Hillegom

The suffix “-hem” in the name indicates that it appeared before the year 1000. In 1248, Count Willem II transferred the Abbey of Heiligham with all its buildings to Abbot Egmond . In 1369, there was a settlement of 46 houses in which 283 people lived, in 1477, 412 people lived in 67 houses.

During the Eighty Years' War, Hillleg more than once became a battlefield, and in 1577 it was almost completely destroyed. In the 17th century, agricultural development brought prosperity to the region. In 1722, the wealthy Amsterdam merchant Jan Six II acquired the estate in Hillegom and invested heavily in improving these places, other wealthy investors began to acquire property there, and the local population grew from 930 people in 1732 to 1,050 people in 1795. However, in the 19th century, investors began to cut down forests and plow the fields, planting flower platitudes instead. In 1904, a brick factory was built in the southern part of Hillegom, which required sand from the dunes. Flower bulb production flourished, and in 1916 there were 8,800 people living in Hillegom.

In spring, fields of flowers bloom around Hilleg. Which attracts many tourists. The local is also known. It has more than 200 classic models released before the 40s of the last century.