99
Dam/Raadhuisstraat) Signless company of- When you enter and exit, wave your card at the A ms te rda m GeEtTtT iI nN gG A rR OouUnNdD
fering city, kids’, tandem and cargo bikes at 10 pink machine to ‘check in’ and ‘check out’.
shops, including this one in the centre.
MacBike (Map p44; % 620 09 85; www. Bus & Metro
macbike.nl; Stationsplein 5; bike rental per ¨¨Amsterdam’s buses and metro (subway)
3/24hr from €7.50/9.75; h 9am-5.45pm; primarily serve outer districts. Fares are the
j 4/9/16/24 Centraal Station) It’s among the same as for trams.
most touristy of the rental companies (the ¨¨Nachtbussen (night buses) run after other
bikes are equipped with big logos), but it has transport stops (from 1am to 6am, every hour).
several convenient locations (Centraal Station, A ticket costs €4.50.
Waterlooplein 199, Weteringschans 2, among ¨¨Note that Connexxion buses (which depart
others) and sells great maps. from Centraal Station and are useful to reach
sights in South Amsterdam) and the No 197
BOAT airport bus are not part of the GVB system.
They cost more (around €5).
Canal Bus
The Canal Bus (p66) offers a unique hop-on, Travel Passes
hop-off service among its 16 docks around the ¨¨Travel passes are extremely handy and
city and near the big museums. provide substantial savings over per-ride ticket
purchases.
Ferries ¨¨The GVB offers unlimited-ride passes for one
Free ferries to Amsterdam-Noord depart from piers to seven days (€7.50/12/16.50/21/26/29.50/
behind Centraal Station. The ride to Buiksloter- 32), valid on trams, some buses and the metro,
weg is the most direct (five minutes) and runs 24 as well as various wider-ranging passes.
hours; this is how you reach the EYE Film Institute ¨¨Passes are available at the GVB office, I
and Tolhuistuin. Another boat runs to NDSM-werf Amsterdam Visitor Centres and from tram
(15 minutes) between 7am and midnight (from conductors (one- and two-day passes only).
9am weekends). Another goes to IJplein (6.30am ¨¨The I Amsterdam Card (www.iamsterdam.
to midnight). Bicycles are permitted on all. com; per 24/48/72hr €49/59/69) includes a
GVB travel pass in its fee.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Parking is expensive and scarce. Street parking TAXI
in the centre costs around €5/30 per hour/day. ¨¨Taxis are expensive and not very speedy
It’s better to use a park-and-ride lot at the edge given Amsterdam’s maze of streets.
of town. ¨¨You don’t hail taxis on the road. Instead, find
them at stands at Centraal Station, Leidseplein
All the big multinational rental companies are and other busy spots around town. You needn’t
in town. Rates start at around €45 per day. Note take the first car in the queue.
most cars do not have an automatic transmis- ¨¨Another method is to book a taxi by phone.
sion. Request automatic cars well in advance Taxicentrale Amsterdam (TCA; %777 77 77;
and be prepared for a hefty surcharge. www.tcataxi.nl) is the most reliable company.
¨¨Fares are meter-based. The meter starts at
PUBLIC TRANSPORT €2.95, then it’s €2.17 per kilometre thereafter. A
The GVB operates the public transport system, ride from Leidseplein to the Dam runs about €12;
a mix of tram, bus, metro and ferry. Pick up from Centraal Station to Jordaan is €10 to €15.
tickets, passes and maps at the GVB Infor-
mation Office (www.gvb.nl; Stationsplein 10; SIGHTSEEING BY TRAM
h7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8am-9pm Sat & Sun;
j1/2/4/5/9/14/16/24 Centraal Station) For a bit of passive sightseeing, look no
across the tram tracks from Centraal Station. further than the tram: the lines rattle
through great cross-sections of the city.
The excellent Journey Planner (www.9292.nl) One of the best routes is tram 10. It starts
calculates routes, costs and travel times, and will near Westerpark, swings around the pe-
get you from door to door, wherever you’re going. rimeter of the canal loop and heads out to
the Eastern Islands, passing 19th-century
Tram housing blocks, the Rijksmuseum and
Most public transport within the city is by tram. Brouwerij ’t IJ windmill along the way.
The vehicles are fast, frequent and ubiquitous,
operating between 6am and 12.30am. Another good route is tram 5, starting
at Centraal Station and cutting south
On trams with conductors, enter at the rear; you through the centre of town.
can buy a disposable OV-chipkaart (www.ov-chip
kaart.nl; 1hr €2.90) or day pass (€7.50) when you
board. On trams without conductors (line 5, and
some on line 24), buy a ticket from the driver.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Haarlem &
North Holland
Includes Why Go?
Haarlem. . . . . . . . . . . . 102 The quintessentially Dutch province of Noord-Holland
Waterland Region. . . . 108 (North Holland) wraps around Amsterdam like a crown.
Alkmaar. . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Less than 20km west of Amsterdam, but entirely its own
Hoorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 city, elegant Haarlem is the region’s capital and a charming
Enkhuizen . . . . . . . . . . . 118 example of 17th-century grandeur. Canals wend through its
Texel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 centre, while wide, sandy beaches fringe its western edge.
Muiden. . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Flevoland. . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Further afield, smaller centres range from mast-filled
Lelystad. . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Golden Age ports such as Hoorn and Enkhuizen with
architecturally resplendent historic centres to canal-laced
Best Places to Eat towns and villages like Alkmaar and Edam, famed for their
cheese and centuries-old cheese markets. Across the region,
¨¨Brick (p105) bucolic expanses of windswept countryside span extensive
¨¨Marque (p117) polders (areas surrounded by dykes where the water can be
¨¨Restaurant Mr & Mrs (p105) artificially controlled) to windmill-dotted farmland grazed
¨¨De Hoofdtoren (p117) by cows and sheep, fields of flowers and magnificent dune-
¨¨Texel’s island producers scapes, especially on the idyllic, ends-of-the-earth island of
(p128) Texel.
Best Places to When to Go
Stay
¨¨Easily accessible from Amsterdam whatever the weather,
¨¨Camp Silver Island Haarlem’s outstanding museums, fabulous bars, cafés,
Hideaway (p127) restaurants and great shopping make it a year-round
¨¨Gevangenis Hotel Hoorn destination.
