SASSENHEIM CITY GUIDE - THINGS TO SEE AND DO See inside for details about getting around, sightseeing, shopping, nightlife and more Welcome to Sassenheim Sassenheim is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland. It was formed between Leiden and Lisse near the coastal dunes. Sassenheim means Saxon’s home; "sassen" means Saxons, and "heim" is Old Frankish for “home". The former municipality had a population of 14.906 in 2005 but since 2006, it has been part of Teylingen. What’s interesting about Sassenheim is it has many castles, mansions and estates dating back to the 1900s. The village church is also built on top of a dune. The area that surrounds Sassenheim is called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin en Bollenstreek). Historically, Sassenheim had a large bulb flower industry but now only a few fields remain. Shopping Sassenheim isn’t over run with shops. There are a few on the main street, Hoofdstraat, such as HEMA the department store, Bonita, a clothing shop and Alexanderhoeve, which is a cheese shop. There is more choice in nearby Leiden, (6 miles away) which has a pleasant inner city with a few big shopping streets and dozens of hidden boutiques, specialty shops and small gadget shops. If you are shopping on a Saturday, don’t forget the great Saturday market along the Nieuwe Rijn. Haarlemmerstraat is Leiden’s big shopping street. Here you will find a broad range of clothing, jewellery, toy, shoe, electronics and sportswear shops. In addition to the big brands you will find specialty shops in leather, children’s fashion and coffee. Breestraat is another big shopping street with deli, wine, book and antiques shops. There are also countless shops along the Nieuwe Rijn and Botermarkt selling everything from the latest trends for your home to kitchen products. Pieterskwartier is an idyllic small district in the old inner city. Stroll through countless little streets. Second-hand shops,inner courts, restaurants, cafes, antiques shops, art galleries and many more extraordinary shops are hidden away, you never know what you will find around the corner! Doezastraat is another street well worth the detour. More in the area When you are in Sassenheim it is highly recommended that you also visit The Hague (15 miles) and Delft (21 miles) These cities are really close by and have a lot to offer. Also Amsterdam (28 miles) is a little bit further away) but well worth a visit. Things to do in the Sassenheim Area Sports and recreation complex Wasbeek In days gone by you could go for a splash in the swimming pond / natural pool next to the Van Pallandlaan in Sassenheim in the summer months. The outdoor pool was built a little to the north of the water tower in Sassenheim. Now, at this location you will find Sport- en recreatie complex Wasbeek and Sporthal De Korf! The complex features: Subtropical swimming pool…..Swimming pool Wasbeek has 225 square metres of subtropical swimming fun. Lovely water with whirlpool, whitewater creek, an interactive slide with 3D water screen and sound, water umbrella, steam bath, cuddle bench, drink table, a paddling pool and a water creche. Everything in a tropical atmosphere. The sunbathing area and the outdoor pool are also open in good weather. Competition pool The olympic competition pool is 25 metres long and has 6 lanes. The spacious swimming pool is used for work swimming, school swimming, sports swimming, obtaining your SWEM-ABC diploma and various Aquasports. Activities A variety of swimming activities take place in Zwembad Wasbeek. Much visited is the popular Disco Swimming , Aqua Sports, Fit and Vital 50plus. There are also classes that focus specifically on your health such as Health Swimming and every year there is of course the National Swimming Days. The Wasbeek sports hall is a professional hall for sports clubs and schools. The hall provides all possible sports facilities and is perfectly maintained. The large hall measures 1500 square metres and can be divided into three separate rooms by dividing partition walls. There is also a separate gym of 500 m2. Furthermore, the sports hall is equipped with a tribune with 240 seats and this location has a cozy sports café. Monkey Town Warmond (3 miles): is an indoor play paradise that has more than 2400 m2 of fun. The children can climb, scramble, crawl through tunnels, slide down various slides, play with super lego, romp in the ball pit, jump on trampolines and play football or basketball in the extra big football cage. It also has two super high slides to slide away from! In addition, it has a large toddler corner for the smallest, which is specially arranged for the parents in an orderly manner. As extra activities Monkey Town Warmond offers free