Zoetermeer

                                                                                         

Zoetermeer

Zoetermeer, Netherlands is a city in the South Holland province. With an area of 37.06 square kilometers, it was a quaint Dutch village whose total population in the sixties was only around 6,000. By the year 2007, its population rose steeply to 118,483. Next to Rotterdam and he Hague, Zoetermeer’s population became the third largest in South Holland. Zoetermeer, Netherlands was named after the fresh lake which could formerly be found in its town. The term “Zoetermeer” translates to “sweet lake.”

Brief history of Zoetermeer, Netherlands

As early as the 10th century, Zoetermeer existed as a small village of farmers and fisher folk. In the 13th century, there had been a transformation of the village’s way of life when a village center was formed. This village center continues to exist today as the historic Dorpsstraat. It was way after the 17th century that the lake began to recede, and only a tiny portion of it remains to this day.

In the advent of the first train service in 1868, Zoetermeer began to experience growth. Some decades after the train system had been established, a factory was built near its station. It was not until 1966, however, when the people from The Hague urgently needed houses and started building near the village center. So began the gradual transformation of Zoetermeer, Netherlands from a quaint Dutch village into a city.

Zoetermeer, Netherlands as a travel destination

While Zoetermeer could easily look like any contemporary city, much of its features have retained the charms of the past. It may be said then that Zoetermeer, Netherlands could make for a tourism interest among the historically inclined or even for those with a love for anything Dutch. The centuries-old village center with the little houses around it should be enough to make Zoetermeer, Netherlands a part of a traveler’s must-see destinations. Another tourist attraction which should make travel worthwhile is the late medieval 15th century clock tower and the old farms.

Quite paradoxically, Zoetermeer, Netherlands is considered as an ICT city, implying that Zoetermeer has a modern infrastructure. ICT stands for information and communications technology, and being an ICT city should mean that a lot of schools offer ICT-related education. An estimated 20 percent of Zoetermeer’s total population has ICT-based jobs. As a trivia, Zoetermeer is the first among the cities of the world to have a city hall appear in Second Life, a virtual reality social network.

Recreation and tourism in Zoetermeer, Netherlands

The expansion of Zoetermeer as a city also gave birth to a mega cinema, a theater, gaming centers, and amusement parks. One such boost to tourism is SnowWorld. The man-made, indoor ski slope became one of the most popular travel destinations of both local and foreign tourists. As the first indoor ski slope in Europe to have used real snow, it brings in an average of one million visitors to Zoetermeer, Netherlands each year.

From this success, what followed suit is an artificial Olympic wild water rafting circuit called Dutch Water Dreams (DWD) and Silverdome, an indoor Olympic ice skating rink. When it is not skating season, the latter is used as venue for conferences and large music events. Persistent with the tourism efforts for Zoetermeer, Netherlands are plans to have an indoor diving center complete with coral reefs, underwater caves, and a large man-made beach.

Getting to and around Zoetermeer

Trains remain to be the major transportation systems in Zoetermeer, Netherlands. There are two stations in use on the main railway connecting The Hague and Utrecht: the old Zoetermeer-Oost, and the newer station called "Zoetermeer," which is now the main train station. If you plan to go to Zoetermeer, make sure that you book your flights early. Especially if it is your first time to travel to the Dutch city, it would be to your advantage if you check out lodging houses and hotels via the Internet before coming over. This will give you a chance to compare the rates and amenities of various hotels. Or, if you use the services of a travel agency in booking your flights, they may have a list of affiliated hotels.

About the author:
Brie Hoyter is a self-professed computer geek. When not engaged in swordfight and battles with dragons in the virtual world, he tries to travel as much as he can. His best trip by far is backpacking in through Europe with his friends.

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