(p117)
¨¨Boutique Hotel Texel (p126) ¨¨Springtime lambing in March and April, around Easter, is
¨¨De Koepoort (p119) an especially delightful time to island hop over to Texel, even
¨¨Hello I’m Local Boutique though it’s still too cold for swimming.
Hostel (p103)
¨¨The warmer months of May to September are the prime
time to visit smaller towns and villages, which all but
hibernate during winter, particularly from November to
March, when many sights, activities and attractions close.
101
e# 0 20 km f#\#
0 10 miles
Vlieland Groningen
D(52km)
NORTH /·Franeker A31 \#
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f#
Texel Waddenzee
D
Texel #4 Oosterend 0¸·/E22 FRIESLAND N384
\#
/·A7
Den Burg #\ Groningen
\# Oudeschild ·/E22 0¸N359 \# Sneek (46km)
·/A7
·/E22
f# Den Oever Workum \# /·A7 DH a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NH aarlem & N o rth H o llan d H i g hl i g ht s
#\ Hindeloopen #\
f# ]#
Den Helder #\
Heerenveen
Stavoren\# Zwolle
f# (43km)
#\ Schagen IJsselmeer /·A6
#\ Medemblik
NOORD-HOLLAND Enkhuizen #3 f#
Broek op \# Emmeloord
Langedijk ##\6 Urk\# \# Schokland
#\
0¸\# Alkmaar
¸0N243 \# Ens
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66 66IJmuiden#\ #2#\ Volendam Lelystad #\
#÷ #\
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66 66·/ ·/ ·/ /·NaZaonaonNrZddaevwt#\eiooijonkrat\#lLHPisaaHs#rake1orolefA\#md4dorA#\p9AAalMsAAmm1S0\#eTset_#ErelRveDeAnMNMaua#i#\5rddeenn\#Almere\# (75km)
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A44 ·/E35 #] Hilversum Apeldoorn
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UTRECHT Eindhoven
D (80km) #]Amersfoort
]# \#
Haarlem & North Holland Highlights
1 Viewing priceless works
666of Dutch Masters at the Frans
before the Afsluitdijk (Barrier Muiderslot (p129) in the lively
Dyke) at Enkhuizen’s harbour town of Muiden.
Hals Museum (p103) in Golden Zuiderzeemuseum (p118).
Age Haarlem. 6 Experiencing a ‘floating
4 Cycling past high sand auction’ at Broek op Langedijk’s
2 Taking in the centuries-old dunes, deserted beaches, lush fascinating Museum Broeker
spectacle of the Kaasmarkt forests and green pastures on Veiling (p115).
(cheese market; p110) in the the island of Texel (p121).
quaint town of Edam. 5 Exploring the mighty 7 Strolling the elegant
streets inside the vast star-
3 Experiencing hardy medieval fortress of shaped fortress at Naarden
seafaring life in the days (p130).
102
NORTH HOLLAND Haarlem
Its lively capital, Haarlem, aside, this prov- % 023 / POP 156,660
ince has enough historic towns and attrac-
tions to fill a week or more of touring. This classic Dutch city of cobbled streets,
historic buildings, grand churches, even
grander museums, cosy bars, fine cafes and
History canals is just a 15-minute train ride from
Amsterdam, but with so much on offer in
The peninsula now known as Noord- such a compact area, you can easily spend a
Holland (North Holland) was part of Fries- couple of days here.
land until the 12th century, when storm
floods created the Zuiderzee and isolated
West Friesland. By this time the mercan-
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d HGNeaotartrtilhnegHmoTlhlearned& A r o u n d tile Counts of Holland ruled the area – or History
thought they did. One of the early counts,
Willem II, became king of the Holy Ro- The name Haarlem derives from Haarloheim,
man Empire in 1247 but perished in a raid meaning a wooded place on high, sandy soil.
against the West Frisians (his horse fell Its origins date back to the 10th century when
through the ice). His son, Count Floris V, the Counts of Holland set up a toll post on the
succeeded in taming his defiant subjects 40 Spaarne River. Haarlem quickly became the
years later. most important inland port after Amsterdam
until the Spanish invaded in 1572. The city
West Friesland was now owned by the surrendered after a seven-month siege but
county of Holland, a founding member of worse was yet to come: upon capitulation
the Republic of the Seven United Nether- virtually the entire population was slaugh-
lands (1579). North Holland played a key tered. After the Spanish were finally repelled
role in the long struggle against Spanish by Willem van Oranje, Haarlem soared into
domination, and the town of Alkmaar was the prosperity of the Golden Age, attracting
the first to throw off the yoke. The era of painters and artists from throughout Europe.
prosperity known as the Golden Age ensued, The 1658-founded Dutch town of Harlem in
and Noord-Holland has a cache of richly or- what’s now New York City is named after it.
namented buildings from this period. The 1 Sights
fishing and trading ports of Enkhuizen,
Hoorn, Medemblik and Edam were at the Flanked by historic buildings, restaurants
centre of this boom. and cafes, the large Grote Markt is Haar-
lem’s beating heart.
Napoleon invaded in 1795 and split the
country in two to break its economic power.
Even after Willem I (Willem Frederik, Prince oGrote Kerk van St Bavo CHURCH
of Orange-Nassau) proclaimed himself Sov-
ereign Prince of the United Netherlands in (www.bavo.nl; Oude Groenmarkt 22; adult/child
1813, a divide remained and the provinces €2.50/free; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat) Topped by a
of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland were towering 50m-high steeple, the Gothic Grote
established in 1840. Kerk van St Bavo cathedral contains some
fine Renaissance artworks, but the star at-
Today Noord-Holland’s main business is traction is its stunning Müller organ – one
agriculture, most famously cheese production. of the most magnificent in the world, stand-
ing 30m high with about 5000 pipes. It was
played by Handel and a 10-year-old Mozart.
88 Getting There & Around Free hour-long organ recitals take place at
8.15pm Tuesday and 4pm Thursday in July
This is day-trip country: with the exception of and August, and 2pm on the last Saturday of
Texel, the entire region is easily reached from the month year-round.
Amsterdam, or you can set your own pace and
just go and explore.
Noord-Holland is well served by the national Town Hall HISTORIC BUILDING
rail service, and when the train ends the bus
networks take over. (Grote Markt 2) At the western end of the Grote
Markt is the florid, 14th-century town hall,
Bike trails lace the province in almost every which sprouted many extensions including
direction; you can cover the flat stretch from a balcony where judgements from the high
Amsterdam to Den Helder in two days at a lei- court were pronounced. It only opens to the
surely pace. public on Open Monuments Days during the
second weekend of September.
