Zandvoort 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, bordered by coastal dunes. It is also the site of the country's most important auto racing circuit, Circuit Zandvoort. There is a nudist beach located about 2 km to the south, with 6 cafés or restaurants; it extends several kilometers further south. The municipality of Zandvoort consists of the communities of Bentveld and Zandvoort; it had a population of 16,954 in 2017.
History
Zandvoort is known to exist in 1100, called Sandevoerde. 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. 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 will return in 2021, in the 2021 Formula One World Championship. 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, 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 2010:
Notable people
William Merritt Chase American Impressionist Painter painted his masterpiece entitled ":Image:Chase William Merritt Sunlight and Shadow 1884.jpg|Sunlight and Shadow" in Zandvoort. It hangs in the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.
Lovis Corinth German artist and writer, painter and printmaker died of pneumonia in Zandvoort having made a final visit to see his favourite Dutch masters
Stella Maessen singer, participated in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1970, 1977 and 1982
A 2.5 m tall Lego figure was found in the sea at Zandvoort on 7 August 2007. It was fished out and placed on the beach. It was wearing a blue shirt with the slogan "No Real Than You Are" and red trousers. Its origins are unknown.
