Column in the Citymarketing newspaper

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Den Helder, you have to love it

City Poet Yanaika Zomer writes in a column about what it is like to live, grow up, and live in Den Helder. And well, you have to love it.

Residents have known it for a long time. Den Helder is peace, Den Helder is space, Den Helder is nature. And nowhere in the Netherlands is there a place where you can live so affordably without compromising on square footage, a garden, or parking space right outside your door. Den Helder is coming home as it is meant to be. 

You do have to love it, of course. Living ten minutes from the beach. Getting a breath of fresh air after work or catching a sunset, cooling off in the sea on a warm day, or walking the dog on the dike with the fresh breeze on your face. Due to the absence of heavy industry, Den Helder is among the cities with the highest air quality in the Netherlands. It is therefore not surprising that new residents of Nieuwediep breathe a sigh of relief when they settle in this city by the sea.

And we know, there are beaches in the Netherlands that are completely built up with beach pavilions and huts, where your towel is always cozily close to your neighbors'. We explicitly do not offer that. But if you are looking for seven kilometers of clean sandy beach, with space for yourself and always at least one nice pavilion within walking distance, Den Helder is your city.

Read the rest of the column in the latest edition of the Citymarketing newspaper.

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