Building Cafes On Zandvoort Beach

This time of year sees a significant change take place in Zandvoort - on the beach. The winter now behind us it is time for the Zandvoort beach cafes to come to life again!

Every year at the end of the season, beach cafe owners dismantle their premises and put all the constituent parts away into storage for the winter. Then, usually in February, they bring everything out of storage and start assembling them again. It usually takes about 6 weeks to get them ready so by April many are open once again for business.

So when you next visit a beach cafe in Zandvoort, spare a thought for the hard work, dedication and determination of all those who build and dismantle their cafes every year - all so that we can enjoy sunny days on the beach to the fullest extent with food, drink, toilets and showers readily available. Thank you cafe owners - we really do appreciate you! :)

Zandvoort's Bunkers

Anyone who knows Zandvoort well will know a little Zandvoort history.

From its early days as a fishing village to its 'glory' days as a resort favoured by Europe's aristocracy through to the darker days of occupation in WWII and then its resurgence as a modern day coastal resort capable of drawing tens of thousands of people in on a sunny day. Zandvoort has seen a lot.

Amongst the tangible remnants of its history are the bunkers (or remains of them) from WWII. Still the subject of research and study today, much has been written about Zandvoort's concrete bunkers.

We referred to the remains of one of them in a recent post called Interesting Things On The Way To The Beach.

Here is a photo of one of the Zandvoort bunkers which we took last summer.

An Empress and Anne Frank - A Love Of Zandvoort

Zandvoort is a special place and one that has been visited by people from all countries and all walks of life for two centuries - from Empress Elizabeth of Austria who stayed there in 1885 to Anne Frank who as a young girl enjoyed trips to Zandvoort beach with her mother and elder sister. There is a wonderfully happy photo of them eating ice cream on Zandvoort beach.

If you have ever visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, you will know what a special place that is too. I have been twice over the years and every time there has been a long queue, such is the popularity of Anne's remarkable and moving diary.

If you have not yet been to the Anne Frank House, then you should - and if you are ever in Zandvoort then you can do a day trip as Amsterdam is only 30kms away.

Interesting Things On The Way To The Beach

Zandvoort is a fascinating place. Even on the way down to the beach you can come across some wonderfully different things!

Take this for example ... an unusual stone sculpture at the end of the Boulevard Paulus Loot.


Just below this sculpture, about halfway down the walkway to the South beach, there is the remains of a concrete bunker from the Nazi occupation of World War II. There are no signs indicating what it is or why it is still there; it just stands quietly amongst the dunes and surrounding grass but it is a tangible reminder of the amazing history of Zandvoort. More about this period in Zandvoort's history can be found on our Zandvoort 1939-1945 page.

Zandvoort's The Place For Kitesurfers!

When the weather conditions are right, kitesurfing in Zandvoort can be fabulous to watch. At any given time there might be 20 or 30 kitesurfers all out there together.

Here is a photo we took in 2009 showing lots of kitesurfers in Zandvoort


Here is another photo of one of the great aerial jumps that you sometimes get to see ....

Longing For Summer - More Zandvoort Memories

During the winter months when it is cold and dark, we often look back to the summer and long for those warmer, sunnier days when the world seems a different place. Zandvoort is one of those special places that takes on a very different atmosphere when it's sunny and warm. The sunset over Zandvoort beach is particularly special as it creates some wonderful seascapes; at the end of a summer's day the colours are magnificient, changing over and over as the sun slowly sets. Here is a typical beach cafe bathed in the fading golden light of the sun's last rays that day.

Dancing On The Beach!

There are many things people do on Zandvoort beach but one you don't often see is a big group of people dancing. However, one evening whilst strolling by the seashore at sunset we came across a party being held at one of the beach cafes with about 30 people all dancing down on the sand. There was a full PA system and DJ and everyone was having a great time!

Ijmuiden Ferry - Just 20 mins From Zandvoort

One of the routes that Dutch people take to travel to the UK and that the British take to travel to The Netherlands is the ferry which goes from Ijmuiden just North of Zandvoort to North Shields close to Newcastle in England.