laser game (1st game for free) and children's disco . Parents (including friends / acquaintances) are free but are pampered with delicious fresh coffee, nice chairs or couches and free WiFi. Our kitchen obviously cares for the inner man! De Oude Tol Partycentre Come and play a game of bowling on one of 14 Brunswick bowling lanes. It’s open every day and offers free Wi-Fi. Guaranteed a success with everyone that likes a competitive game. But also ideal for an entertaining children's party or a friendly evening with friends. If you want to add a festive edge to the bowling evening, come on Saturday evening, where the courses are dominated by disco bowling. It has five restaurants so that’s something for everyone. In the I-Shi-Yaki and the Grill restaurant you can prepare the tastiest meat on a special grill plate. In the Grand Café they welcome everyone with delicious snacks. Whilst the Brasserie and in 't Keldertje will serve you a delicious à la carte menu. Leiden Canal Cruise (7 miles) There is a lot to discover, see and experience in Leiden. But this city is even more beautiful from the water. Discover where the geuzen entered the city of Leiden to liberate Leiden from the Spaniards. Or sail via the white girth to the beautifully restored observatory. View the beautiful bridges - In short, Leiden has a lot to offer from the water. Noordwijk Beaches (4 miles) Noordwijk aan Zee has a variety of beaches: off the north and south boulevards, Duindamseslag and Langevelderslag, and on the way to Zandvoort. In total there are 8 miles of glorious sand for you to enjoy. The location of the Duindamseslag and Langevelderslag beaches gives them a completely different atmosphere to those by the central boulevards. The access roads are surrounded by peaceful nature and dunes. The Duindamseslag can only be reached on foot or by bicycle through the dunes. At the end of the Langevelderslag is St(r)andplaats Nederzandt, which can be accessed by car. The Strand; every day a beach day! Open every weekend and holidays for individual participation in beach activities and clinics / workshops. You can join in on the ‘Beach Individual Program’ for one person. Interesting packages for groups of 12 people the whole year round on request. For example: Power kiting, Coast canoeing, BeachGolf, Coast rafting, Kitesurfing, Surfing etc. Naturally, the activities are accompanied by enthusiastic, professional and certified instructors. After the activities you can relax while enjoying a snack / drink on the terrace (or at the fireplace) of `Strandplaats NederZandt’ one of 18 beach clubs and pavilions that are dotted along the beaches. Eating out In central Sassenheim you are certain to find a restaurant to suit your tastes. Here are a few that we know of. Pronto Italia Teijlingerlaan 7 Being an Italian restaurant means a wide choice of Pizza’s (Fish, Meat, Veggie, etc), but they also serve excellent Pasta and meat dishes. Ozzo Oriental and Lounge Bar Warmonderweg 8 Enjoy the most delicious freshly prepared sushi or other surprisingly delicious oriental dishes in this cozy restobar. Or settle down on the cozy terrace on the water for an exciting cocktail. Moeders Oude Haven 1 The atmosphere is that of a (large) living room from earlier times when people had time for each other and the ministry fits in with it. The food is good and the prices very reasonable. A great place for a laid back lunch or dinner! Fast Food Options! Like every place around the World Sassenheim has many fast food joints,including: Snackbark Parkzicht Hoofdstraat 193,has been in existence for 12 years and is known as "Ice & Snack Paleis". Coziness, customer friendliness and quality always stand out!. So come by the snack bar and enjoy a snack, fries or a delicious ice cream! Kilis Doner Kebab Shop: Hoofdstraat 239 This Kebab shop has an excellent menu, not just Kebabs but sandwiches, pizza, salads, deserts and a full range of drinks. McDonalds stationslaan 1 Classic, long-running fast-food chain known for its burgers, fries & shakes Getting There A coach will pick up your group at your home base and stay with you for the duration of your tour. Ferry travel from Dover-Calais is included if you choose to travel by coach. We can take you by another ferry route if you wish, ask us for a costing. OR you can fly into Holland where you will be met by a local coach that will take you to/from your accommodation throughout the weekend. The nearest airport is Rotterdam/The Hague which is 17miles away, however this is only served by two airlines from the UK, BA City Flyer from London-City and Transavia from Edinburgh. A better choice is Schipol which is 34 miles away. Here is a list of airlines there: Aer Lingus from Cork and Dublin.