Stefan de Groot is a multimedia artist: he draws on an iPad. He was inspired by the recently released book ‘And Zandvoort’s holy beach is the destination of my journey’. That’s about it origin of Zandvoort as a seaside resort. The construction of the road played a crucial role in this.
IJsselstones
“A contractor from Gouderak built the road. It is located along the IJssel and that is where the IJssel stones were made. They were used for this road.” Its construction took two years: from 1826 to 1828. It remained in that form for almost a hundred years. Nowadays it is called Zandvoortselaan.
The elite did not want to come into contact with the poor families of Zandvoort. That is why the road did not run through the village, but around it. The current Hogeweg was later built over those stones and therefore still runs around the center.
Greedy elite
Along the way, the elite had to pay tolls at various toll gates. “As a walker you paid less toll. People therefore got out of the carriage in front of the toll gate, paid and got back in after the gate,” Stephan explains. Once in Zandvoort, the sea and Het Groote Badhuis awaited.
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