Velsen () is a municipality in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, in the 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 ...

. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal. On the north side of the North Sea Canal there is a major steel plant, Tata Steel

IJmuiden IJ_(digraph).html" ;"title="n IJ (digraph)">n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. > IJmuiden () is a port city in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality ...

, formerly known as '' Koninklijke Hoogovens'' (the town of IJmuiden is actually located south of the canal). The headquarters of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij is located in

. The Kennemerstrand beach on the south side of the canal is at the end of the Kennemerboulevard, which runs south of the Seaport Marina. To the south is the beach of

Bloemendaal aan Zee Bloemendaal aan Zee is a seaside resort and neighbourhood in the municipality Bloemendaal, in North Holland province, the Netherlands. It is between the beaches of IJmuiden to the north and Zandvoort to the south and surrounded by the dunes of the ...

. In between is a

nude beach A nude beach, sometimes called a clothing-optional or free beach, is a beach where users are at liberty to be nude. Nude beaches usually have mixed bathing. Such beaches are usually on public lands, and any member of the public is allowed to u ...

Population centres

The municipality of Velsen consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: * on the north of the North Sea Canal: ** Velsen-Noord * on the south of the North Sea Canal: ** Velsen-Zuid, Driehuis,

Santpoort-Noord Santpoort-Noord () or North Santpoort is a village in the municipality of Velsen in the Dutch province of North Holland. It lies about 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Haarlem. Santpoort developed in the dunes near the Brederode Castle. In 1870, a flo ...

Santpoort-Zuid {{Infobox settlement , name = Santpoort-Zuid , settlement_type = Village , other_name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = nl , image_skyline = 37110 Ruine van Brederode ...

and

Velserbroek Velserbroek is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen Velsen () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal. On t ...

, and the parts Oosterbroek and Buitenhuizen of the recreation area Spaarnwoude. Gem-Velsen-OpenTopo

''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Velsen, June 2015''

Transport

In Velsen, there are the following connections across the North Sea Canal: * A railway tunnel between the railway stations of Driehuis and

Beverwijk Beverwijk () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast ...

. * Road tunnels, from north to south: ** Wijker Tunnel ** Velser Tunnel next to the railway tunnel. * A ferry * A road across the lock complex * Railway stations: Driehuis, Santpoort Noord, Santpoort Zuid Also there used to be the Fast Flying Ferry to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. There used to be a railway link between IJmuiden and Amsterdam, the IJmondlijn until 1999, when it was closed.

Local government

The municipal council of Velsen consists of 33 seats, which are divided now (2022) as follows: * VL - 7 seats * D66V - 6 seats * VVD - 4 seats * GL - 3 seats * PvdA - 3 seats * LGV - 3 seats * CDA - 2 seats * Forza! IJmond - 2 seats * Forum for Democracy - 2 seats * CU - 1 seat

History

The ruins of a Roman naval base at Velsen discovered starting in 1945 are believed to be ancient Flevum, which is listed as Phleoum, Romanized to Phleum, in

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

(2.10).

Twin towns

Velsen is twinned with

Notable people

* Saint Engelmund of Velsen (died ca.739) an English-born missionary to

Frisia Frisia is a cross-border cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. The region is traditionally inhabited by the Frisians, a West G ...

* Lieutenant Colonel

Thomas Colclough Watson Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colclough Watson VC (11 April 1867 – 15 June 1917) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth ...

VC (1867 in Velsen – 1917) a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

Jan van der Hoeve Jan van der Hoeve (13 April 1878 in Santpoort – 26 April 1952 in Leiden) was a Dutch ophthalmologist. He is recognised for his concept of the phakomatoses, often called neurocutaneous syndromes. Van der Hoeve graduated from the University o ...

(1878 in Santpoort – 1952) a Dutch ophthalmologist who described Waardenburg syndrome in 1916 * Karel Niessen (1895 in Velsen – 1967) a theoretical physicist, studied

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...

Joop Doderer Johan Heinrich (Joop) Doderer (28 August 1921 – 22 September 2005) was a Dutch actor, well known for his role as the tramp Swiebertje in the eponymous television series. The series ran for 17 seasons between 1955 and 1975, and was broadcast by ...

(1921 in Velsen – 2005) a Dutch actor who played

Swiebertje Swiebertje is a character from the books of Dutch author John Henri uit den Bogaard, who wrote a series of children's books based on the character from 1936 to 1974. The books were adapted for television (Joop Doderer playing the title role), in a ...

Annie Palmen Annie Palmen (born Anna Maria Palmen; 19 August 1926 – 15 January 2000) was a Dutch singer, best known for her participation in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. Early career Palmen was born in IJmuiden. She started her career singing with ...

(1926 in IJmuiden – 2000) a singer, participated in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest *

Hans de Boer Hans Andries de Boer (born 30 May 1937) is a former Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and trade association executive. De Boer attended a Lyceum in Velsen from ...

(born 1937 in Velsen) a retired Dutch politician and former minister *

Cornelis Vreeswijk Cornelis Vreeswijk (; ; 8 August 1937 – 12 November 1987) was a Dutch-born Swedish singer-songwriter, poet and actor. He emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age of twelve. He was educated as a social worker and hoped to becom ...