103
De Hallen GALLERY Teylers Museum MUSEUM
(www.dehallen.nl; Grote Markt 16; adult/child €7.50/ (www.teylersmuseum.nl; Spaarne 16; adult/child
free; h11am-5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun) Haar- €12/2; h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun)
lem’s modern and contemporary art museum Dating from 1778, Teylers is the country’s
resides within two historic ‘halls’: the oldest continuously operating museum. Its
17th-century Dutch Renaissance Vleeshal, a array of whiz-bang inventions include an
former meat market and the sole place that 18th-century electrostatic machine that con-
meat was allowed to be sold in Haarlem from jures up visions of mad scientists. The ec-
the 17th through to the 19th century, and the lectic collection also has paintings from the
neoclassical Verweyhal (fish house). Eclectic Dutch and French schools; a magnificent,
exhibits rotate every three months and range sky-lighted Ovale Zaal (Oval Room) displays
from Dutch impressionists and CoBrA artists natural-history specimens in elegant glass
to innovative video, installation art and photo cases on two levels. Temporary exhibitions
graphy by cutting-edge international artists. regularly take place. H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TNHoaouarrrtlsheHmo llan d
oFrans Hals Museum GALLERY Nieuwe Kerk CHURCH
(www.franshalsmuseum.nl; Groot Heiligland 62; (Nieuwe Kerksplein; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat) F
adult/child €12.50/free; h11am-5pm Tue-Sat, from Walk down charming Korte Houtstraat to
noon Sun) A short stroll south of Grote Markt, find the 17th-century Nieuwe Kerk; the or-
the Frans Hals Museum is a must for anyone nate tower by Lieven de Key is supported by
interested in the Dutch Masters. Located in a rather boxy design by Jacob van Campen.
the poorhouse where Hals spent his final
Tours
Tyears, the collection focuses on the 17th-
century Haarlem School; its pride and joy are Haarlem Canal Tours
CANAL TOUR
eight group portraits of the civic guard that (www.haarlemcanaltours.com; opposite Spaarne
reveal Hals’ exceptional attention to mood 17; tour per person €13.50; htours 10am-7pm Apr-
and psychological tone. Look out for works Sep) Fun 1¼-hour tours in vintage open-top
by other greats such as Pieter Brueghel the boats depart every 90 minutes.
Younger and Jacob van Ruysdael.
Sleeping
4Among the museum’s other treasures are
the works of Hals’ teacher, Flemish artist
Carel van Mander: stunning illustrations of oHello I’m Local
the human anatomy, all ceiling-high with
biblical and mythological references. Boutique Hostel HOSTEL €
(%844 69 16; www.helloimlocal.com; Spiegelstraat
4; dm €23-33, s/d/tr/q from €75/79/121.50/139; W)
In a charming neighbourhood on the edge of
Corrie ten Boom House HISTORIC BUILDING the centre, this quirkily named hostel inside
(www.corrietenboom.com; Barteljorisstraat 19; ad- a traditional brick Dutch house has 56 beds
mission by donation; h10am-3pm Apr-Oct, 11am- across 12 rooms, and homey amenities includ-
2.30pm Nov-Mar) Also known as ‘the hiding ing a patio and open fireplace. All rooms have
place’, the Corrie ten Boom House is named showers but some share toilet facilities. Upper
for the matriarch of a family that lived in the capsule-like timber bunks are accessed by lad-
house during WWII. Using a secret compart- der. Bike rental is available for €12 per day.
ment in her bedroom, she hid hundreds of
Jews and Dutch resistors until they could be
spirited to safety. In 1944 the family was be- Ambassador City Centre Hotel HOTEL €
trayed and sent to concentration camps where (%512 53 00; www.ambassadorcitycentrehotel.nl;
three died. Later, Corrie ten Boom toured the Oude Groenmarkt 20; d/tr/f from €84/126/136;
world preaching peace. English-language W) The Ambassador City Centre Hotel’s 65
tours take place every 90 minutes. tasteful, individually designed rooms spread
over an entire block near the Grote Kerk. It
also has one studio apartment with a kitch-
Proveniershuis HISTORIC BUILDING enette (double from €99; minimum two-
night stay).
(off Grote Houtstraat; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat)
F Off Grote Houtstraat to the southwest
of Grote Markt is one of Haarlem’s prettiest
buildings, the Proveniershuis. It started life Stempels HOTEL €€
as a hofje (almshouse) and became the for- (%512 39 10; www.stempelsinhaarlem.nl; Klokhu-
mer headquarters of St Joris Doelen (the isplein 9; s/d/ste from €97.50/115/157.50; W)
Civic Guard of St George). A gorgeous old printing house on the east
side of the Grote Kerk shelters 17 spacious
104
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Gedempte Raamgr Tuchthuisstr Groot HKelileiiglnaGHnrediolitgleanHdoGuiFtresarsntkrestr Kleine Houtstr SpaarneTurfm LHaenrgeensiHnegreelnvesBtuBrugrgwawlal
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rooms with high ceilings and stark, artistic 5 Eating
decor; front rooms face Grote Kerk van St
Bavo. Breakfast costs €12.50. Cafes and restaurants abound along Zijl-
straat, Spaarne and especially Lange Veer-
oBrasss Hotel Suites BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ straat, but you’ll find gems scattered all over
town.
(%542 78 04; http://brassshaarlem.nl; Korte Veer-
straat 1; ste from €175; aW) Each of the 10 De Haerlemsche Vlaamse FAST FOOD €
luxurious suites at this jewel are named for (Spekstraat 3; frites €2.30-4.40; h9am-6.30pm
sea creatures (Octopus, Sardine, Langoustine, Mon-Fri, 11am-5.30pm Sat, noon-5.30pm Sun)
Mackerel et al) except for Diamonds of the Line up at this local institution for a cone
Sea, which comes with its own sauna. All have of crispy, golden fries made from fresh po-
heavenly king-size beds, rain showers and vel- tatoes and one of a dozen sauces, including
vety bathrobes. Service surpasses expectations. three kinds of mayonnaise.
