Back in time in Hoorn
In cozy Hoorn you can marvel at the beautiful canals and the monumental buildings, no less than 300 of them. Everything here exudes the atmosphere of the seventeenth century, such as the harbour, the Waag and the Kloosterpoort. And did you know that the famous skipper and merchant Bontekoe came from Hoorn?
From Bontekoe to steam tram
From the port of Hoorn, skipper Bontekoe chose the open sea and sailed with his cabin boys for the V.O.C. to the East Indies. His report on the journey was incorporated into the youth novel 'De Scheepsjongens van Bontekoe'. In Hoorn a lot is reminiscent of that time. Sights are the Waag, the Bossuhuizen, the Statenlogement from 1613, the Boterhal from 1563, the Hoofdtoren from 1532, the Kloosterpoort and the building of the West Frisian Museum. The steam train to Medemblik departs from the 1884 station. With the museum ship MS Friesland you can sail back to Enkhuizen and from there take the regular train back to Hoorn.
Museums
In Hoorn you will find a number of interesting museums. For example, the Museum of the Twentieth Century houses attributes and interiors from 1900 to 1980: from toys to a classroom and from kitchen furnishings to image and sound equipment. In the West Frisian Museum you will find objects that were made between 1500 and 1800. Wander through the 27 halls and period rooms that are decorated in the style of King Louis the Sixteenth. The Eskimomummy and paintings by Jan van Goyen are famous.
Tasty food and going out
Especially in and around the harbor of Hoorn you will find a few excellent restaurants, such as the Wapen van Hoorn, Restaurant De Hoofdtoren and De Tuynkamer. Around the main square Roode Steen you will find brasseries and bars, such as Winebar Vinck and a number of bar/dancings. Yet Hoorn is mainly the city of atmospheric (brown) cafes. In that sense, it still exudes the port city atmosphere that it has always been. Hoorn also has a thriving cultural life. For example, in Schouwburg Het Park, West Frisian performances are regularly given in traditional clothing and in dialect.
