When you visit Hoorn, you are visiting an historic city, it will feel like you have gone back in time to when the East India Company and the West Indies Company where still active. The early whalers used to also go out to sea from Hoorn.
Below you will find just some of the wonderful attractions and activities Hoorn has to offer.
When stroling arround Hoorn be sure to keep a look out for fisherman hanging their nets to dry off the bridge, you might also spot a ship being renovated in the harbour.
Make sure to aks the Horinees to tell you about the grand history of Hoorn and stories about the Boysof the Bontekoe and the Battle of Bossu that was fought before Hoorn’s immediate coastline.
No events planned
You can take the nicest boat trip north of Amsterdam at Watertaxi Hoorn. Right at the different parking locations they have easily accessible boarding places with handrails and 'lazy' stairs. From here you can sail into the town centre or to the old port within 10 minutes. Watertaxi Hoorn would be happy to make a boat trip with you and your company. The skipper will also be happy to tell you all about the most beautiful places in Hoorn that you will be sailing along.
General information
Oostereiland, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
Various boarding places, one of which is right in the port itself.
In a city that is as connected to water as Hoorn is, a church for boaters and fishermen cannot be missed. The Oosterkerk has had this special function for centuries, as the church was close to the ports. This function that it had as a skipper's church can be seen in the details of the church, for example the weather vane is a ship.
General information
Grote Oost 60, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
700 m, 8 min
How did our (grand) parents live, and what did the interiors of their homes look like? What did they play with? What was on radio and television at the time? This is part of what you will learn in the Museum of the Twentieth Century. In addition to the permanent nostalgic exhibition, there are also three large halls with rotating exhibitions.
General information
Krententuin 24, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
5 min walk
5-minute walk from the harbour on the East Island, opposite of the Rouaanse Steiger.
You can shop to your heart’s content in the Hoornse Straatjes. Between the two churches in the town centre towards the Roode Steen and the Havenkwartier you will find, spread over seven streets, many artisanal specialty shops and cosy restaurants.
General information
Lange Kerkstraat, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
800m, 10 min
Every last Sunday of the month is Super Shopping Sunday. All stores open their doors between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m
Bonck House has a special history as a merchant's house, linen weaving mill, city farm and residential home: people have lived and worked here for almost 400 years. Taste the unique atmosphere of this house, where you can, for example, sit at a desk in the ‘hanging room’.
General information
Binnenluiendijk 3, 1621 ME Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
650 m, 10 min
Three facades on the corner of Slapershaven and the Grote Oost tell the history of the naval battle that took place on the Zuiderzee in the Hoornse Hop during the start of the Eighty Years' War in October 1573. These houses were built in 1612.
General information
Slapershaven 1, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
8 min
The recognisable brick buildings with sloping step gables at Onder de Boompjes are silent witnesses from the bustling period of the Golden Age. The warehouse was built for the VOC. A bag of merchandise is depicted on the commemorative stone of the warehouse on the right. Seventeenth-century VOC ‘driemasters’ (3-masted sailing ships) can be seen on the commemorative stone on the left. The bag on the stone is filled with pepper, because the warehouses in Hoorn were intended as storage for spices.
General information
Onder de Boompjes 22, Gouda, Nederland
Distance from harbor
1 km, 10 min
An example of power and awe: the Oosterpoort from 1578. In 1601 a small house was placed on top for the gatekeeper. When the gate was built, the city was completely surrounded by and accessible through four gates. The Oosterpoort is the only gate that remains, and is one of the most prominent monuments in Hoorn.
General information
Oosterplantsoen 4, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
1km, 10 min
The Westfries Museum is housed in one of the most remarkable buildings in Hoorn, right on the Roode Steen town square. Behind a 17th-century showcase façade filled with lions and city weapons hides a complex with stately halls, intimate rooms, high attic lofts and mysterious cellars.
The museum is housed in one of the most beautiful monuments in the city, the Statencollege, built in 1632.
General information
Roode Steen 1, Hoorn, Nederland
Accessability: Not accessible to wheelchairs
Distance from harbor
600m, 10 min
The stoker is throwing the coals on the fire, as you wait for the whistle of the steam locomotive. Step aboard the steam tram and experience an historic adventure! A railway dating back to 1887 connects Hoorn with Medemblik and Enkhuizen. A nice way to visit these places by tram.
General information
Van Dedemstraat 8, Hoorn, Nederland
Distance from harbor
1,5 km, 20 min