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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 6000. By the year 2007 its population rose steeply to 118483. Next to Rotterdam and he Hague Zoetermeers 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 villages 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 centuriesold village center with the little houses around it should be enough to make Zoetermeer Netherlands a part of a travelers mustsee 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 ICTrelated education. An estimated 20 percent of Zoetermeers total population has ICTbased 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 manmade 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 manmade 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 ZoetermeerOost 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 writer:  Brie Hoyter is a selfprofessed 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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