Enkhuizen
The other VOC town on the water, with the Zuiderzee Museum and the Drommedaris.
Route by public transport ↗
VOC harbour, sea heroes and a cape on the other side of the world.
3 museumsHoorn was one of the six chambers of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Ships left this harbour for Asia, and one voyage even gave its name to Cape Horn. The Golden Age facades are still here, around the Roode Steen and the inner harbour.
Hoorn is approx. 35 minutes by train from Amsterdam Centraal. From the station it is a fifteen-minute walk to the Roode Steen, the square with the Weigh House and the Statenlogement of the Westfries Museum. The museum is being renovated and is expected to reopen in mid-2027; check its website for the latest. The Museum of the 20th Century fills two old cheese warehouses on the Bierkade. Then walk to the inner harbour, with the Hoofdtoren and the statues of Bontekoe's ship's boys. In season, a heritage steam tram runs from Hoorn to Medemblik. Hoorn also has a difficult side: on the Roode Steen stands the statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, which has been the subject of public debate for years.
One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.
Six places to complete your museum day.
The museum of West Friesland and the Golden Age, in the Statenlogement of 1632. Under renovation; expected to reopen in mid-2027.
Everyday things from the last century, from kitchens to toys, in two old cheese warehouses by the water.
Board a historic steam tram in Hoorn and ride through the West Frisian countryside to Medemblik. In season, combine it with the boat to Enkhuizen.
The defence tower of 1532 guarded the harbour. On the quay sit the bronze ship's boys of Bontekoe.
The heart of town, with the Weigh House of 1609 and the Statenlogement. The disputed statue of Coen stands here too.
Walk the Veermanskade and Oude Doelenkade, lined with merchants' houses and warehouses from the VOC era.
Buy your tickets online and plan the rest of your day around them.
All museums in Hoorn. Click a museum for the route.
Hoorn sits on the Markermeer, on the edge of West Friesland. Old harbour towns and polder villages are close by.
The other VOC town on the water, with the Zuiderzee Museum and the Drommedaris.
Route by public transport ↗A small harbour town with Radboud Castle, best reached by steam tram.
Route by public transport ↗Cheese town with canals, little drawbridges and the Edams Museum.
Route by public transport ↗Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.
Hoorn has hotels and B&Bs in and around the old town. By train you are in Enkhuizen in 20 minutes and in Amsterdam in approx. 35 minutes. In season, the steam tram and the boat take you on a loop via Medemblik and Enkhuizen. In the evening, dine by the harbour with a view of the Hoofdtoren.
Restaurants, shops and hotels near the museums, picked for museum visitors.