Autumn woodland scene, nature images

History

Center Parcs was established by Dutchman Piet Derksen in 1967, under the original name Sporthuis Centrum Recreatie. Piet had been a pioneer in the sports and leisure industry since the fifties with his chain of innovative and spectacular sports shops. The first village to be opened was in the south of Holland with just 30 villas and an outdoor swimming pool. The 'villa in the forest' idea was born out of Derksen's love of getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and escaping back to nature.

1953 - 1979

1953 Opening of Sporthuis Centrum 
Piet Derksen, who later founded Center Parcs, opens his first Sporthuis Centrum store on the Rotterdam Lijnbaan...
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1980 - 1989

1980 Opening of De Eemhof, the first village with a Subtropical Swimming Paradise 
The opening of De Eemhof is a milestone in the company's history for two reasons...
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1990 - 2000

1990 Sale of De Berkenhorst
Due to limited expansion options, De Berkenhorst is sold to Creatief Vakantieparken, which later also takes over Het Vennenbos (1994) and De Lommerbergen (1996) for the same reasons.
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2001 - Present Day

2001 Pierre & Vacances and DB Capital Partners buy Center Parcs
Scottish & Newcastle sells Center Parcs Europe (controlling the 10 villages in Continental Europe) to a 50/50 joint venture between Pierre & Vacances and DB Capital Partners in order to concentrate on the expansion of it's international beer business...
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© Center Parcs 2008

UK holidays and short breaks from Center Parcs, we operate four Holiday Villages in the UK; each is set in a forest environment, providing high quality holiday accommodation in fully equipped villas, apartments and holiday lodges. Each Village offers an extensive range of sports and leisure activities plus numerous restaurants, bars and retail outlets and superb Aqua Sana Spa facilities. Whether you are looking for a family holiday, activity holiday, short break or weekend break, Center Parcs has all the essential elements. Easily accessible from most of the UK and situated in the heart of the English countryside amid beautiful lakes and forest trails.