page_title: North Sea
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: North Sea / Economy / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: English: Scheveningen (Netherlands) - beach Deutsch: Scheveningen (Niederlande) - Strand The old buildings next to the kurhaus, from right to left: the villa's Jacobson, the "Oranjevilla's" en the Hotel d'Orange. (description can be found in "Scheveningen wordt mondain, p113, ISBN9789081210478)
context_page_description: The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north. It is more than 970 kilometres long and 580 kilometres wide, with an area of 570,000 square kilometres.
  The North Sea has long been the site of important European shipping lanes as well as a major fishery. The coast is a popular destination for recreation and tourism in bordering countries, and more recently the sea has developed into a rich source of energy resources, including fossil fuels, wind, and early efforts in wave power.
  Historically, the North Sea has featured prominently in geopolitical and military affairs, particularly in Northern Europe. It was also important globally through the power northern Europeans projected worldwide during much of the Middle Ages and into the modern era. The North Sea was the centre of the Vikings' rise.
context_section_description: The beaches and coastal waters of the North Sea are destinations for tourists. The Belgian, Dutch, German and Danish coasts are developed for tourism. The North Sea coast of the United Kingdom has tourist destinations with beach resorts and golf courses. Fife in Scotland is famous for its links golf courses; the coastal city of St. Andrews is renowned as the "Home of Golf". The coast of North East England has several tourist towns such as Scarborough, Bridlington, Seahouses, Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Seaton Carew, and has some long sandy beaches and links golfing locations such as Seaton Carew Golf Club and Goswick Golf Club.
  The North Sea Trail is a long-distance trail linking seven countries around the North Sea. Windsurfing and sailing are popular sports because of the strong winds. Mudflat hiking, recreational fishing and birdwatching are among other activities.
  The climatic conditions on the North Sea coast have been claimed to be healthy. As early as the 19th century, travellers visited the North Sea coast for curative and restorative vacations. The sea air, temperature, wind, water, and sunshine are counted among the beneficial conditions that are said to activate the body's defences, improve circulation, strengthen the immune system, and have healing effects on the skin and the respiratory system.
  The Wadden Sea in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
caption: The beach in Scheveningen, Netherlands in c. 1900
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