Look up at that imposing facade. The Kurhaus has stood here as a statement of elegance since 1885, but the story actually starts much earlier, with a simple wooden bathhouse.
In 1818, a local entrepreneur named Jacobus Pronk built a small pavilion right on this stretch of coast. Wealthy visitors came to soak in tubs of cold or warm seawater, believing the sea air would restore their health. Business was good enough that Pronk upgraded to stone, and by 1828 the bathhouse had moved to this exact spot. Because the nearby currents were too dangerous for swimming, Pronk arranged special bathing carriages to carry guests safely into the surf. Privacy and comfort, delivered by horse.
By the 1880s, Scheveningen had grown into a fashionable resort, and a grander building was needed. The Kurhaus opened in 1885 with 150 hotel rooms, a concert hall, a restaurant, and even a lift. Cutting-edge luxury.
Then, just one year later, it burned down completely.
Remarkably, it was rebuilt within a single year, bigger and better than before. That same resilience is visible today in the building standing right in front of you.
Sources. Story: scheveningentoenennu.nl Photos: Haags Gemeente Archief & Pexels
