Voorschoten () is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of of which is covered by water. The town is relatively affluent, and the majority of Voorschoten's population are commuters, generally to either the Hague or Leiden. Despite the fact that it is situated in one of the most densely populated areas in the Netherlands, and, indeed, the world, the town retains a strong, independent identity and village-like atmosphere. Several buildings of historical importance are situated in Voorschoten. For example, the old Castle Duivenvoorde, and the

Manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...

''Vredenhof'' - rebuilt by

Diederik Jansz. Graeff Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532 – 27 July 1589), was a patrician, wholesaler, shipowner, politician and large landowner. He was also a member of the Reformed Chur ...

, and until the 18th century in the hands from the De Graeff family - are located in or near Voorschoten. The town's proximity to the Hague, as well as the presence of the British School in the NetherlandsThe British School in The Netherlands
/ref> in the town, and the American School of the Hague in nearby Wassenaar, means that Voorschoten has a large community of expatriates, particularly British nationals. Floris V of Holland granted Voorschoten market rights in 1282. In recent years, the settlement has seen considerable expansion, with the addition of several new areas of housing, such as Starrenburg, Krimwijk II and, most recently, Voorsche Park. The town benefits from excellent sporting and recreational facilities, including hockey, football and baseball clubs, a tennis club, a swimming pool and a golf course. There are a number of churches located throughout the town, the two most striking of which are the main church, located in Voorschoten's historic centre, and the St. Laurentius Church, located in the north of the town.

Local government

The municipal council of Voorschoten consists of 21 seats, which are divided as follows (from the most recent election results in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

Public transportation

Voorschoten has excellent public transport links to the rest of the Randstad. The Voorschoten railway station, is situated on the Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway, and trains run regularly in the direction of the Hague and Amsterdam.

Notable people

* Melchior Treub (1851–1910) a Dutch botanist, founded the

Bogor Agricultural Institute IPB University (, abbreviated as IPB) is a state-run agricultural university based in the regency of Bogor, Indonesia. The institute began as an agricultural school formed by the Dutch colonial regime in the early 20th century. After independenc ...

* Lodewijk Thomson (1869–1914) a Dutch military commander and politician * Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) a Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist *

Piet Bukman Pieter Bukman (7 February 1934 – 15 March 2022) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist. Biography Bukman attended a Gymnasium in Delft from April 1946 until June 1952 and applied at ...

(born 1934) a retired Dutch politician, diplomat and economist *

Benk Korthals Albert Hendrik "Benk" Korthals (born 5 October 1944) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and jurist. Korthals attended the Gymnasium Leiden from June 1957 until June 1963 and applied at the Leid ...

(born 1944) a retired Dutch politician and jurist * Helma Neppérus (born 1950) a Dutch politician, former tax inspector, rower and municipal councillor of Voorschoten from 2002 * Henk A. M. J. ten Have (born 1951) a professor of healthcare ethics *

Han Schuil Han Schuil (born 12 February 1958, Voorschoten) is a Dutch multimedia artist, who works in a Dutch tradition of compactness and tension in painting.Han Schuil, Schilderijen - Paintings 1983-1999, text: Rudi Fuchs, Dominic van den Boogerd, Bert J ...

(born 1958) a Dutch multimedia artist, uses compactness and tension in painting * Hans Vijlbrief (born 1963) a Dutch civil servant, economist, and State Secretary for Finance * Rolf Muntz (born 1969) a Dutch professional golfer

Gallery

File:Voorschoten57.JPG, Voorschoten, Buitenplaats Beresteijn File:Voorschoten Starrenburg1.JPG, Voorschoten Starrenburg File:Voorschoten49.JPG, Voorschoten, Leidseweg File:Voorschoten67.JPG, Voorschoten, Leidseweg File:Van Kempen Voorschoten.JPG, Van Kempen, Voorschoten

Climate

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland