Hoorn

This town on the IJsselmeer offers a combination of old and new. Monumental facades tell of the history of this former Dutch East India Company town. The street plan has to a large extent remained intact and historical buildings have been retained in their old forms. The town has at least 300 monuments.

Around the harbour there is something of everything to be found; an old lock, cheese warehouses and fully-equipped modern marinas. The 'Wooden Head' landing stage, now frequently used by the historic 'brown fleet' of wooden boats, and the Hoofdtoren tower date from the 17th century. Around the harbour there are various pavement cafes, restaurants and benches for watching what is going on. 

Hoorn is also a museum town. There are six different museums within walking distance of one another. The Museum of the Twentieth Century is established in an old cheese warehouse and makes it possible to take a journey through time, while the Westfries Museum provides a picture of the history of the town and the region. Close to the harbour stands the small Toy Museum. Hoorn is the departure point of the Museum Steam Tram, which runs to and from Medemblik. Another museum worth visiting is the Dutch Postermuseum.