Egmond has it all!
Great nature, lovely villages, sea, dunes, tulips, a castle ruin, and an abbey.

NEW ➔ Alpaca Eco Farm at Egmond, an experience you don’t want to miss!
Have a High Tea at the greenhouse on Alpaca Eco Farm while Alpacas snuff around your table. Feel like hugging an Alpaca? Book a meet & greet at this unique Alpaca Farm. There are 6 of these very sweet and social alpacas living on this farm. The owners tell you everything you always wanted to know about these special animals. Aren’t they just adorable? Having an alpaca next to your table, feeding them out of your hand, how special is that?

The 3 villages Egmonden

Egmond aan de Hoef (Hoef is translated as a farm)
Egmond aan Zee (at Sea)
Egmond Binnen (this village lies more inside the land)

“Egmond aan Zee” is a popular seaside resort about 40 km north of Amsterdam. “Egmond Binnen” is an Abbey well-known for its beer and accommodations. In “Egmond aan de Hoef”  you find the remains of the castle of the Counts of Egmond. It once was the most impressive castle on the Continent. Its history is tragic and heroic. Let me tell you about the castle first and let’s have a monk’s brew after on the beach.

1. Egmond aan de Hoef – Castle of Egmond

History of the Castle of Egmond.

The Castle of Egmond was founded in the year 1170 as a fortress from which the Church controlled economic life. Gradually the knights living in the Castle took over the power from the church. First, every tenth fish had to be ceded to the monastery but when things changed every tenth fish went to the knights in the castle. The Castle bathes in wealth. In the 15th century, it is Holland’s loveliest castle with an impressive tower of 28 meters. In 1486 the knight Jan the Third receives the title of Duke of Holland. In his footsteps, the star of his son Lamoraal van Egmond rises till a conflict with Spain starts.

In 1568 Holland is a colony of Spain. The Dutch revolted against the high taxes the Spanish King Philippe imposes. When the Count of Egmond stands up for his people and resists the Spanish King he takes a fatal risk and is beheaded in Brussels. This tragic event marks the beginning of the “Eighty Years War” between Holland and Spain. During this war, the Castle of Egmond is destroyed by Dutch resistance (Geuzen) attacking the Spanish army in the back when the nearby city Alkmaar is under siege. It was strategically too great a risk that the Castle fell into the hands of the Spaniards. Thus the curtain fell for what was once Holland’s loveliest Castle. A Castle we lost in our battle for independence 400 years ago. Now the foundations of the Castle and the Chapel from the year 1229, devoted to the holy Catherine, are open for visitors. The Chapel and the ruins are a romantic hotspot for young lovers. Falling deeper in love on the ruins and finally getting married in the Chapel.

How to get there: Take the train to Alkmaar – the Intercity is the fast train –  and from Alkmaar Bus 165 to “Egmond aan de Hoef”. The bus driver will drop you off at the castle ruins.

Castle Egmond – Egmond aan de Hoef
Address: Slotweg 46, 1934 CN Egmond aan den Hoef
Opening hours: open 24 hours a day

Best place to stay in Egmond aan de Hoef

➔ Book here hotel B&B Jagershof
Hospitable reception with a really warm welcome. The rooms and apartments are luxe and nicely decorated, and there is even thought of a nice bottle of wine. What a great start to your stay in the dune villages Egmond. Free bicycles to explore the area. This B&B is top and is a great place to visit the villages Egmond, the city of Alkmaar, and the beautiful towns of Bergen.

2. Egmond Binnen |St. Adelbert Abbey of Egmond

Dutch Benedictine abbey beer

Why on earth would you go to an abbey? First and foremost, the divine golden beer brewed in abbeys. What could be more delicious than a freshly tapped abbey beer? The abbey beers of Egmond are not brewed at the abbey of Egmond at Brouwerij Egmond. The Egmond abbey beers are traditionally brewed with grains from organic cultivation. The addition of lime blossom gives it its own character and a wonderful scent. The beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized and have secondary fermentation in the bottle. The abbey beers of Sancti Adalberti are inoculated with the water from the source on the Adelbertusakker in Egmond-Binnen, of which miracle stories tell about the healing effect. Brewed under license with Egmond Abbey, making it the only Dutch Benedictine abbey beer.

