Home to the Netherlands' media and thousands of expats, Het Gooi - and its main city, Hilversum - could make a good home.

Welcome to Hillywood! Well, that is the impression you might get of the northern city of Hilversum if you spend too much time reading scandal magazines like Party or Privé.

Hilversum, nestled in the woods and moors of Het Gooi, is the home of the Dutch radio and television industry, and despite the plentiful open spaces, it would be hard to swing a cat without hitting some minor celebrity or other. But if you did, at least they would get their name mentioned in the next edition of the newspapers.

If gossip is not your thing, you might not even consider Hilversum and Het Gooi at all. Expats often make this mistake and head straight to Amsterdam where it is very hard to find a place to live. This is a shame as Het Gooi - the area encompassing Hilversum, Blaricum, Baarn, Bussum, Naarden, Huizen and Laren - while a bit on the pricey side in places, has a lot to offer, including easy access to nature and privacy.

How Het Gooi grew

There were only a handful of poor villages in Het Gooi up to 300-400 years ago, when rich merchants "discovered" its nature areas. As a result, the 's Graveland area, for example, is characterised by estates that date back to the 17th century.

Rich merchants initially built their out-of-town houses in the French style, but during the 19th century, most of them were transformed to suit the English style of landscaping, which became fashionable at the time. Curving paths and "natural" watercourses still mark this lovely region. After the railway lines were built in 1874, Hilversum, Bussum and Baarn became much more accessible, leading to a sudden strong growth in the region.

Birds and birdies

Besides the possibilities of bird watching, nature walks and cycle tours just around the corner, the area is also littered with golf courses. Mind you, for some of the more exclusive ones you could be on the waiting list for ten years!

The many lakes nearby lend themselves perfectly for fishing, sailing and swimming.

What Het Gooi doesn't have, is a wild nightlife. But there are cinemas, theatres and plenty of worthwhile restaurants and café's, such as Bosschoord in the middle of the woods south-east of Hilversum.

The city of Hilversum

Hilversum is 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam or Utrecht but a little longer by car during rush hour. An independent municipality since 1424, it really began to grow in the 1920s, as it became a base first for radio and then television in the Netherlands. Nike and Lucent are big employers in the city.

When it comes to renting or buying, there is a wide range to choose from. A number of villas have grown up around the city to accommodate the more well-to-do, while on the other side of the train tracks in the former labour districts you can find some lovely little houses, built between 1900 and 1930 for the then booming textile industry.

Renting and buying accommodation

Rents are comparable to Amsterdam but the houses are larger and usually include parking space and a garden. The southern part of the city if favoured by many people but the city centre also boasts attractive apartment developments.

Dennis Pel of Gooiland estate agents says that 20-30 percents of his clients looking for rented accommodation are expat employees of the big companies. "When they stay longer, they often want to buy because of the favourable tax rules for expats. Hilversum and Het Gooi are particularly attractive for expats with kids," says Pel.

An important feature for expat families is the international school in Hilversum that takes students aged 4-19.

Het Gooi's towns

The old fortress town of Naarden and its neighbour Bussum share a train station and are a bit closer to Amsterdam. Bussum and Baarn - like Hilversum - have a lot of the 1900-1930 workers' houses with 3-4 bedrooms and gardens.

Laren used to be one of the poorest towns in the Netherlands but because of its stunning location it has become one of the most expensive places to live. Along with Blaricum and Huizen, it would be hard to find a place to buy under EUR 1 million. Residents of these towns need a car because there is no train station.

The local people value their privacy and don't take kindly to celebrity hunters. However, they are friendly and down to earth once they get to know you. Just don't ask for their autograph.

International Schools

Violenschool international Department
(also a deparment in the Hilversumse Meent)
Rembrandtlaan 30
1213 BH Hilversum
035-621 60 53 035-621 60 53

International School Alberdingk Thijm College
Emmastraat 56
1213 AL Hilversum
035-6729931 035-6729931

Sports clubs

Fitness centrum van Hellemond
Johan de Witstrat 40
1215 GX Hilversum

Hilversumse Lawn Tennis Club
't Melkhuisjes
Bussumergintweg 58
1217 BS Hilversum

Koninklijke Watersport vereniging Loosdrecht
O. Loosdrechtstedijk 151
1231 LT Loosdrecht

Golf Clubs

Golfbaan Goyer en Country Club
Beukenlaan 1
3755 MP Eemnes

Golf Club Hilversumse
Soestdijkerstraatweg 172
1213 XJ Hilversum

Golf Crailoo
Sportpark Crailoo 26
1222 AA Hilversum

Hospital

Streekziekenhuis Hilversum
Van Riebeeckweg 212
1213 XZ Hilversum

Taxi

Taxicentrale Souverijn
035 656 3000 035 656 3000

Esther van Stenis of localhome.nl assisted with this article

9 June 2004

Subject: Het Gooi