Located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal to Amsterdam, approximately 17km north of Haarlem, IJmuiden (mouth of the IJ) is an important port city, its port being the third of the Netherlands. Before the building of present IJmuiden, the area (known as Breesaap) was a desolate plain, where only a handful of farmers strove to make a living. Plans to connect Amsterdam with a canal to the North Sea, with its mouth in this area, had been drawn up since 1626, but were only set into motion in the 19th century. So IJmuiden is the newest city in North Holland, and only came into existence on November 1, 1876, when the North Sea Canal was officially opened by William III of the Netherlands. Of course that on the pier are several lighthouses, among which the one in the postcard, located on the north side. Build on 1970s from concrete, it has 40m height, and is visible for 10 nautical miles.
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