Bergen, North Holland Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Bergen

Egmond aan Zee town centre

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in North Holland

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

119.46 km² (46.12 sq mi)

• Land

97.10 km² (37.49 sq mi)

• Water

22.36 km² (8.63 sq mi)

Elevation

1 m (3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

29,987

• Density

309/km² (800/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Bergenaar

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

1860–1873, 1930–1935

Area code

072

Bergen is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland. It's a popular spot for tourists because of its beautiful North Sea beaches and green forests. In 2001, the municipality of Bergen was formed when the smaller communities of Egmond, Schoorl, and Bergen itself joined together.

Since the early 1900s, Bergen has been a home for many talented painters, writers, and architects. This group of artists is known as the "Bergen School." You can see some of their amazing work at the Museum Kranenburgh. There's also a special neighborhood called Park Meerwijk, built in 1915, which features unique houses designed in the Amsterdam School style. Bergen often hosts art fairs, a yearly music festival called the Holland Music Sessions in August, and an arts festival known as the Kunsttiendaagse in October.

Just north of Bergen, you'll find the Schoorlse Duinen. This is a huge nature area with the tallest and widest sand dunes in the Netherlands. Some of these dunes reach about 59 meters (195 feet) high and can be more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide!

Other interesting places to visit in the area include an aquarium in the seaside village of Bergen aan Zee. There's also the Auto Union Museum in Bergen, which has a cool collection of classic cars. For history buffs, you can explore the Het Sterkenhuis museum in Bergen and the Museum van Egmond in Egmond aan Zee. From 1963, Bergen was home to the European School, Bergen, but in 2021, the school moved to Alkmaar.

What Towns and Villages Make Up Bergen?
A Look Back: The History of Bergen
Famous People from Bergen
- Sports Stars
Images for kids
See also

What Towns and Villages Make Up Bergen?

Map of Bergen, June 2015

The municipality of Bergen includes several towns, villages, and districts. These are Bergen, Aagtdorp, Bergen aan Zee, Bregtdorp, Camperduin, Catrijp, Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond aan Zee, Egmond-Binnen, Groet, Hargen, Rinnegom, Schoorl, Schoorldam (partly), and Wimmenum.

A Look Back: The History of Bergen

The Ruinekerk church

Bergen has a rich history, with some parts dating back to the 10th century.

The Egmond Abbey and Castle

The Egmond Abbey was founded in the 10th century and became a very important cultural center in medieval Holland. A powerful noble family, the House of Egmond, protected this abbey. The three towns of Egmond have also been around since the 10th century. Sadly, both the Egmond Abbey and Egmond Castle in Egmond aan den Hoef were destroyed in 1573. This happened during the Dutch Revolt, ordered by William the Silent.

The Miracle of Bergen and the Ruined Church

The town of Bergen itself grew up around a chapel and was first mentioned in the tenth century. There's an old local story called the "Miracle of Bergen." It's said to have happened during a big flood in 1421. The story tells that the local sheriff found a chest with special wafers (called hosts, used in church services) from a church in Petten. These wafers had floated to Bergen during the flood. The amazing part is that the seawater inside the chest had turned into blood! Another similar story from 1422 also tells of hosts turning into blood.

Because of these stories, a chapel was built where the miracle supposedly happened. Bergen became a place where people would go on religious journeys, and special processions have been held there for centuries, even today.

In the 15th century, a large church called the Ruïnekerk (which means "Ruined Church") was built on the site of the chapel. It was one of the biggest churches of its kind in North Holland. In 1574, during a war against Spain (the Eighty Years War), the church was damaged by Dutch Protestants. However, it was later rebuilt and still stands today.

Battles and Railways

Bergen has also been the site of important historical events. In 1797, a major sea battle called the Battle of Camperdown took place off the coast of Camperduin, which is part of Bergen. This battle was between the British and Dutch fleets during the French Revolutionary Wars. The British won completely, capturing 11 Dutch ships without losing any of their own.

Later, in 1799, a British-Russian army invaded North Holland. A battle with the French and Dutch armies happened in Bergen on September 19th. Today, the Russisch Monument in Bergen remembers this Battle of Bergen.

From 1905 to 1955, Bergen was an important stop on a narrow-gauge railway line that ran between Alkmaar and Bergen aan Zee. One of the locomotives from this line, named 'Bello,' was displayed in the town center for many years as a memorial. Now, it's kept safe at the Museumstoomtram Hoorn - Medemblik.

Famous People from Bergen

Many interesting people have connections to Bergen:

Jan van Scorel (1495 in Schoorl – 1562), a famous Dutch painter.
Pierre Gole (1620 in Bergen – 1684), a skilled cabinetmaker and designer.
Adriaan Roland Holst (1888 – 1976 in Bergen), a well-known writer and poet who lived in Bergen for many years.
Charley Toorop (1891 – 1955 in Bergen), a talented painter and lithographer.
Simeon ten Holt (1923 in Bergen – 2012), a Dutch composer of modern classical music.
Adriaan van Dis (born 1946 in Bergen aan Zee), a popular Dutch author.
Thé Lau (1952 in Bergen – 2015), a Dutch musician and writer.
Saskia Noort (born 1967 in Bergen), a Dutch crime-writer and journalist.
Jim Bakkum (born 1987 in Egmond-Binnen), a singer, actor, and TV personality.
Maan de Steenwinkel (born 1997 in Bergen), a singer who won The Voice of Holland.

Sports Stars

Marja Wokke (born 1957 in Bergen), a former marathon runner.
Kees van Wonderen (born 1969 in Bergen), a retired Dutch football player.
Teun de Nooijer (born 1976 in Egmond aan den Hoef), a field hockey player who won many Olympic medals with his team.
Martina Wegman (born 1989 in Schoorl), a Dutch slalom canoeist.