It is a route we have travelled often and whenever we leave we tell our friends on the beach to watch out for the ship sailing out in the early evening. They always tell us they do it - it's fun!


Here is a photograph we took standing on Zandvoort beach one summer evening in July 2009. We watched the ferry leaving Ijmuiden harbour and disappearing into the distance headed for England.

Beach Sunsets In Zandvoort

There is possibly little else that compares to a golden, setting sun reflecting on the sea. As it faces West, Zandvoort is perfectly placed to witness many such sunsets.

Here are just 2 from the summer of 2009 ....

A Busy Summer Day In Zandvoort - The Car Park Barometer

If you ever wanted proof of Zandvoort's popularity when the sun comes out, just look to the car parks - they are all usually full to overflowing by 10am!

Here is a picture we took in the summer of 2009 on such a day - the forecast for Zandvoort's weather had predicted high temperatures, no wind and little cloud so everyone for miles around headed to Zandvoort beach as early as they could that morning.


Note - this picture was taken the same day as the one with the cows in the dunes published on the previous post. As we said before, the cow didn't seem to mind the people and the noise!

Catamaran On Zandvoort Beach

At this time of year when it's cold, rainy and dark early in many places, photographs like this one keep you going and remind you of the Spring and Summer that lie just around the corner - once we get through the winter!

Sailing in Zandvoort is a popular pastime and this sight is a common one ... a small catamaran beached after a stint sailing and waiting ready for its owners to go out with the tide once more.

More Bicycles In Zandvoort

Another photo of bicyles parked above Zandvoort beach ....





This photo is one of our favourites ... not even a dustbin is allowed to get in the way when the cyclists want a day out on the beach!

Many people enjoy taking a cycle ride into the Zandvoort dunes and nature reserve where there are plenty of cycle tracks.

Bikes At Zandvoort Beach

Everyone knows that the Dutch love to ride bicycles and there's no better evidence of this than on a sunny day in Zandvoort.


As you walk along Boulevard Paulus Loot you can watch bike riders as they dismount and chain their bicycles up and then stroll down for a day out at the beach.


I challenge anyone to find a beach with more bicycles!

More to follow in the next post on our Zandvoort Blog.

A Fabulous Beach Sandwich - Only In Zandvoort!

One of the nicest things to do on a sunny day in Zandvoort is to eat at a beach cafe. There are lots of great cafes on Zandvoort beach, offering a friendly atmosphere and some great food.

Here is a favourite amongst our family - a sandwich of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and sliced tomatoes with pesto. Delicious!


Made by Patrick at cafe Paal 69 - not only a great chef but a kitesurfing expert too.

The Zandvoort Holland Blog

Welcome to the Zandvoort Holland Blog! If you have ever been to Zandvoort you will know what a special place it is and if you have not been there, well we have the website that can tell you all about it - http://www.zandvoort-holland.com/.

Here are just a few of the features on our website:

• Zandvoort's history - from the 14th century up to the modern Zandvoort of today
• Zandvoort beach - 9 km of west-facing beach featuring fabulous beach pavilions
• Zandvoort kitesurfing - Zandvoort's location is ideal for this extreme water sport
• Zandvoort sailing club (Watersportvereniging Zandvoort)
• Zandvoort accommodation - hotels, apartments, pensions (bed & breakfast)
• Zandvoort restaurants - including Dutch, Indonesian, Greek, Italian & Thai cuisine
• Zandvoort shopping - fashionwear, handmade chocolate goods, antiques & more
• Zandvoort weather - an everyday topic of conversation for both locals and visitors
• Zandvoort sunsets - our own photo gallery of seascapes at sunset

We have been enjoying trips to Zandvoort since 1981, have made many friends there and had some wonderful times. Through zandvoort-holland.com we hope to bring you all that's best about Zandvoort. Our Zandvoort Blog will keep you up to date with the latest developments on the site, new photographs, video and general news. So please bookmark and come back soon!