What a joy to taste such a great beer!

Reflection

But there are more reasons why you would want to go to an abbey. Maybe you need a moment of reflection or a different mindset. Benedictus abbey Egmond is a place of peace and quiet, where everyone can feel at home and can catch their breath. There is an open attitude toward everyone who knocks on the door, there’s a willingness to listen to those who want to pour out their heart. There is a word of encouragement and peace to all who seek their way through life. Guided tours, silent walks, lectures, retreats, calligraphy, and candle painting courses are organized in this Benedictus abbey.

Church Candles

Egmond abbey candle making. The monks of Egmond Abbey make their own unique abbey candles such as Easter candles, dip candles, garden candles, table candles, and colorful fantasy candles. These handcrafted candles are great to look at. The monks regularly come up with new designs, but old designs are also used. Personalizing candles for your baptism, wedding, birthday or funeral is also part of the craft. Abbey candles can be ordered by sending an email to: abdijkaarsen@abdijvanegmond.nl. You must then state which size candle and application are desired.
When I visited the abbey I was really surprised to see these beautiful huge candles.

Some historic info: Saint Adelbert Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Egmond-Binnen. The remains of Saint Adelbert van Egmond rested under the altar of the abbey church. The West Frisian count Dirk II, Aarnout, Dirk III, Dirk IV, Dirk V, Floris I, and the Dutch count Floris II were also buried there.

Abbey of Egmond,
Address: Abdijlaan 26, 1935 BH Egmond-Binnen

Abbey shop and Abbey museum
Address: Vennewatersweg 27a, 1935 AR Egmond-Binnen
Opening hours: Tuesday till Saturday from 11.00 till 16.30 hours

Best place to stay in Egmond Binnen

➔ Hostel Stayokay Egmond Binnen
Do you have a limited budget and still want to sleep in Egmond? Then the environmentally friendly hostel Stayokay is a must. Some rooms have a view of the beautiful dune landscape. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in a trendy dining room. There is a cozy terrace and you can play old Dutch board games in this hostel. The hostel is focused on sustainability, there is a water-saving installation and energy-efficient heating.

3. Egmond aan Zee | Egmond at the Seaside

The 7 best reasons why you should go to Egmond aan Zee: beach, sea, dunes, bulb fields, events, sights, and conviviality

Bulb fields

Snowdrops, hyacinths, crocuses, grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils. In the spring they are in full bloom in Egmond and you can fully enjoy endless fields of tulips and many other spring bloomers. Rent a car or bicycle or walk through the polder and enjoy the sometimes overwhelming scents and colors. At some Egmond bulb growers, you can take a look in the greenhouse or put together a bouquet yourself. Flowers and bulbs are sold directly to the farmer from roadside stalls.

Events

De tree villages of Egmond are very popular for a day trip, weekend trip, or spending your vacation. Besides the dunes, the beach, the sea, and the bulbs fields there is much more to experience in this lovely area. All kinds of large, small, sporting, musical, and cultural activities and events are organized in the three villages of Egmond. Annual activities and festivities that are organized are the village festival, the art market, short track harness racing, fishing day, weekly fair, Caribbean festival, Fjoertoer (walking in the dark past illuminated objects), darts tournament, the dinner shows, the New Year’s dive, the mountain bike race Egmond-Pier-Egmond and the Egmond (walking) marathon.

Dunes North Hollands Nature Reserve

Make a walk through the beautiful dune area of ​​Egmond, accompanied by a guide, or go for a beachcombing experience. Egmond is always beautiful, whatever the season.
As you can see, there is plenty to do in Egmond, check the current agenda of Egmond

Best place to stay in Egmond aan Zee

➔ Hotel Neptunes
This beautifully restored modern hotel is located in the peaceful nature reserve of North Holland dunes on the edge of Egmond. The beach and the lively center of Egmond are within walking distance.