Boekel is a hamlet in the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 province of North Holland

North Holland

North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...

. It is a part of the municipality of Castricum

Castricum

Castricum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Castricum is a tourist attraction in the province North Holland...

, and lies about 5 km south of Alkmaar

Alkmaar

Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...

. Until January 1, 2002, Boekel belonged to the municipality of Akersloot. It had a population of about 10 in 2001.

Boekel is located on the west bank of the Noordhollandsch Kanaal

Noordhollandsch Kanaal

The Groot Noordhollandsch Kanaal , now known simply as Noordhollandsch Kanaal, is a canal in the northwest Netherlands...

. According to the 19th century historian A.J. van der Aa, a castle was located here, also called "Boekel". It was destroyed by the Spanish army during the siege of Alkmaar

Alkmaar

Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...

, on October 3, 1574.