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'Here on the coast, the Zeeland coast, where people boast of having mussel feasts,' Paskal Jakobsen of the band BLØF sings of his beloved Zeeland in the song Aan De Kust (On the Coast). Coastal city The Hague is also immortalised in the song O, o, Den Haag by Harrie Jekkers. Since last summer, Streetart Frankey's Hubbabubbabuilding has featured on Zandvoort boulevard. This former seafront villa has been transformed into a surreal home where huge bubbles of chewing gum appear to burst out of the building’s windows.

From the city of Rotterdam, line B will take you to Hoek van Holland beach in just under forty minutes. Hidden in the dunes you will find the overnight accommodation Cocondo. The bunker once used as connection point that houses Cocondo has been painstakingly transformed into a sheltered stylish holiday home where you are surrounded with tranquillity and Dutch design. If
you fancy seeing other things of beauty the coast has to offer, we suggest a
visit to the modern museum iCOON.

The holiday feeling starts as soon as you board the boat to Terschelling. During the crossing, keep a pair of binoculars at hand, as there is a good chance that you will spot a seal sunbathing on a
sandbank. Upon your arrival at the port of West Terschelling, you will find coffee bar Pura Vida within walking distance, where you can recharge before climbing the Kaapsduin. From Terschelling's highest dune, you can take in the island in one panoramic view.

Nice piece of trivia: the Wadden Sea, in which Terschelling is set, was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2009. The Wadden Sea is the world's largest contiguous system of sand and mud plains that run dry during low tide. To explore the mudflats, visit cooking studio Flang in de Pan which organises culinary excursions, Wadden workshops, wild-picking adventures and sunset walks, giving you the best possible experience of the spring season. Are you done being out and about? Nice accommodation can be found in the architectural holiday home Simmerhûs. For lovers of music and theatre, be sure to travel to Terschelling for the Oerol cultural festival.

Surrounded by forests, dunes and a wide sandy beach, small-scale Bergen aan Zee is an oasis of tranquility on the Dutch coastline. From here, you cycle along a beautiful route on
winding paths through the dune forests to the Schoorl Dunes, the highest dune
area in the Netherlands. You can savour the organic harvest from the Hoftuin at fine-dining restaurant Het Hof.

Five kilometres from Bergen aan Zee, you will find the quaint village of Bergen, a well-known haven for artists. The surroundings of the picturesque city centre, a stone's throw from the sea,
dunes and woodland, inspired many painters, writers and architects. At Museum Kranenburgh, for instance, you will find not only modern and contemporary art, but also works from the Bergen School. Be sure to visit our Summum Brandstore located at Oude Prinsweg 13.

Want to wake up feeling the sand beneath your
feet? These five places will accommodate you, at a stone's throw from the
beach.

Castricum aan Zee

It is no exaggeration to say that from Strandhotel Zoomers in Castricum, you can somersault onto the beach. zoomersaanzee.nl

Zoutelande

Unfortunately, the old beach house from the BLØF song Zoutelande does not exist. However, there is Duinhotel Tien Torens, which seems to merge into the dune landscape covered under a layer of marram grass. duinhoteltientorens.nl

Noordwijk

Atop a dune hill stands boutique hotel Benedict in the coastal village of Noordwijk. benedictnoordwijk.nl

IJmuiden

If yoga at the beach in the early morning is your thing, Basecamp IJmuiden is the place to be. basecamp-ecoresorts.com

Zandvoort

Call it Amsterdam Beach or just Zandvoort, from Hotel Paradis the big city feels far away. Situated on Paradijsweg (hence the name), you can walk from your paradisiacal abode to the beach via the
promenade. hotelparadiszandvoort.nl

— By Joline van den Oever