Willemsoord Live Cam

In the summer months there is traditionally a lot to do in Den Helder. Markets, parties, street theatre, big events, you name it. To give you a good insight into what is on the agenda in the coming months, we provide an overview every month. This way you can immediately see which event takes place where and from whom you can get more information. In collaboration with the Den Helder Promotion Foundation, the events, or a selection of them, are brought to the attention in many ways.

Anyone who wants to influence the decisions of the municipality must know how the municipality works. Who sets the policy? Where are the decisions made? What is the role of municipal councilors, aldermen and civil servants? In this chapter, extensive attention is also paid to the Action Plan 1999-2002 that the new Commission adopted on April 15, 1999.

Den Helder - an unspoiled environment offering an abundance of space, fresh air and sun (the town enjoys more hours of sunshine per year than anywhere else in the Netherlands!). Living in Den Helder also means sea, beach and dunes close at hand, combined with all the amenities one expects from a modern town. Den Helder is very busy creating a distinct profile for itself. A lot of money has been (and is being) invested in tourism and in beautifying the town.

But it is not only this that makes Den Helder a nice place to live in: the town has a wide variety of housing possibilities - both in the purchase and rental sectors - at prices considerably below those in the Randstad (the conurbation in the centre of Holland), which is only an hour away. Whether young or old, single or a family, there is something in Den Helder to suit everyone's taste.

Safety, high standards of maintenance, quality and ample playing facilities for children are key words in Den Helder's housing policy. Ecological building methods are employed in many areas; the park villas in the De Schooten district are a good example of this. The letting offices of two housing associations - Woningstichting Den Helder and Algemene Woningbouwvereniging Nieuwediep - assist people in finding rented accommodation; there are also many estate agents who mediate in the letting and buying of various types of accommodation.

Several airlines operate regular cargo, charter and business flights from Den Helder Airport to destinations abroad, and supply helicopters for the drilling rigs in the North Sea are based here.

Anyone travelling to Den Helder by road or rail in the spring will be pleasantly surprised by the dazzling displays provided by another important sector: that of the bulb-growing industry. The most extensive bulb-growing area in the world flanks the chain of dunes in Den Helder and its environs. This sector is not only an important source of employment but also constitutes an important tourist attraction.

The inhabitants of Den Helder don't need to go beyond the town's boundaries to find good social and medical services. Den Helder has an extensive network of such services, covering the fields of general welfare work, youth aid, the care and treatment of drug addicts, elderly work, mental health care, home care, meals on wheels, help to foreigners (there is an international women's centre and an asylum seekers' centre), community centre work and crèches.

The municipality - together with the advisory bodies concerned with the elderly, immigrants and young people - tailors its services to the needs of users. It is also busy reintegrating the unemployed in a creative manner into the labour market, and underprivileged youngsters receive practical and theoretical training to increase their chances of getting a job. Persons from low-income groups may qualify for supplementary benefits and remission of municipal taxes.

The municipality also provides special services for the handicapped, such as dedicated transport services and adaptations to their homes. Gemini Hospital, which has over 200 beds, not only provides medical services to the entire region but also has many specializations. A military medical team is attached to the hospital. Noorderhaven - the centre for the mentally handicapped - also fulfils an important regional function. The institute, which is set in spacious grounds, cares for the mentally handicapped and prepares them for leading a relatively self-supporting life.

From September to June, some 120 professional music and theatrical productions are performed in the town's theatre De Kampanje; many more performances are provided by numerous local groups. There are also cinemas and a wealth of cafés and restaurants to choose from. The De Postbrug cultural youth centre stages frequent pop concerts. Visitors from far and wide are drawn to the town each year by such events as the fair, the jazz weekend, the Karavaan theatre festival, the Beach Show and the Dutch Navy Days.

Den Helder's spaciousness, beautiful light and clear skies hold a great attraction for the numerous artists living and working in the town. One local artist of international renown is Rudi van de Wint, who is well-known for his murals in the new building of the Dutch Lower Chamber. He also created the exceptional nature-art project De Nollen in one of Den Helder's dune areas. For those who enjoy visiting art exhibitions, School 7 and the town's numerous art galleries cater for a wide range of tastes. The town also boasts a well-stocked art library.

If the sun should fail to appear, however, one can go shopping in the beautiful Kroonpassage shopping arcade, or visit the Napoleonic fortress Kijkduin, with its exciting subterranean passages, unique North Sea aquarium, and restaurant with a spectacular view of the sea. Of course, one can also take a boat trip, or stroll through the fascinating harbour area, which is home to both the naval and the fishing fleet as well as private yachts. Or, if the weather is not that inviting at sea level, one can always escape it by visiting the town's Russian submarine for a drink! Den Helder's maritime past is also evidenced by the town's various museums, such as the Naval Museum with its Traditiekamer (tradition chamber) at the former Willemsoord dockyard, and the Dorus Rijkers National Rescue Museum. For those not nautically inclined, the town has two other, quite different attractions to offer: the Käthe Kruse doll museum and the De Oranjerie botanical greenhouses.