Noordwijk. Near the Lighthouse

Noordwijk is a town and municipality in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality of Noordwijk consists of two communities — Noordwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk-Binnen, separated by a narrow green belt.

This town has a very interesting history. There have always been notable differences between coastal Noordwijk aan Zee and inland Noordwijk-Binnen. Noordwijk aan Zee inhabitants were fishermen, with a Protestant background. The primary occupation within Noordwijk-Binnen was bulb cultivation, with Roman Catholicism being the predominant faith. Whilst the coastal dwelling ‘Zeeër’ fished for a living, the inland ‘Binner’ cultivated herbs and later bulbs. To this day the notion of being either a Zeeër or Binner continues, especially amongst the older generation.

The headquarters for the European Space Research and Technology Centre are located here.