(1937 in IJmuiden – 1987) a Swedish singer-songwriter, poet and actor * Pim Fortuyn (1948 in Driehuis – 2002) a controversial politician who was assassinated * Jan Luiten van Zanden (born 1955 in IJmuiden) a Dutch economic historian and academic *

Peter Klashorst Peter Klashorst (born Peter van de Klashorst; born 11 February 1957) is a Dutch painter, sculptor, and photographer. Biography Klashorst was always based in the Tabakspanden on the Spuistraat in Amsterdam. But he's also produced works in citi ...

(born 1957 in Santpoort) a Dutch painter, sculptor and photographer *

Hans van de Ven Johan 'Hans' van de Ven (born 10 January 1958 in Velsen, Netherlands) is an authority on the history of 19th and 20th century China. He holds several positions at the University of Cambridge, where he is Professor of Modern Chinese History, Direc ...

(born 1958 in Velsen) an academic authority on the recent history of China * Bernard Berkhout (born 1961 in Santpoort) a family doctor and a jazz clarinetist * Franc Weerwind (born 1964) a Dutch politician, Mayor of Velsen 2009 to 2015 *

Cees Krijnen Cornelis Hendrik "Cees" Krijnen (born 29 May 1969 in Velsen) is a Dutch artist. Krijnen studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the post-academic education DasArts, both in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 1999 he won the Dutch art prize Prix de Ro ...

(born 1969 in Velsen) a Dutch artist and a theatre actor IMDb Database
retrieved 11 December 2019 * Marie-José van der Kolk (born 1974 in IJmuiden), stage name Loona, a singer, songwriter and dancer * Lenneke Ruiten (born 1984 in Velsen) a Dutch soprano

Sport

Adriaan de Groot Adrianus Dingeman (Adriaan) de Groot (Santpoort, 26 October 1914 – Schiermonnikoog, 14 August 2006) was a Dutch chess master and psychologist, who conducted some of the most famous chess experiments of all time in the 1940s-60. In 1946 he w ...

(1914 in Santpoort – 2006) a Dutch chess master and psychologist * Gerrit Voorting (1923 in Velsen – 2015) a Dutch road cyclist, silver medallist at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...

* Ilja Keizer (born 1944 in IJmuiden) a retired middle-distance runner, competed at the

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...

and

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 19 ...

* Piet Huyg (1951–2019) a Dutch footballer, 349 club caps with

HFC Haarlem HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889 and dissolved in 2010. The club won the Eredivisie in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912. Haarlem reached the second round of the 1982� ...

* Eltjo Schutter (born 1953 in Driehuis) a retired Dutch decathlete and gynaecologist, competed at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

* Olga Commandeur (born 1958 in Velsen) track and field athlete, competed in the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

Ingrid Haringa Ingrid Roelinda Haringa (born 11 July 1964) is a police officer and a former Dutch speed skater and racing cyclist. Biography Skating Ingrid Haringa began her career as a speed skater. During the late eighties she was considered one of the bes ...

(born 1964 in Velsen) a police officer, former speed skater and racing cyclist * Stella de Heij (born 1968 in Driehuis) a former field hockey goalkeeper, team bronze medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* René Bot (born 1978 in Velsen) a retired footballer with 262 club caps with

De Graafschap VBV De Graafschap () is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands, playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the De Vijverberg stadium ...

* Ronny van Es (born 1978 in Velsen) a Dutch retired footballer with 380 club caps *

Linda Bolder Linda Bolder (Hebrew: לינדה בולדר, born 3 July 1988 in Velserbroek, Netherlands) is a Dutch-born Israeli Olympic judoka. A three-time European age-group judo champion as a junior, two-time Dutch senior women's champion, and silver meda ...

(born 1988 in Velserbroek) a Dutch-born Israeli Olympic judoka *

Joël Veltman Joël Ivo Veltman (born 15 January 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Netherlands national team. A product of the Ajax youth academy, Veltman made 246 appear ...

(born 1992 in IJmuiden) a Dutch professional footballer with 160 caps with

AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the ...

;and * the Lords of Van Brederode, from the 12thC. to the 17thC., a noble family from

Brederode Castle Brederode Castle ( nl, Kasteel Brederode), also called the Ruins of Brederode ( nl, Ruïne van Brederode), is located near Santpoort-Zuid. The castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century by William I van Brederode (1215–1285). W ...

near

Santpoort {{Infobox settlement , name = Santpoort-Zuid , settlement_type = Village , other_name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = nl , image_skyline = 37110 Ruine van Brederod ...

Gallery

File:Landfront IJmuiden, W.N. 92, Panzersperre 5.JPG, Landfront IJmuiden File:Santpoort - 2011 - panoramio (4).jpg, Santpoort - panoramio File:Recreatiegebied Spaarnwoude, sculptuur van Frans de Wit zonder titel foto6 2015-08-29 13.09.jpg, Recreatiegebied Spaarnwoude File:Zakkenroller (121419823).jpeg, Zakkenroller

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of North Holland Port cities and towns of the North Sea