Bergen aan Zee

Bergen aan Zee is a town on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 9 km west of Alkmaar.

In 2001, the town of Bergen aan Zee had 483 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.22 km², and contained 252 residences.

History
While it has some older homes and farms, most of the town is young in comparison. In 1906 a new seaside village was built as a result of private investment by large landowners and the mayor of Bergen. Bergen aan Zee has grown into a beach resort town, popular for surfing and sailing. The majority of the visitors come either from the Netherlands or Germany, to enjoy the sandy beach. It is also home to Zee Aquarium Bergen. Between 1905 and 1955 it was the terminus of a light rail line from Alkmaar to the coast, where the Dutch iconic steam engine "Bello" was one of the locomotives.