Blaricum is a small, well-heeled village in the Gooi region of North Holland, tucked between heathland and polders about 30 km southeast of Amsterdam. It has the feel of a country retreat that never quite became a town — monumental farmhouses line quiet lanes, and the village center is little more than a church, a few cafes, and a handful of shops.
The area draws walkers and cyclists heading into De Blaricummerheide, the heathland nature reserve directly accessible from the village, and the Singer Laren museum in neighbouring Laren — one of the better small art museums in the Netherlands — is a few minutes away by bike. The Hervormde Kerk, a medieval village church on the highest point of the village, is the defining landmark. Blaricum is popular with Dutch celebrities and media types, which has pushed property prices skyward but kept the village pleasantly low-key.