Velsen (population: 67,642 in 2004) is a municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, on both sides of the North Sea Canal. It covers an area of 63.03 km² (of which 18.61 km² water).

The municipality of Velsen comprises the following towns, villages and townships:

• on the north of the North Sea Canal:
  • Velsen North, with Hoogovens, the Dutch division of Corus, on the west and a residential quarter on the east
• on the south of the North Sea Canal:
  • Velsen South, Driehuis, IJmuiden, Santpoort-Noord, Santpoort-Zuid and Velserbroek, and the parts Oosterbroek and Buitenhuizen of the recreation area Spaarnwoude.

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There are the following connections across the canal:

• A railroad tunnel between train stations Driehuis and Beverwijk.
• Road tunnels, from east to west:
  • Wijker Tunnel
  • Velser Tunnel next to the railroad tunnel
• A ferry [1].

Also there is the Fast Flying Ferry to Amsterdam [2]. There was a railway link between IJmuiden and Amsterdam, the IJmondlijn , which was closed in 1999.

In IJmuiden is the headquarter of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij.

The Kennemerstrand beach on the nouth side of the canal is at the end of the Kennemerboulevard, which runs south of the Seaport Marina.

To the south is the beach of Bloemendaal aan Zee. In between is a nudist beach (see [3]).

External links

• Official website, incl. quarters
• Detailed map of Velsen, excluding Santpoort-Noord, Santpoort-Zuid and Velserbroek
• Map of Spaarnwoude
• Map of Haarlem and Velsen
• Timetables bus 82 to the beach
• Many photos of IJmuiden, includes a text page in English