Bergen (properly Bergen NH, to distinguish it from a dozen other Bergens) is a leafy, wealthy town six kilometres from Alkmaar and three from the beach at Bergen aan Zee. It was an artists' colony from the 1910s onwards — the Bergense School, with painters like Charley Toorop and Leo Gestel, is why the small but excellent Museum Kranenburgh exists. Today it is a place of villas in the pines, small galleries on the Ruïnekerk square, and a Sunday-brunch demographic aged 45+.
This suits couples wanting a quiet, cultured Dutch base with access to both beach and heritage inland. Bergen aan Zee (the actual beach, three km west) is a small, family-friendly resort with a decent aquarium. The wooded strip between town and coast is a national landscape and full of cycle paths. It does not suit young travellers or anyone wanting nightlife — kitchens close by 9:30pm and the two 'late' bars close by midnight. Nor does it suit anyone on a tight budget: Bergen hotels average $30 more than Alkmaar for a similar room.
Where to stay in Bergen
Around the Ruïnekerk (the ruined church at the town's heart) and along the Breelaan or Kerkstraat gets you the pretty village-in-the-woods feeling, $100-$180. Bergen aan Zee itself has a handful of family hotels on the boulevard, $110-$160, useful in beach season. Van der Valk in Bergen is the reliable mid-range chain choice, $95-$130, on the edge of town. Skip anywhere in adjacent Schoorl unless you are specifically hiking the dunes there.
Hotels in Bergen
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Things to do in Bergen
- Museum KranenburghHoflaan 26, $14, the Bergense School painters plus rotating modern shows in a nice landscape garden. The building — an early-1900s villa — is part of the pleasure. Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Ninety minutes.
- Bergen aan Zee and the aquariumBus 165 from Bergen centre, 10 minutes. The beach is wide and clean, the Zee Aquarium ($14) is small but genuinely good with local North Sea species. Beach open all year, aquarium closes January.
- Schoorlse Duinen hikeTen km north — the highest dunes in the Netherlands, 55 metres. Enter at the Buitencentrum visitor centre in Schoorl, free. Marked trails from 3 to 12 km. Bus 158 from Bergen or drive. Best in spring and autumn.
- Galleries around RuïnekerkThe square around the ruined 15th-century church has a dozen small galleries — Galerie Bianca Landgraaf, Kunsthandel Studio 2000, others. Free to wander in. Most open Wed-Sun afternoons only. The ruin itself is now an events venue.
Getting there & around
Start at the Ruïnekerk, head west on Kerkelaan into the Bergerbos woods, follow signed paths past the Verspyckweg villas, into the dunes, over the ridge and down to Bergen aan Zee boulevard. Take bus 165 back (every 30 min) or walk back on a parallel path — 12 km round trip if you walk both ways.
No train station. Bus 160 from Alkmaar station runs every 15 minutes, 15 minutes journey, $3.50. From Amsterdam it is train to Alkmaar (32 min) then bus 160, total 55-60 minutes. Bus 165 from Bergen centre to Bergen aan Zee runs every 30 minutes in summer, hourly off-season. Bikes are the best local transport; rent at Alkmaar station OV-fiets and ride the 20 minutes to Bergen through the polders.
Questions answered
Is Bergen better than Egmond aan Zee as a beach base?
Bergen is more cultured and wooded — you sleep in a proper town and take a bus or bike to the beach. Egmond aan Zee is directly on the beach, more built-up, and less charming inland. Choose Bergen for atmosphere, Egmond aan Zee for beach-first convenience.
How much of an artists' colony is Bergen actually?
Historically real (peaked in the 1920s), currently residual. There are working artists and galleries but it is mostly a wealthy commuter town for Alkmaar and Amsterdam these days. The museum is genuinely good; the ongoing scene is small. Do not come expecting Provence.
Nearby areas
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