Katwijk

Netherlands

Beach huts at Katwijk aan Zee.

Katwijk is a municipality in South Holland, the Netherlands consisting of Valkenburg, Katwijk aan den Rijn (Katwijk on the Rhine) and Katwijk aan Zee (Katwijk on Sea), which together house some 65,000 people.

Katwijk aan Zee and Katwijk aan den Rijn were once two separate towns, with Aan Zee being a fisherman's town and Aan den Rijn being more agricultural. Over time both towns grew together along with Valkenburg. The municipal office is held on the border of the two Katwijks, with the town hall itself on the Aan de Rijn-side, and the mayor's house being on the Aan Zee-side. This has been done so to not favor any of the two Katwijks during the merging of the two former municipalities. North of Katwijk aan Zee is a third Katwijk, Katwijk-Noord, which consists of mostly post-war housing.

Valkenburg is the oldest of the three towns. It began as a part of the county of Utrecht, and was transferred to the county of Holland in the 12th century. Katwijk and Valkenburg were always a part of the same ambacht, though the two were split when Valkenburg was sold in 1615. In 1798, during Batavian times, the municipal forms such as heerlijkheden, which Valkenburg was one of, were being dropped in favor of general municipalities. After annexation of the Batavian Republic by Napoleonic France in 1810, a new norm for municipalities was added, stating that a municipality needed to have at least five hundred inhabitants to be considered a municipality. Valkenburg did not, and was therefore reunited with Katwijk, only to split apart again after these rules were dropped following Napoleon's defeat and independence of the Netherlands. Since 2006, the municipalities have been joined again under the name "Katwijk".

Katwijk came to be where the Old Rhine meets the North Sea, possibly being named after the Germanic tribes that once lived there, the Chatten, with the -wijk suffix coming from the Latin word vicus, meaning settlement. The aan de Rijn suffix refers to the Rhine river, which used to run here until the eleventh century, when the river changed directions, leaving the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) as a narrower river through the town.

Katwijk aan den Rijn is first mentioned in a 1231 document. The town lost its fish market to Katwijk aan Zee in 1388, after which Katwijk aan den Rijn focused more on agriculture. Katwijk aan den Rijn was besides that a small regional hub for water-bound transport. In the twentieth century, the Katwijk vegetable market grew bigger, with Katwijk being the biggest producer of carrots in Europe. The town lost this title at the start of the twenty-first century, when the vegetable market was disbanded.

  • VVV Katwijk, Wilhelminastraat 9, +31 714 075 444. W-F 13:00-17:00, Su 10:00-13:00.

VVV Katwijk, Wilhelminastraat 9, +31 714 075 444. W-F 13:00-17:00, Su 10:00-13:00.

  • Katwijks Museum, Voorstraat 46, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 013 047.
  • Het Spinozahuis, Spinozalaan 29, Rijnsburg, +31 714 029 209. Museum dedicated to the life and works of seminal philosopher Baruch Spinoza. €3,50.

Katwijks Museum, Voorstraat 46, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 013 047.

Het Spinozahuis, Spinozalaan 29, Rijnsburg, +31 714 029 209. Museum dedicated to the life and works of seminal philosopher Baruch Spinoza. €3,50.

  • Theatherhangaar, 1e Mientlaan, Katwijk, +31 714 014 511. Former airplane hangar at the Katwijk Airfield, which is converted to a theatre.
  • Stoomtrein Katwijk-Leiden, Jan Pellenbargweg 1, Valkenburg, +31 715 724 275. One of the Heritage railways of the Netherlands, the Katwijk-Leiden steam train is a narrow-gauge railway around the Valkenburgse Meer. The line is being serviced with a steam tram. Aside from the railway, there is also the National Narrow-gauge Railway Museum located around the station.

Theatherhangaar, 1e Mientlaan, Katwijk, +31 714 014 511. Former airplane hangar at the Katwijk Airfield, which is converted to a theatre.

Stoomtrein Katwijk-Leiden, Jan Pellenbargweg 1, Valkenburg, +31 715 724 275. One of the [[Heritage railways]] of the Netherlands, the Katwijk-Leiden steam train is a narrow-gauge railway around the Valkenburgse Meer. The line is being serviced with a steam tram. Aside from the railway, there is also the National Narrow-gauge Railway Museum located around the station.

The main shopping street of Katwijk is Boulevard in Katwijk aan Zee.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Many restaurants can be found on the beach, being so-called strandpaviljoens.

  • D(e)ining 19, Zeezijde 3, Boulevard, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 019 998.
  • Zomers Beachclub, Boulevard Zeezijde 21, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 810.
  • Het Strand, Boulevard Zeezijde 23, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 048.
  • Zilt, Boulevard Zeezijde 37, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 074 198.
  • SandCbar, Boulevard Zeezijde 43, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 014 818.
  • Strandhuys Katwijk, Boulevard Zeezijde 47, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 072 278.

Friends, Boulevard 68, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 010 009.

The Comedy, Boulevard 70, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 077 624.

Het Wapen van Kattuk, Sluisweg 2-A, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 018 010.

Kade 8, Haven 8, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 012 503.

Pannenkoeken & Grill de Beslagkom, Slagkom 3, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 078 007.

De Griek, Voorstraat 42, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 010 881.

Grill-bar Ruig, Andreasplein 16, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 715 427 518.

Eetcafé de Bonte Kraai, Princestraat 42, Katwijk aan Zee, +31 714 035 051.

  • Leiden - This typically Dutch town is known for it's old university and as the birthplace of Rembrandt.
  • Wassenaar is best known for its enormous swimming pool and amusement park Duinrell.
  • The Bollenstreek, which Katwijk is a part of, is known and named after the beautiful flowers that colour the countryside every summer. The best example of this is the Keukenhof in Lisse.