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.

Source: www.expatica.com