarspel is a town in the municipality of

Stede Broec Stede Broec (; fy, Stee Broek) is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The name ''Stede Broec'' derives from ''stede'' (meaning city) and ''broec'' (meaning swamp). Population cent ...

in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

province of

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

. Until 1979, it was a separate municipality.

Legionella outbreak

In March 1999 an outbreak of

Legionnaires' disease Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of ''Legionella'' bacteria, quite often '' Legionella pneumophila''. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Naus ...

occurred during a flower exhibition in Bovenkarspel. Many people were hospitalized in

Hoorn Hoorn () is a city and municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the largest town and the traditional capital of the region of West Friesland. Hoorn is located on the Markermeer, 20 kilometers ( ...

. 318 people became ill and at least 32 died. Probably more victims died and were buried before the legionellosis infection was recognized. The source of the bacteria was probably a

whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

and a

humidifier A humidifier is a device, primarily an electrical appliance, that increases humidity (moisture) in a single room or an entire building. In the home, point-of-use humidifiers are commonly used to humidify a single room, while whole-house or furnac ...

in the exhibition area.

Railway stations

There are 2 railway stations in Bovenkarspel - Bovenkarspel-Grootebroek and Bovenkarspel Flora - with half-hourly connections to Hoorn, Amsterdam and Enkhuizen. Former municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland Stede Broec {{NorthHolland-geo-stub