This Dutch Beach Is Holding a Year-Long Party
In honour of the resort’s 200th anniversary, Scheveningen beach in the Netherlands will throw a year-long party complete with music festivals, museum exhibitions and a massive, sand sculpting competition.
Although Scheveningen predates its resort by several centuries, the town began to attract tourists after an entrepreneurial minded fisherman called Jacob Pronk built a wooden, seawater bathhouse on its shoreline in 1818. This modest spa paved the way for other seaside attractions, such as Kurhaus hotel and Scheveningen’s leisure pier. Today, Scheveningen is recognised as the largest beach resort in the Netherlands and ranks among the most popular summertime destinations in the country.
In 2018, the beach will celebrate its history by hosting a long list of special events. The year’s festivities began on January 1 when around 10,000 brave souls ran into Scheveningen’s frosty waters during the beach’s annual Nieuwjaarsduik (New Year’s Dive) — an event that coincides with other subzero, communal plunges around the Netherlands.
The resort’s monthly calendar includes many other exciting events that will keep the party rolling throughout 2018. At the end of April, for instance, stages and campfires will appear near Scheveningen’s pier during a free music festival called BonFire Beach Fest, while over two weekends in August the resort will host an international fireworks extravaganza.
The Hague (which lies roughly three kilometres away from resort) will participate during these birthday celebrations and host events dedicated to Scheveningen, including an enormous, sand sculpting competition in early June. The city’s museums will also add something to the mix by presenting special exhibitions throughout the year.
For the year’s full programme check out this handy website!
About the author
Tom Coggins writes about culture and travel. He'd really like to own a dog someday.
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