Velsen () is a municipality in the

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

North Holland North Holland (, ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht (province), Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevola ...

. It is located on both sides of the

North Sea Canal The North Sea Canal () is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam. This man-made channel terminates at Amsterdam in the closed- ...

. On the north side of the North Sea Canal there is a major steel plant,

Tata Steel Tata Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel-making company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, with its primary operations based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group. Formerly known as Tata Iron and Steel ...

IJmuiden n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. > IJmuiden () is a port town in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality of Velsen which lies mainly to the south-ea ...

, formerly known as ''

Koninklijke Hoogovens Koninklijke Hoogovens known as Koninklijke Nederlandse Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken (KNHS) until 1996 or informally Hoogovens. is a Dutch steel producer founded in 1918. Since 2010, the plant is named Tata Steel IJmuiden. The steelworks based i ...

'' (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. 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 us ...

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 Velsen-Noord () is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen, and lies about 10 km north of Haarlem. From 1865 on, when the construction on the North Sea Canal began, the town o ...

* on the south of the North Sea Canal: **

Velsen-Zuid Velsen-Zuid () is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen, and lies about 9 km north of Haarlem. Velsen-Zuid developed around the church founded by Willibrord in the 8th century. Between 18 ...

Driehuis Driehuis is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland; part of the municipality of Velsen, it lies about 8 km north of Haarlem and 15 km west-northwest of Amsterdam. History It was first mentioned in 1680 as Drie Huysen, and m ...

Santpoort-Noord Santpoort-Noord (; Santpoort North) is a village in the municipality of Velsen in the Dutch province of North Holland. It lies directly north of Haarlem. Santpoort developed in the dunes near the Brederode Castle (13th century). Santpoort Noor ...

Santpoort-Zuid Santpoort-Zuid ({{IPA, nl, ˌsɑntpoːrt ˈsœyt; Santpoort South) is a village in the municipality of Velsen in the Dutch province of North Holland. It lies to the west of North Haarlem (Schoten). Santpoort-Zuid is bordered by the village of Blo ...

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 ...

, and the parts Oosterbroek and Buitenhuizen of the recreation area

Spaarnwoude Spaarnwoude is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and lies about northeast of Haarlem. Overview The village was first mentioned in the first half of the 11th century as Spirner ...

Transport

In Velsen, there are the following connections across the North Sea Canal: * A railway

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

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. A ...

. * 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:

, Santpoort Noord, Santpoort Zuid Also there used to be the Fast Flying Ferry to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

. 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 The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( , VVD) is a conservative-liberal political party in the Netherlands. The VVD, whose forerunner was the Freedom Party, is a party of the centre-right that tries to promote private enterprise and ...

- 4 seats * GL - 3 seats * PvdA - 3 seats * LGV - 3 seats * CDA - 2 seats * Forza! IJmond - 2 seats *

Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( ; FvD) is a far-right political party in the Netherlands, originally founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2015 before registering itself as a party the following year. The FvD first participated i ...

- 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 Flevum was a castrum and port of the Romans in Frisia (actual northern Netherlands), built when emperor Augustus wanted to conquer the German populated territories between the Rhine river and the Elbe river. History Two Roman fortificatio ...

, which is listed as Phleoum, Romanized to Phleum, in

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

(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 region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...

* Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colclough Watson VC (1867 in Velsen – 1917) a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

* Jan van der Hoeve (1878 in Santpoort – 1952) a Dutch ophthalmologist who described

Waardenburg syndrome Waardenburg syndrome is a group of rare genetic conditions characterised by at least some degree of congenital hearing loss and pigmentation deficiencies, which can include bright blue eyes (or Heterochromia iridum, one blue eye and one brown ey ...

in 1916 * Karel Niessen (1895 in Velsen – 1967) a theoretical physicist, studied

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...

* Joop Doderer (1921 in Velsen – 2005) a Dutch actor who played Swiebertje * Annie Palmen (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. Life De Boer attended a Lyceum in Vels ...

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

Cornelis Vreeswijk Cornelis Vreeswijk (8 August 1937 – 12 November 1987) was a Dutch singer-songwriter and poet who lived and worked primarily in Sweden. Born to Dutch parents in IJmuiden, Netherlands, he emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age ...

(1937 in IJmuiden – 1987) a Swedish singer-songwriter, poet and actor *

Pim Fortuyn Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn (; 19 February 1948 – 6 May 2002), was a Dutch politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist and academic who founded the party Pim Fortuyn List (Lijst Pim Fortuyn or LPF) in ...

(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 (born 1957 in Santpoort) a Dutch painter, sculptor and photographer * Hans van de Ven (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 (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 Loona (stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; , ) is a South Korean girl group created by Blockberry Creative. The group is composed of eleven members: Heejin, Hyunjin, Haseul, Vivi, Yeojin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Choerry, Yves (singer), Yves, Go Won ...

, a singer, songwriter and dancer * Lenneke Ruiten (born 1977 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 ...

(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 officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

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

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

and

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

* 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 The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

* 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 commonly 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 ...

* Ingrid Haringa (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 Vereniging Betaald Voetbal De Graafschap, simply known as De Graafschap () is a professional association football club based in Doetinchem, Netherlands. The team competes in the , the second level of the Dutch football league system. Founded o ...

* Ronny van Es (born 1978 in Velsen) a Dutch retired footballer with 380 club caps * Linda Bolder (born 1988 in Velserbroek) a Dutch-born Israeli Olympic judoka * Joël Veltman (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 commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. ...

;and * the Lords of

Van Brederode The Lords of Brederode (''Heeren van Brederode'') were a noble family from Holland who played an important role during the Middle Ages and the Early modern period. The family had a high noble rank and hold the titles ''Count of Brederode'', Count ...

, from the 12thC. to the 17thC., a noble family from Brederode Castle near Santpoort

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