The municipality of Dijk en Waard, where we live in, consists of the former municipalities of Heerhugowaard and Langedijk.

Information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Netherlands, from the government of the Netherlands https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19

For an exchange in 2023 we are OPEN in the following time comment:
* 13 - 21 May 2023 (with the Ascension Day in it), (1 week);

Agreed exchanges in 2022 - IF possible due to corona!
* 3 September - 16 September 2022, agreement with Rouen, France

Since our first exchange in Leamington Spa in Great-Britain, in the summer of 1982, we have done a lot of experience in exchanging all over Europe. We are looking for exchanging holidays during the season, but not in the wintertime. Destinations we prefer for 1-week exchanges, will be in the Netherlands and countries round our country. In the summertime we also look for countries in other parts of Europe like Central-Europe or Scandinavia. For Scandinavian countries, we prefer to visit the southern parts.

Our house is in Heerhugowaard in the quarter 'Edelstenenwijk'. Public transport is close to our house. Bus stations at the 'Diamant' within 5 walk-minutes and the railwaystation of Heerhugowaard at 15 walk-minutes or 10 bike-minutes from our house. There are good buss connections to neighbouring places like Alkmaar, Bergen (NH), Langedijk and Ursem. The trainstation of Heerhugowaard is on the line Den Helder - Amsterdam - Nijmegen and also on the line Hoorn - Haarlem.

Our house, built in 1978, is a one family house and it has a downstairs, a first floor and a second floor.
It has downstairs a living room with an open kitchen, a hall with toilet and an attached barn for the the bicycles (2).
In front of our house there is a private parking-place for parking during your stay On the 1st floor, there is a a bathroom with a toilet and the washingmachine. Further there are the two bedrooms with in each room a double bed. In the bedroom in the front of the house the size of the bed is 1,4 m x 2,0 m. In the bedroom at the back of the house the size of the bed is
1,30 m x 2,10 m. in the attic stuff is stored. Behind the house we have a garden surrounded by a hedge and trees. The neighbourhood is quiet and we have friendly neigbours. The house is not set up on the visit of young children.

We live only 5 minutes walk from the (car-free) city center of Heerhugowaard. Here you can find the Government Office and Library. Also the shopping mall 'Middenwaard', with over 150 shops. Between 2 squares, Stadsplein and Coolplein, there is a boulevard with a lot of restaurants with an (inter)national kitchen. At the Coolplein there is the bowling alley "de Waerd" with sportscafé, the cultural center 'Cool' and the movie center 'Vue'. The city centre can easily be reached by foot or by bike.
If you need the car for shopping in one of the supermarkets (DEKAmarkt or Albert Heijn or Lidl) in the shopping mall 'Middenwaard', you can park in one of the paid parkinggarages. Gas station BP, is close to the shopping mall at the Zuidtangent.

Summer experiences, mostly 2 or 3 weeks, in all parts of Europe (since 1982):

Austria: Wien (1991; 3w); Hof b. Salzburg (2000; 3w), Anif (2003; 3w), st. Anton a.d. Jessnitz / Scheibbs (2005; 3w), Klagenfurt (2006; 3w);
Denmark: Naestved (2019; 2w); Esbjerg (2021; 2w)
Finland: Tampere (1997; 3w);
France: Rennes (1993; 3w), Montpellier (1999; 3w), Belfort (2004; 3w), Lyon (2007; 3w), Carpentras (2014; 2w),
Bordeaux / Villenave-D'Ornon (2015; 2w), Chaponnay-Lyon (2019; 2w);
Germany: Heinsheim-Bad Rappenau (1984; 3w); Rangendingen-Zollernabkreis (1985; 3w); Neunkirchen bei Daun (1990; 3w); Umkirch / Freiburg i. Breisgau (2009; 3w), Siegsdorf (2010; 3w), Kirchheim u. Teck (2014; 2w), Schönau-Gebúg (2017; 2w);
Great-Britain: Leamington Spa (1982; 3w); Exeter (2011; 3w); R. Tunbrigde Wells (2020; 2w);
Norway: Heggedal (1996; 3w), Bjorkelangen (2001; 3w);
Sweden: Nättsjo-Falkenberg (1986; 3w); Ekerö-Stockholm (1987; 3w);
Switzerland: Brugg (1988; 3w); Steffisburg (1989; 3w); Wolhusen (1992; 3w); Genf and Monthey (1994; 3w); Oberuzwil (1995; 3w); Schattdorf (2002; 3w); Sachseln (2013; 2w);
the Netherlands: Arnhem (Arnheim) (1983, 3w);

Other (short, mostly 1 week) holiday experiences:
Belgium: Maldegem (winter 2010); Kessel-Lo, Leuven (autumn 2013; 4d); Brugge (spring 2014; 1w); Bertem, Leuven (after summer 2015; 1w); Mespelare-Dendermonde (after summer 2016; 1w), Liège (spring 2019; 1w).
Denmark: Gentofte (2015; 1w); Askov-Vejen (2018; 1w).
Germany: Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale (winter 2007; 1w); Hamburg (spring 2007; 1w); Boppard (spring 2010; 1w); Güstrow (spring 2011; 1w); Heidelberg (spring 2012; 1w); Hechtsheim-Mainz (2016; 1w);
Great-Britain: Banburry (spring 2009; 1w); Innerleithen, Scottish Borders (spring 2011;1w);
Cranbrook (spring 2013; 1w);   
Luxemburg: Heffingen (autumn 2006; 1w);
the Netherlands: Heerlen (autumn 2005); Netherlands: Zeist spring 2020); Netherlands: Gouda (autmn 2020);

Rent experiences with Intervac-members:

Austria: Hohenems (2008; 3w);
France: Pornic (autumn 2007; 1w), Beuvron-en-Auge, Cabourg (autumn 2009; 1w), Paris (spring 2013; 1w);
Germany: Gusterath-Trier (autumn 2008; 1w)

Non-simultanous exchange experiences:
Sweden: Höör (summer 2016; 2w);
France: Calais, (spring 2017; 1w);

Made exchanges in 2022:
* the Netherlands: Helmond 1 week, (spring);
* Germany, Büchlberg bei Passau (2 weeks August),

(Masterphoto: IMG-1414 foto received from Intervac-members BE065)
(Masterphoto: 000085_heerhugowaard foto rob sieben vermelden rechtenvrij)