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Rotary Club of Den Helder, Netherlands
In May 2007 we were delighted to host our twin club from Den Helder in the Netherlands. In spite of the traditionally English weather we had a wonderful weekend enjoying activities such as offroad driving, archery, walking tour of Horncastle and a visit to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby. Many new friendships were made and as a club we are looking forward to visiting Den Helder in 2009.
Den Helder is known as a naval town - which is not surprising, considering the Royal Navy has been the largest employer in the region for over 175 years and a high percentage of the working population are still employed by the Royal Navy or in related sectors. But Den Helder is more than home port of the Dutch naval fleet: it is a fishing port (with one of the most modern fish auctions in Europe) and an important base for the offshore and the transport sector.
Anyone travelling to Den Helder by road or rail in the spring will be pleasantly surprised by the dazzling displays provided by the bulb-growing industry. The most extensive bulb-growing area in the world flanks the chain of dunes in Den Helder and its environs.
More and more tourists are discovering that Den Helder and its surroundings have a great deal to offer - not only tulips and hyacinths, but seven kilometres of clean, sandy beaches, a beautiful range of dunes, fresh air and many cultural facilities.