Bergen | |
---|---|
![]() Egmond aan Zee town centre | |
![]() Location in North Holland | |
Coordinates: 52°40′N 4°43′E / 52.667°N 4.717°E | |
Country | Netherlands |
Province | North Holland |
Government | |
• Body | Municipal council |
• Mayor | Lars Voskuil (PvdA) |
Area | |
• Total | 120.23 km2 (46.42 sq mi) |
• Land | 98.96 km2 (38.21 sq mi) |
• Water | 21.27 km2 (8.21 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
Population (January 2021)[4] | |
• Total | 29,715 |
• Density | 300/km2 (800/sq mi) |
Demonym | Bergenaar |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postcode | 1860–1873, 1930–1935 |
Area code | 072 |
Website | www |
Bergen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɛrɣə(n)] ) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its North Sea beaches and forests make it a popular destination for tourists. In 2001, the municipality was formed from a merger of the former municipalities of Egmond, Schoorl, and the smaller community of Bergen proper that had existed since 1811.
Since about 1900, Bergen has been the home of many painters, writers and architects. Some of the work of this "Bergen School" is on exhibit at Museum Kranenburgh. The neighbourhood of Park Meerwijk, constructed in 1915, is made up entirely of villas in Amsterdam School style. There are regular art fairs in Bergen, as well as an annual music festival (the Holland Music Sessions in August) and arts festival (the Kunsttiendaagse in October).
North of the town of Bergen are the Schoorlse Duinen, a nature area with the highest and widest dunes of the Netherlands, which reach about 59m (195 ft) above sea level, and are more than 5 km (3.1 mi) wide in some places.
Other points of interest in the municipality include the aquarium in the seaside village of Bergen aan Zee, the Auto Union Museum in Bergen with a collection of classic cars, and the historical museums Het Sterkenhuis (Bergen) and Museum van Egmond (Egmond aan Zee).
The town of Bergen has been home to the European School, Bergen, since 1963. In July 2021, the decision was made to move the school to Alkmaar. [5]