Wijk aan Zee Cultural Village in 1999.

In 1999 the Dutch Village Wijk aan Zee proclaimed itself to be Cultural village of Europe and brought into being a contact between 11 villages in 11 countries in Europe.
For Wijk aan Zee 1999 was an inbelievable year. The results?

1. Ten visits of 10 different villages to Wijk aan Zee with a sea of contacts between the people of the villages.

2. A Cooperation of representatives of eleven European villages that brought into being a Charter of the Villages. This Charter has been signed in the meantime by nuch more than these eleven villages.

3. A sea of steel, an impressive sculpture park in Wijk aan Zee, the fruit of a cooperation between the village and her neighbour, the steelfactory Hoogovens.

4. An traveling exhibition "Villageportrait", the result of a competition for photographers. The photographers had to picture a village according to the people that live there. The people make the village, not the houses and the surroundings.

5. An international Filmfestival with films about villages.

6. The continuity of the Cultural Village of Europe. Mellionnec cultural village in 2000, Bystre in 2001.

7. An international organization 'Cultural Village of Europe' located in Wijk aan Zee that coordinates the activities of Cultural Village.

8. Yearly Chess Event between the two Chess Villages of Europe during the Corus Chess Tournament in january.

9. For a synopsis of the activities have a look at the list of activities.