105
Haarlem ú Eating H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d DHNraoiarnrtklhienHmgo l&lNaingdhtl i fe
14 Brick ..........................................................A4
æ Top Sights 15 De Haerlemsche Vlaamse ......................B3
1 Frans Hals Museum................................ B5 16 De Lachende Javaan ...............................B4
2 Grote Kerk van St Bavo.......................... C3 17 Restaurant Mr & Mrs ..............................C4
18 't Goede Uur ............................................. A5
æ Sights
3 Corrie ten Boom House ......................... B3 û Drinking & Nightlife
4 De Hallen.................................................. C3 19 Bar Wigbolt...............................................C3
5 Nieuwe Kerk ............................................ A5 20 Blender .....................................................B5
6 Proveniershuis ........................................ A5 21 Jopenkerk.................................................A3
7 Teylers Museum ..................................... D4 22 Proeflokaal in den Uiver..........................C3
8 Town Hall ................................................. B3 23 Utiltje Bar..................................................A3
Ø Activities, Courses & Tours ý Entertainment
9 Haarlem Canal Tours ............................. C4 24 Café Stiels ................................................C3
25 Patronaat..................................................A3
ÿ Sleeping
10 Ambassador City Centre Hotel ............. C4 þ Shopping
11 Brasss Hotel Suites ................................ C4 26 Grote Markt ..............................................B3
12 Hello I'm Local Boutique Hostel............ D4
13 Stempels .................................................. C4
oBrick MODERN EUROPEAN €€ ’t Goede Uur BISTRO €€
(%551 18 70; www.restaurantbrick.nl; Breestraat (%531 11 74; http://hetgoedeuur.nl; Korte Hout-
24-26; mains lunch €7.50-10.50, dinner €15.50- straat 1; mains €16-18.50; h5-11pm Tue-Sun) Six
21.50; hnoon-10pm Tue-Sun) You can watch different types of fondue made from organic
Brick’s chefs creating inspired dishes such Gouda and Gruyère, which it has been bub-
as duck and hazelnut ravioli with black bling up for more than four decades, is the
truffle and foie gras sauce, not only from speciality of this rustic little bistro tucked
the street-level dining room but also the 1st- away on one of Haarlem’s loveliest, leafiest
floor space, which has a glass floor directly backstreets.
above the open kitchen. There are pavement
Drinking & Nightlife
6tables out front but in summer the best seats
are on the roof terrace. oJopenkerk
BREWERY
oRestaurant Mr & Mrs INTERNATIONAL €€ (www.jopenkerk.nl; Gedempte Voldersgracht 2;
hbrewery & cafe 10am-1am, restaurant 5.30pm-
(%531 59 35; www.restaurantmrandmrs.nl; Lange late Tue-Sat) Haarlem’s most atmospheric
Veerstraat 4; small plates €9-12, 4-/5-/6-course place to drink is this independent brew-
menu €36/44/52; h5-10pm) Unexpectedly gas- ery inside a stained-glass-windowed, 1910
tronomic cooking at this tiny restaurant is church. Enjoy brews such as citrusy Hopen,
artfully conceived and presented. Small hot fruity Lente Bier or chocolatey Koyt along
and cold plates designed for sharing might with classic Dutch bar snacks (bitterballen
include steak tartare with black truffles, baby or croquettes, cheeses) beneath the gleam-
octopus with mango and jalapeño, mackerel ing copper vats. Or head to the mezzanine
with avocado dressing and caviar, hoisin- for dishes made from locally sourced, sea-
marinated steak with foie gras and portobello sonal ingredients and Jopenkerk’s beers,
mushrooms, and crème brûlée with whisky with pairings available.
meringue. Definitely book ahead.
De Lachende Javaan INDONESIAN €€ Proeflokaal in den Uiver BROWN CAFE
(%532 87 92; www.delachendejavaan.com; Frank- (www.indenuiver.nl; Riviervischmarkt 13; h4pm-
1am Mon-Wed, to 2am Thu-Sat, to midnight Sun)
estraat 27; mains €11-21.50, rijsttafel per person One of many atmospheric places overlook-
€23-27.50; h5-10pm Tue-Sun) The interior
of this old merchant’s house glows from ing the Grote Markt, this nautical-themed
place has shipping knick-knacks and a
stained-glass windows and reflections off schooner sailing right over the bar. Live jazz
the vintage art from Java. The rijsttafel (ar-
ray of dishes served with rice) is great value. often plays; check the online agenda for
dates.
106
BEVERWIJK jazz and rhythm and blues on the back stage
almost every night of the week from 10pm
onward, to as late as 4am on weekends.
De Bazaar Beverwijk (www.debazaar. Patronaat LIVE MUSIC
nl; Montageweg 35, Beverwijk; h8.30am-
6pm Sat & Sun) Every weekend up to (www.patronaat.nl; Zijlsingel 2; hhours vary)
80,000 bargain hunters flock to the Haarlem’s top music and dance club attracts
town of Beverwijk to visit the covered bands with banging tunes. Events in this
Bazaar Beverwijk, one of Europe’s cavernous venue usually start around 9pm.
largest ethnic markets with 2000-plus
vendors and 65 eateries. Piled high are 7 Shopping
Arabian foods and spices, Turkish rugs,
garments and handcrafted ornaments. oGrote Markt MARKET
The liveliest of the three biggest halls
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d HENnaotarertrlhteaHmionlmleanntd is the Zwarte Markt, an enormous flea (Grote Markt; h10am-2pm Mon & Sat) Haarlem
market with a carnival atmosphere. is at its liveliest during its regular Monday
and, especially, Saturday market, when its
Parking (per day €5) becomes a namesake square fills with stalls selling
problem after 9.30am. Trains run from fresh produce, cheese, preserves, spices, nuts
Amsterdam Centraal (€5.70, 40 min- and ready-to-eat Dutch and international
utes, four hourly) and Haarlem €3.10, 15 snacks, as well as vintage and new clothes,
minutes, up to four hourly) to Beverwijk bags, accessories and antiques.
from where it’s a 1km walk.
