Voorschoten () is a town and municipality in the western

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, in the province of

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

. It is a smaller town in the

Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim City" or "Edge City") is a roughly crescent- or Circular arc, arc-shaped conurbation in the Netherlands, that includes almost half the country's population. With a central-western location, it connects and comprises the Net ...

, enclosed by the cities of

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the Nort ...

and

Leidschendam-Voorburg Leidschendam-Voorburg () is a municipality in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, just northeast of The Hague. It had a population of in , and covers an area of of which is water. Origin The municipality of Leidschendam- ...

. 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 ''Vredenhof'' – rebuilt by

Dirck 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 became an important figure of the Pro ...

, and until the 18th century in the hands of the

De Graeff De Graeff (; also: '' De Graef'', ''Graef'', ''Graeff'', ''Graaff'', ''Graaf'' and ''De Graeff van Polsbroek'') is a Dutch Nobility, noble family. The family divided into different lines, in Holland, Prussia (Germany) and South Africa including ...

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 Netherlands The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) is an International Baccalaureate, IB-classified group of Private schools in the United Kingdom, private schools situated in The Hague area. Four campuses together form one school: Junior School Leidsch ...

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 Floris V (24 June 1254 – 27 June 1296) reigned as Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1256 until 1296. His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler. He is credited with a mostly peaceful reign, moderni ...

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 divided as follows at the 2022 election:

Public transportation

Voorschoten railway station Voorschoten is a railway station in Voorschoten, South Holland, Netherlands. History The first station opened on 1 May 1843 on the Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway. A new station building opened in 1886 and was closed on 17 September 1944. The stat ...

is situated on the Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway and trains run regularly toward The Hague and Amsterdam. On 4 April 2023, the Voorschoten train crash occurred near to the railway station.

Notable people

Melchior Treub Melchior Treub (26 December 1851 – 3 October 1910) was a Dutch botanist. He worked at the Bogor Botanical Gardens in Buitenzorg on the island of Java, south of Batavia, Dutch East Indies, gaining attention for his work on tropical flora. He a ...

(1851–1910) a Dutch botanist, founded the

Bogor Agricultural Institute IPB University (, abbreviated as IPB; former English name: Bogor Agricultural University in the city of Bogor) is a state-run agricultural university based in the regency of Bogor Regency, Bogor, Indonesia. IPB has long been considered one of the ...

Lodewijk Thomson Lodewijk Willem Johan Karel Thomson (11 June 1869 – 15 June 1914) was a Dutch military commander and politician. He served as a member of the Dutch parliament between 1905 and 1913. In 1914, he became the commander of a newly created Int ...

(1869–1914) a Dutch military commander and politician *

Max van der Stoel Maximilianus "Max" van der Stoel (; 3 August 1924 – 23 April 2011) was a Dutch politician and diplomat, member of the Labour Party (PvdA) and activist who served as High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE from 1 January 1993 unt ...

(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 ...

(1934–2022) a 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. Biography Korthals attended the Gymnasium Leiden from June 1957 until June 1963 and applied ...

(born 1944) a retired Dutch politician and jurist *

Helma Neppérus Helma Neppérus (born 21 June 1950, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch politician and former tax inspector and rower. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) she was an MP between 30 November ...

(born 1950) a Dutch politician, former tax inspector, rower and Voorschoten municipal councillor * Henk A. M. J. ten Have (born 1951) a professor of healthcare ethics * Han Schuil (born 1958) a Dutch multimedia artist *

Hans Vijlbrief Johannes Alexander "Hans" Vijlbrief (born 17 August 1963) is a Dutch civil servant, economist, and politician, currently serving as a House of Representatives (Netherlands), member of parliament for the social-liberal party Democrats 66 (D66). He ...

(born 1963) a Dutch civil servant, economist, and State Secretary for Finance *

Rolf Muntz Rolf Frederick Cornelis Muntz (born 26 March 1969) is a Dutch professional golfer. Muntz was born in Voorschoten. As an amateur, he won three Dutch Amateur Championships and two Dutch Stroke Play Championships and became the first Dutchman to w ...

(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