Fishing village, originated in the dunes in the late Middle Ages. A first village center formed around Kerkstraat and Kerkplein.
With the construction of the modern fishing harbor in IJmuiden (1896) the fishery in Zandvoort largely disappeared and people focused on bathing tourism. The construction of the Haarlem-Zandvoort railway line (1881) and the Amsterdam-Haarlem-Zandvoort tram line (1900) contributed to the expansion into a seaside resort. In addition to sophisticated hotels, there were also simple guesthouses with wooden verandas and loggias typical of seaside resorts. In 1943-'44, the Germans demolished a large strip of buildings on the Boulevard, including the passage built in 1881. After the war, the rebuilding was carried out into a reconstruction plan by G. Friedhoff. Zandvoort was later expanded with modern apartment buildings and recreational facilities.