88 Information
Utiltje Bar BAR Tourist office (VVV; % 531 73 25; www.
haarlemmarketing.nl; Grote Markt 2; h9.30am-
(http://brouwerijhetuiltje.nl; Zijlstraat 18; h2pm- 5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat, noon-4pm
midnight Tue-Thu & Sun, to 2am Fri & Sat) More Sun Apr-Sep, 1-5.30pm Mon, 9.30am-5.30pm
than 30 seasonally changing craft beers Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat Oct-Mar) The tourist
from around the world are on tap at this office sells discount museum tickets.
passionate beer specialist, with many more
by the bottle. 88 Getting There & Away
Bar Wigbolt BAR BICYCLE
Haarlem is linked to Amsterdam by national
(www.barwigbolt.nl; Smedestraat 41; h6.30pm- route LF20 over a distance of 25km. Given the
1am Wed & Thu, 4pm-2.30am Fri & Sat, 4pm-1am heavy urbanisation in the area this is not exactly
Sun) Just off the Grote Markt, you can a pastoral ride. Just west you can link up with
choose from more than 100 different vodkas the much more bucolic LF1, which follows the
and cocktails including Haarlem Mule (vod- coast north and south.
ka, ginger beer and lime juice in a copper Rent a Bike Haarlem (% 023-542 11 95; www.
cup), Thunder Thom (toffee-infused vodka, rentabikehaarlem.nl; Lange Herenstraat 36;
apple and lemon juice), Monkey Jam Shoul- bike rental per day from €10; h 9am-5.30pm).
der (whisky, lime juice and strawberry jam)
and Bob’s Cup of Tea (tequila, Cointreau, OJ BUS
and raspberry tea, served in a teapot). Bus 300 links Haarlem train station and
Schiphol Airport (50 minutes, six daily)
Blender CAFE between 5.30am and 1am.
(http://blender-haarlem.nl; Klein Houtstraat 138; TRAIN
h8am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat & Sun) Amaz- Haarlem’s 1908 art nouveau station is served
ing fruit juices and smoothies with superfoods by frequent trains linking Amsterdam and
such as spirulina, hemp seeds, goji berries and Rotterdam.
bee pollen are available all day at this groovy
spot, as well as health-conscious meals. From Destination Price (€) Duration Frequency
noon it also serves organic wines. (min) (per hour)
3 Entertainment Alkmaar 6.70 30-50 4
Amsterdam 4.10 15 4-8
Café Stiels LIVE MUSIC Den Haag 8.20 40 4-6
Rotterdam 11.90 60 4-6
(www.stiels.nl; Smedestraat 21; h8pm-2am Sun-
Wed, to 3am Thu, to 4am Fri & Sat) Bands play
107
Around Haarlem F, 5km west of Haarlem, is the resting
place of 372 members of the Dutch resist-
Zuid-Kennemerland ance. Its walled compound in the dunes is
National Park isolated from the rest of the park and acces-
sible only via the main road.
Some 3800 hectares of classic Dutch coastal
dunes are being restored in this vast patch Take bus 81 (15 minutes, two hourly) from
of nature in the midst of the busy Rand- Haarlem train station or cycle/drive the
stad. De Zandwaaier (%023-541 11 23; www. N200 towards Bloemendaal aan Zee.
np-zuidkennemerland.nl; Zeeweg 12; h10am-5pm
Tue-Sun) F, the park’s visitor centre, has Zaanse Schans
nature displays and is a good source of in-
formation, with a range of detailed walking Zaanse Schans Windmills WINDMILLS
and cycling maps including a great 35km
circuit. There are car parks at the Koevlak (www.dezaanseschans.nl; site free, per windmill H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d ANGerotortutihnndgH oHTalhlaearnlede&mAway
and Parnassia entrances, from where paths adult/child €4/2; hwindmills 10am-5pm Apr-Nov,
lead into the reserve. Trails snake through hours vary Dec-Mar) The working, inhabited
hilltop copses of Corsican firs and valleys of village Zaanse Schans functions as an open-
low-lying thickets; at the western edge you air windmill gallery on the Zaan River. Pop-
come to a massive barrier of golden sand ular with tourists, its mills are completely
that’s 1000 years old. authentic and operated with enthusiasm
and love. You can explore the windmills at
Spring sees the dunes sprout desert or- will, seeing the vast moving parts first-hand.
chids, the bright rosettes of the century The impressive Zaans Museum (%075-
weed and the white-blooming grass of Par- 616 28 62; www.zaansmuseum.nl; Schansend 7;
nassus. Red foxes, fallow deer and many adult/child €9/5; h10am-5pm Apr-Nov, hours vary
species of birds are native to the area. Bats Dec-Mar) shows how wind and water were
slumber in the park’s abandoned bunkers harnessed.
before appearing at dusk. Trains (€3.10, 17 minutes, four per hour)
run from Amsterdam Centraal Station (di-
The Vogelmeer lake has a bird-observation rection Alkmaar) to Koog Zaandijk, from
hut above the south shore. The artificial lake ’t where it’s a well-signposted 1.5km walk.
Wed teems with bathers in summer. Lookout The mill with paint pigments for sale will
points, with evocative names such as Hazen- delight artists – you can see the actual ma-
berg (Hare Mountain), are scattered through- terials used in producing Renaissance mas-
out. At 50m, the Kopje van Bloemendaal is terpieces turned into powders. Ask to see
the highest dune in the country, just outside the storeroom where ground pigments are
the eastern border of the park, with views of for sale.
the sea and Amsterdam. The other buildings have been brought
here from all over the country to re-create
Inside the park, the WWII cemetery a 17th-century community. There’s an early
Eerebegraafplaats Bloemendaal (%020- Albert Heijn market, a cheesemaker, and a
660 19 45; www.eerebegraafplaatsbloemendaal.eu; popular clog factory that turns out wood-
Zeeweg 26; h9am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar) en shoes as if grinding keys (which has a
HAARLEM’S BEACHES
Just 5km west of Haarlem’s peaceful outskirts lies Zandvoort, a popular seaside resort.
It’s not pretty as beach towns go, and drab apartment blocks line the main drag, but its
proximity to Amsterdam ensures a steady flow of pleasure-seekers.
About 3km north of Zandvoort is Bloemendaal aan Zee, a much less developed
spot with a handful of restaurants and cafes and uninterrupted beaches. It’s frequented
by those looking for a semblance of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of
its bigger neighbour to the south.
The closest accommodation to Bloemendaal is De Lakens, but Zandvoort is littered
with accommodation.
Trains link Zandvoort to Amsterdam Centraal Station twice hourly (€5.40, 30 min-
utes) via Haarlem (€2.20, 10 minutes).
