HOLLAND: Hoorn, historical city centre & marina

Hoorn is a city (and municipality) in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, located on the Markermeer.

The Markermeer is a 700 km2 (270 sq mi) lake. It is used as a freshwater reservoir and a buffer against floodwaters and droughts.

Hoorn is well known in the Netherlands for its rich history. The town acquired city rights in 1357 and flourished during the Dutch Golden Age. In this period, Hoorn developed into a prosperous port city, being home to one of the six chambers of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). However, towards the end of the 18th century it started to become increasingly more difficult for Hoorn to keep competing with the nearby city of Amsterdam. Ultimately, it lost its function as port city and became a regional center of trade, mainly serving the smaller villages of West Friesland. Nowadays, Hoorn is a city with modern residential areas and a historic city center.

The Roode Steen ('Red Stone') or Kaasmarkt ('Cheese Market') is the central square of Hoorn. De Roode Steen is a central place for events and catering. The Red Stone is named after a stone on which executions took place. The original stone is in the Westfries Museum, a replica has been installed on the square.

The Waag (building) was built in 1609 by order of Hendrick de Keyser on the Roode Steen square. Presently a grand café has been established there in which many old materials and tools are still on display. The building was the center of the cheese market which was held weekly from the second half of the 17th century. Since June 2007, a (tourist) cheese market is held on the Roode Steen square every Thursday, and in De Waag the cheese is weighed just like in the past.

The Westfries Museum is a museum of regional history (former State College, 1632). The museum has an extensive collection of paintings, silver objects, porcelain, historic firearms, objects of the schutterij and VOC objects. The collection is exhibited in 25 rooms, of which one is a style-room.

De Boterhal is an art center located in the former Sint Jans Gasthuis (1563) on the Kerkplein (square). The Boterhal serves as the home base and exhibition space of the Artists' Association Hoorn. The members of the association organize exhibitions with their own work and that of other promising artists.

The Grote Kerk (church) was build in 1883 and is situated on the Kerkplein (square). The church was closed for worship in 1968 and sold to be converted into a commercial building. The church was bought in 1984 to be converted into shop(s) and apartments. Thirty-six residential apartments have been realized in the building, 18 of which are located between the wooden barrel vault and the roof. The tower is owned by the civil municipality.

The Engeltjesbrug is a wooden bascule bridge between the Korenmarkt and the Bierkade. The Engeltjesbrug is one of the two bridges that connect the artificial island Venidse to the mainland. The bridge was newly built in 1937 on the site of a predecessor. On November 16, 1965, the bridge was listed as a national monument. The bridge was completely restored in 2015, whereby the upper structure was completely removed.

The Hoofdtoren (tower at marina) is one of the last defenses in Hoorn that have been preserved. The tower is named after the nearby Houten Hoofd (Wooden Head) jetty, which was built in 1464.

Oostereiland is an artificial island that was built in the harbor between 1662 and 1668.

The Havenlicht van Hoorn, also called Grote Lantaarn ('Big Lantern'), is a wooden light curb on the Lantaarndijk (dike) on Visserseiland (island).

Visserseiland is an artificial peninsula. The eastern side is located on the Grashaven. The peninsula was built in the 17th century, as was the Oostereiland.

The Hoorn–Medemblik heritage railway, operated by the Museumstoomtram Hoorn Medemblik, is a heritage railway. It runs from Hoorn to Medemblik city, a distance of about 20 km (12.4 mi). The railway is operated as a tourist attraction. https://www.stoomtram.nl/en/

September 10, 2020

00:00 Roode Steen, central square
00:22 Waag (1609), now a grand cafe
00:35 State College (1632), now Westfries Museum
01:40 Koepelkerk (1882), church
01:56 Grote Noord, shopping street
02:13 Sint Jans Gasthuis (1563), now art centre 'Boterhal'
02:33 Grote Kerk (1883), church
04:34 Engeltjesbrug (1937), wooden bascule bridge
05:08 Binnenhaven, port
05:28 Vluchthaven, port
05:42 Statue 'De scheepsjongens van Bontekoe' ('The ship boys of Bontekoe')
05:54 Buitenhaven, port
06:01 Hoofdtoren (1464), former defence tower
07:51 Oostereiland, artificial island
08:33 Ships
09:37 Havenlicht van Hoorn, wooden light beacon
10:06 Grashaven, marina
10:36 Former prison complex, now Museum of the Twentieth Century, movie theater, offices, apartments
11:05 Schouwburg 'Het Park', Theater and Congress Center
11:15 Visserseiland, artificial peninsula
12:00 Hoorn-Medemblik heritage railway, tourist attraction/ride

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