Discover Velsen-Zuid: Local History, Beeckestijn and Trails

Velsen-Zuid Between Local History and Beeckestijn

Velsen-Zuid combines a historic centre designated as a protected townscape with a long village history and the Buitenplaats Beeckestijn country estate. It is also home to an initiative founded by visual artists, a traditional annual fair and trails that explore cultural history, the landscape and the local economy. For a stay appealing to different interests, this creates specific themes for discovering the area together.

Historic Velsen and the Engelmundus Church

The old village of Velsen has a long history dating back at least to the founding of the first church in the 8th century AD. The Engelmundus Church is one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands. The present-day layout of the village also reflects a major turning point: the construction and widening of the North Sea Canal divided the village at the time and reduced it to approximately half its former size. The historic centre of Velsen-Zuid is designated as a protected townscape. Those interested in organically developed village structures and historical development will therefore find several directly interconnected themes here.

Buitenplaats Beeckestijn: Museum House, Gardens and Parkland

Buitenplaats Beeckestijn is an 18th-century country estate. At Beeckestijn, visitors can tour the museum house and stroll through the strictly geometric gardens and the romantic parkland. Along the cultural-history circular route through Buitenplaats Beeckestijn, information boards explain the estate’s rich cultural history and that of its residents. This makes Beeckestijn a suitable focus for a day combining sightseeing and activity.

Art, Market Tradition and Trails

Raadhuis voor de Kunst is an initiative founded by visual artists in the old town hall of Velsen on Torenstraat in Velsen-Zuid. The Jaarmarkt Velsen-Zuid has a fixed place in the local calendar: it traditionally takes place on the last Saturday in September on Kerkplein, around the Engelmundus Church in Velsen-Zuid. The art initiative and the market date add two further facets to the historic buildings, with the market’s traditional date making it particularly relevant when planning a stay in September.

The 24 km-long Beeckestijn cycling route starts in Velsen-Zuid and passes Buitenplaats Beeckestijn. Along the Velserpad hiking trail, sturdy information boards provide information about the history of the village centres, country estates, landscape and local economy. On the Velsen-Zuid ferry, pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders and other slow-moving traffic have priority and can cross free of charge.

A Holiday Apartment in Velsen-Zuid to Suit Your Plans

When choosing a holiday apartment in Velsen-Zuid, you can first decide which themes should shape your stay: local history and churches, the museum house and parkland, art, the traditional market date or trails with information boards. One day can focus more on sightseeing, while another takes in the garden, park or route themes described above. This keeps your choice of holiday apartment aligned with your personal travel plans and with what you would like to discover in Velsen-Zuid.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

More destinations for your planning: Ijmuiden, Santpoort-Noord, Driehuis, Velsen-Noord.

To the higher-level travel overview: Velsen.