108 WATERLAND TICKET
surprisingly interesting museum). The en-
gaging pewtersmith will explain the story If you’re planning a day trip by bus north
behind dozens of tiny figures while the soft of Amsterdam around the Waterland
metal sets in the moulds. region, including Monnickendam, Marken
Once you’ve finished exploring the vil- and Volendam, as well as Hoorn, save
lage, take a boat (adult/child €5/3; h9am-6pm money by purchasing a Waterland
May-Sep) across the Zaan River. It runs on Ticket (€10). Available from bus drivers,
demand. this great-value pass allows a day’s
unlimited travel on buses 110, 301, 306,
Waterland Region 312, 314, 315, 316 and 319.
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d GNWeoattrtetirhnlgHaonTlhdleRarenegd&i oAnr o u n d % 075 elegant, Italianate clock tower and former
town hall. The tower’s 17th-century glock-
Time moves slowly in this rural area that enspiel (carillon) – the world’s oldest – per-
starts only 9km north of Amsterdam. Fields forms at 11am and noon on Saturday, when
of green are watched by herons standing its four mechanical knights prance in the
motionless alongside watery furrows amid open wooden window twice before retiring.
surrounding farmland. It’s glorious cycling
country, with plenty to see, including the Inside the clock tower, the newly ren-
picturesque towns of Monnickendam, Mark- ovated Museum De Speeltoren (www.
en and Edam as well as touristy Volendam. despeeltoren.nl; Noordeinde 4; adult/child €4.50/3;
h11am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, Sat & Sun Nov-Mar)
88 Getting There & Around shows the region through five eras of human
occupation and allows you to see the amaz-
BICYCLE ing old mechanism that powers the clock.
The best way to experience the Waterland area is
by bike; pick up a rental in Amsterdam and head Grote Kerk CHURCH
north on the national bike route LF7.
(www.grotekerkmonnickendam.nl; De Zarken;
BUS h11am-4pm Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun May-Oct, hours
Regional buses from Amsterdam Centraal are vary Nov-Feb) F The Gothic Grote Kerk, on
covered with a Waterland Ticket.
Monnickendam the southern outskirts of town, is renowned
for its triple nave, tower galleries and a daz-
% 0299 / POP 9915 zling oak choir screen dating from the 16th
century. It’s impossible to miss the enor-
Monnickendam gained its name from the mous organ in the nave.
Benedictines, who built a dam here, and
traces its roots back to 1356. Since the de- Waag HISTORIC BUILDING
mise of its fishing industry, it has trans-
formed itself into an upmarket port for (Middendam 5-7) On the town’s central canal,
yachts and sailors. the Waag (weigh house) was the focal point
of local economic life. In 1905 it was given
The beautiful old fishing trawlers mainly grand Tuscan columns, a common trick
operate pleasure cruises. History still per- of the day designed to make it look much
vades the narrow lanes around the shipyards. older and more impressive. It’s now a touristy
restaurant.
1 Sights
In de Bonte Os HISTORIC BUILDING
Along the main street, Noordeinde, old
brick houses tilt at crazy angles as they sink (Coloured Ox; Noordeinde 26) In de Bonte Os
into the soggy ground. is the only house that’s left in its original
17th-century state. In the days before proper
As you stroll the lanes, look for gable glass, the curious vertical shutters at street
stones on buildings – many have a story to level were made to let in air and light. If
tell. The one at Kerkstraat 32 dates to 1620, you’re interested in staying here, it’s listed
the one at Kerkstraat 12 tells of the five Jews on Airbnb (www.airbnb.com).
successfully hidden in the building for the
duration of WWII. 2 Activities
Speeltoren HISTORIC BUILDING As elsewhere on the IJsselmeer, large pleas-
ure boats are popular in Monnickendam.
(Noordeinde 4) Monnickendam’s trademark
building is the 15th-century Speeltoren, an
109
The harbour is filled with splendid old 88 Information
tjalken, botters and klippers, historic boats
available for hire (as are skippers if need be). Tourist office (VVV; % 0299-820 046; www.
vvv-waterland.nl; Zuideinde 2; h10am-5pm)
Bootvloot BOATING Waterland’s small but excellent regional tourism
office can recommend walks, obscure attrac-
(%06 5494 2657; www.bootvloot.nl; Hemmeland 1; tions and almost anything fun on the water.
half-/full-day rentals from €45/60; h10am-5.30pm
Apr-Oct) Small two- to four-person sailboats
are available to rent at Bootvloot. It’s a 500m 88 Getting There & Around
walk through the leafy Hemmeland recrea-
tion area northeast of Monnickendam mari- BICYCLE
na – follow the sign ‘Zeilbootverhuur’. Like the paths throughout Waterland, good
bike routes abound, especially national route
4 Sleeping & Eating LF21, which starts in Amsterdam and follows H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NWSloaetreetprhilnHagon&ldlERaaentgdiinogn
rural dykes along the IJsselmeer. Ber Koning
Smoked eel (caught in the IJsselmeer) is a (% 0299-651 267; www.berkonig.nl; Noordeinde
traditional local delicacy. Look for a remain- 12; per day €12.50; h 9am-8pm Tue-Sat Apr-
ing eel smokehouse on Havenstraat. Sep, to 6pm Tue-Fri, to 4pm Sat Oct-Mar) rents
bicycles.
oPosthoorn BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ BUS
(%0299-654 598; www.posthoorn.eu; Noordeinde Bus 315 (25 minutes, up to three per hour),
43; d €155-250; W) This beautifully restored covered on the Waterland Ticket, links the
building dates to 1697 but the owners sus- centre of Monnickendam to Amsterdam
pect it might be older. The six romantic Centraal Station.
rooms blend traditional comforts with
modern style, such as pedestal basins. The
long-standing Michelin-star restaurant Marken
(%0299-654 598; www.posthoorn.eu; Noordeinde
43; 5-/6-course menu €55/60, paired wines extra % 0299 / POP 1810
€33/40; h6-11pm Tue-Thu, 6pm-midnight Fri &
Sat, noon-11pm Sun; W) uses local produce to Across Gouwzee Bay lies scenic Marken with
create stunning multicourse menus that a small and determined population. It was
change daily. Book rooms and courtyard an isolated island in the Zuiderzee until 1957
dining in advance on weekends. when a causeway linked up with the main-
land, effectively turning it into a museum-
Theetuin Overleek CAFE piece village. However, it still manages to
exude a fishing-village vibe (well-used wood-
(%0299-652 735; www.theetuinoverleek.nl; Over- en shoes sit outside houses), and the car-free
leek 6a; dishes €4.50-7.50, high tea per person centre helps keep at least some of the hordes
€23.50; h10am-5pm Jul & Aug, Wed-Sun May, Jun at bay.
