An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km (6 mi) north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region and the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area. The municipality covers an area of 62.40 km2 (24.09 sq mi), of which 11.29 km2 (4.36 sq mi) is covered by water.
Wassenaar is home to some of the Netherlands' richest residential neighborhoods as well as the country's most expensive street, the Konijnenlaan.[5][6]
History
By tradition, the 12th-century Romanesque church in Wassenaar is the spot where the Northumbrian missionary Willibrord landed in the Netherlands; the high dunes to the west were not formed until later.
Wassenaar long remained an unremarkable small town, known only as the home of the House of Wassenaer. It only began to gain prominence in the 19th century when Louis Bonaparte ordered the construction of the Heerweg ("Army Road") between The Hague and Leiden, which forms the current Rijksstraatweg. In approximately 1840, Prince Frederik had the De Paauw (Peacock) palace built, where he lived for many years; it now serves as the city hall of Wassenaar.
In 1907 a railway was built, connecting Rotterdam, The Hague, Wassenaar and Scheveningen, the course of which now forms the Landscheidingsweg. Wassenaar became attractive as a residence for wealthy people from Rotterdam. Buildings such as the monumental Huize Ivicke were constructed.[7]
Some remnants of the Atlantic wall are located on Wassenaar's beach, the Wassenaarseslag; nearly a thousand metres of underground walled tunnels are present, connecting five bunkers. The network now serves as a bat sanctuary and is no longer open to visits.[8]
From September 1944 to March 1945 Wassenaar was one of launch sites used by the German Luftwaffe for the V-2 rockets directed mainly towards London.[9]
In 1982 the Wassenaar Agreement between employers' organisations and trade unions in the Netherlands was signed here. This groundbreaking agreement helped in restraining wage growth in return for the adoption of policies to combat unemployment and inflation.
Old Castle of WassenaarDe Langstraat, the main shopping street in Wassenaar
Since the days of Prince Frederik, Wassenaar has often served as an official residence: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, his wife, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, and their daughters lived in the villa Eikenhorst at the estateDe Horsten in Wassenaar from 2003 until 2019;[11] Princess Alexia was baptized at the Romanesque church in Wassenaar. The princesses attended the Bloemcampschool in Wassenaar, founded in 1931.
Wassenaar has several parks and a network of bicycle paths. Trees, mainly beech, oak, and horse chestnut, are widespread, giving the town a green character. The town centre supports a number of high-end shops, delicatessens and bakeries as well as cafes, bars, and restaurants. There are Football, Field Hockey, Cricket, Rugby, and Tennis clubs. The theme park Duinrell and the race track Duindigt, the only remaining grass race track in the Netherlands, are also here. The art Museum Voorlinden was opened by King Willem-Alexander in 2016.[13]
Despite being a relatively small town, Wassenaar is well known in the Netherlands for its conspicuous wealth. Areas of the town are amongst the most affluent in the Netherlands, and residents have a reputation for being bekakt or posh. Wassenaar is home to some of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the nation. In 2018 the Konijnen laan had an average house price of around 2.5 million Euros, making it the most expensive street in the Netherlands.[6] The Dutch artists Ross and Iba released a song entitled 'Wassenaar,' which poked fun at the wealth of the town.
Wassenaar has always enjoyed good relations with the neighbouring town of Voorschoten, with which it has shared a history. The House of Wassenaer, for example, historically resided in the Kasteel Duivenvoorde in Voorschoten. A merger into one municipality has been discussed.
Local government
The municipal council of Wassenaar consists of 21 seats, which are divided as follows (from the election results of 2022):[14]
The following annual sports events take place in Wassenaar; The Zwemloop Wassenaar,[15] which in 2024 will be organized by the Tri-Team Wassenaar, for the 28th occasion. Also, the 15 van Wassenaar,[16] which will be hosting the 10th edition in 2024.
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