& Sep, Sat & Sun Oct-Apr) Right by the water’s
edge, this wooden teahouse is a charming 1 Sights
spot to indulge in high tea, but you can just
drop by for light bites such as sandwiches The colourful Kerkbuurt in the village’s
and cakes. It also rents electric boats (per northeast is the most authentic area, with
hour €17.50) to explore the waterways and tarred or painted houses raised on pilings
can provide packed picnic lunches (€12.50). to escape the Zuiderzee floods. The Haven-
buurt harbourside area is home to most of
the souvenir shops and restaurants.
7 Shopping Marker Museum MUSEUM
Avontuur in Miniatuur TOYS, HANDICRAFTS (www.markermuseum.nl; Kerkbuurt 44; adult/child
€2.50/1.25; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm
(%0299-652 085; www.avontuurinminiatuur.nl; Sun Apr-Oct) A row of eel-smoking houses
Noordeinde 76; h10am-5pm Fri & Sat, by appoint-
ment Sun-Thu) Doll’s houses (and everything in the Kerkbuurt area have been convert-
ed into the Marker Museum, which delves
you need to furnish, decorate and populate into Marken’s history and includes the re-
them) are the speciality of this miniature
wonderland. When you visit, you may see created interior of a fisherman’s home, with
a wealth of personal odds and ends. It sells
craftspeople sitting around the shop’s large a walking-tour brochure (€1), which guides
table creating the tiny pieces (many, though
not all, are handmade here). you around the stout wooden structures that
line the intricate pattern of lanes.
110
Marken Kerk CHURCH is covered at Volendam’s history museum
with traditional costumes, prints, paintings
(Buurterstraat; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm of harbour scenes and even a cramped ship’s
Sun Apr-Oct) F Marken’s kerk (church) is sleeping quarters, but this place is really de-
filled with ship models designed to attract voted to cigar aficionados: some 11 million
grace to local seamen. bands are plastered on its walls.
4 Sleeping & Eating 5 Eating
oHof Van Marken HOTEL €€ Seafood is the undisputed king in Volendam,
(%0299-601 300; www.hofvanmarken.nl; Buurt and the harbour overflows with vendors of-
II 15; s/d from €89/99) Hof Van Marken has fering smoked cod, eel, herring and tiny
big beds, fluffy pillows and heavenly duvets. shrimp.
The seven cosy, pastel-hued rooms reflect
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NWSloaetreetprhilnHagon&ldlERaaentgdiinogn this region where land and water blend in 88 Information
the mist. Its restaurant serves fresh, stylish
takes on local produce and seafood. Book Tourist office (VVV; % 0299-363 747; www.
well ahead for both. vvv-volendam.nl; Zeestraat 37; h10am-5pm
Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Apr-Oct, 11am-4pm
88 Getting There & Away Mon & Wed-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Nov-Mar)
Regional accommodation info and cycling maps
If you’re driving, you’ll need to park in the man- are available at Volendam’s busy tourist office.
datory open-air car park at the village entrance
(per day €5). 88 Getting There & Around
BICYCLE BICYCLE
The 8km ride along the dyke from Monnicken- National bike route LF21 passes right along the
dam has moody sea views. harbour; Monnickendam is 6km south. Amster-
dam lies 22km southwest.
BUS
Bus 311 links Marken with Amsterdam (40 BUS
minutes, half-hourly) via Monnickendam (12 Buses 110 and 316 link Volendam to Amsterdam
minutes); it’s covered by the Waterland Ticket (25 minutes) and Edam (eight minutes) every
(p108). 30 minutes; they’re covered on the Waterland
FERRY Ticket (p108).
Marken Express Ferry (www.markenexpress.
nl; adult/child return €10/7; h10.30am-6pm Edam
Mar-Sep) The Marken Express makes the
45-minute-long crossing from Volendam to % 0299 / POP 7380
Marken every 45 minutes. In Volendam the
ferry leaves from the docks at Havendijkje. Once a renowned whaling port – in its
17th-century heyday it had 33 shipyards that
Volendam built the fleet of legendary admiral Michiel
de Ruyter – this scenic little town is another
% 0299 / POP 22,000 of Noord-Holland’s treasures. With its old
shipping warehouses, quiet cobblestone
A former fishing port turned unashamed- streets, hand-operated drawbridges and
ly tacky tourist trap, Volendam is certainly picture-perfect canals, it’s enchanting for
quaint, with its rows of wooden houses and a stroll. It’s quite astounding that so many
locals who don traditional dress for church tourists flock to Volendam, only 2km away,
and festive events, but the harbour is awash instead, unless Edam’s cheese market is on.
with kitschy souvenir shops, dress-up-in-
Dutch-traditional-costume photo booths, a 1 Sights & Activities
virtual-reality walk through old Volendam,
a huge cheese shop/museum, fish stands, Kaasmarkt HISTORIC SITE
frites stands and rapacious seagulls. On
weekends it swarms with visitors. (Cheese Market; Kaasmarkt; h10.30am-12.30pm
Wed Jul–mid-Aug) In the 16th century Willem
van Oranje bestowed on Edam the right to
1 Sights hold a Kaasmarkt, which was the town’s eco-
nomic anchor right through to the 1920s. At
Volendams Museum MUSEUM its peak, 250,000 rounds of cheese were sold
(www.volendamsmuseum.nl; Zeestraat 41; adult/ here every year. On the western side of Kaas-
child €3/1.75; h10am-5pmApr-Oct) Local culture
markt stands the 1778 Kaaswaag (h10am-5pm
Edam 66C 111
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6666666A B C D
Apr-Sep) F, the cheese weigh house, which
has a display about the town’s chief product.
Edam’s cheese market is smaller than the
6666666one in Alkmaar but equally touristy.
Edam
æ Sights
1 Edams Museum ....................................B2
2 Gestam...................................................C2
3 Kaasmarkt ............................................. B1
Gestam CHEESE PRODUCER 4 Kaaswaag............................................... B1
5 Speeltoren .............................................A2
(www.gestam.com; Voorhaven 127; h10am-4pmWed
& Fri) Sample an astonishing array of cheeses
at the wonderful and barely commercial Ges-
tam, a warehouse for regional producers. Ø Activities, Courses & Tours
6 Fluisterbootjes ......................................B2
Tourist Office Walking Tours....... (see 6)
Edams Museum MUSEUM
(www.edamsmuseum.nl; museum Damplein 8, annex ÿ Sleeping
Damplein 1; adult/child €5/3; h10am-4.30pm Tue- 7 De Fortuna .............................................B3
Sat, 1-4.30pm Sun Apr–late Oct) The Edams Mu- 8 L'Auberge Dam Hotel ...........................B2
seum’s furnishings, porcelain and silverware ú Eating
spread over three cramped floors. Its floating De Fortuna ..................................... (see 7)
cellar is a remarkable pantry that rises and
falls with the river’s swell to reduce stress on 9 Edammer Kaaswinkel ..........................B2
the structure above. The ornate 1540 brick vagaries of Dutch weather. Its 32 dazzling
building is Edam’s oldest. Across the canal stained-glass windows bearing coats of arms
in an annex in the 1737 town hall, above and historical scenes were added after 1602,
the tourist office, you’ll find more exhibits; when the church burnt to a cinder after a
among some famous paintings there is an lightning strike. Its tower can be climbed for
unknown artist’s Tall Girl, depicting an 8’ 4’’ views of the surrounds.
girl (allegedly the tallest woman ever born).
Grote Kerk CHURCH Speeltoren HISTORIC BUILDING
(www.grotekerkedam.nl; Grote Kerkstraat 57; tower (Kleine Kerkstraat) Leaning over Kleine Kerk-
straat about 100m south of Grote Kerk,
€2; h1.30-5pm early Apr–late Oct) F The the Speeltoren is all that remains of the
15th-century Grote Kerk bears witness to the
15th-century Kleine Kerk.
112
Fluisterbootjes BOATING De Fortuna HOTEL €€
(Whisper Boats; www.fluisterbootverhuur-edam. (%0299-371 671; www.fortuna-edam.nl; Spuistraat 3;
nl; VVV, Damplein 1; per hour €23; h9am-5pm s/d/tr/f from €92.50/102.50/157.50/167.50; W) An
Apr–mid-Oct) Glide through Edam’s canals in Edam gem straight out of an old Dutch paint-
a small electric boat you pilot yourself. Pay ing, De Fortuna’s 23 cute rooms have bath-
and pick up the key from the tourist office. rooms best described as snug. Its delightful
restaurant (%0299-371 671; www.fortuna-edam.
T Tours nl; Spuistraat 3; mains lunch €6-20, dinner €22.50
3-/4-/5-course menu €36/43.50/49.50; hkitchen
Boat Tours BOAT TOUR noon-3pm & 6-9.30pm; W) serves modern Eu-
(tour €6; hnoon & 2pm Wed Jul & Aug) Edam’s ropean dishes such as beetroot tartare with
tourist office organises 1½-hour tours on
tuindersvelts (small, open-topped boats) in smoked-mushroom mayo and red fish with
langoustine bisque amid oil paintings, large
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TNAolokurmrtashaHro llan d summer, weather permitting. bay windows and buffed leather seats. There
Tourist Office Walking Tours WALKING TOUR are lush gardens and a waterside terrace.
(adult/child €4/2; h2pm Sat) One-hour walk-
ing tours through the town depart from the Edammer Kaaswinkel DELI €
tourist office. (www.edamcheeseshop.com; Spui 8; h9am-
6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat, 9.30am-5pm Sun)
4 Sleeping & Eating Edammer Kaaswinkel has a wide variety of
cheese as well as a lush adjoining deli.
The tourist office has a list of private ac-
commodation and farm stays from €25 per 88 Information
person.
Tourist office (VVV; % 0299-315 125; www.
Along with the excellent Gestam (p111) vvv-edam.nl; Damplein 1; h10am-5pm Mon-
there are several places to buy cheese and Sat, 11am-4pm Sun Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm
other picnic supplies. Mon-Sat Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, noon-4pm Mon,
10am-3pm Tue-Thu, 10am-4pm Fri & Sat Nov-
L’Auberge Dam Hotel BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€ Mar) Edam’s tourist office is located inside
(%0299-371 766; www.damhotel.nl; Keizersgracht the splendid 18th-century town hall. Pick up
1; d from €125; W) In the heart of Edam, this the English-language booklet, A Stroll Through
art- and antique-filled hotel makes a roman- Edam (€2.50), for a 90-minute self-guided tour.
tic retreat. Some of its 11 rooms are on the
small side, but that’s counterbalanced by
huge beds and spiffing contemporary bath- 88 Getting There & Around
rooms. Its grand café spills onto the main
square; there’s also an elegant bistro on-site. BICYCLE
Edam is on national bike route LF21; the many
SCENIC DRIVE: DYKES & IJsselmeer dykes make for excellent riding.
WINDMILLS Ton Tweewielers (% 0299-371 922; www.
tontweewielers.nl; Schepenmakersdijk 6; bike/
electric bike per day €9/19.50; h 8.30am-6pm
Mon-Sat, 9.30am-5pm Sun Apr–mid Sep) Rents
bikes.
Midway between Edam and Alkmaar, BUS
the village of De Rijp on the N244 is at Buses 110 and 316 link Edam with Amsterdam
the south end of several good drives (35 minutes) via Volendam every 30 minutes;
and rides along dykes that give an ex- they’re covered on a Waterland Ticket (p108).
cellent feel for just how low the land is
compared to the waterways coursing Alkmaar
between the earthen walls.
% 072 / POP 95,076
The Oostdijk–Westdijk road travels
north 6km to the hamlet of Schermer- On Friday mornings from April to early
horn on the N243. Just west, another September, Alkmaar’s canal-ringed centre
dyke road runs parallel and meanders throngs with tourists eager to catch a glimpse
past several windmills. Both are narrow of the city’s famous cheese market. It’s a gen-
and the domain of cyclists and sheep, so uine spectacle but even if it’s not on, the town
if you’re in a car, go slow. is an engaging place to visit any time of the
year.
113
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hearts as the first town, in 1573, to repel oc-
cupying Spanish troops; locals opened the Alkmaar
locks and flooded the area with seawater, æ Sights
1 Grote Kerk..............................................B2
2 Hollands Kaasmuseum ........................C3
forcing the perplexed invaders to retreat. The 3 Kaasmarkt .............................................C3
victory won the town weighing rights, which
laid the foundation for its cheese market. 4 Nationaal Biermuseum ........................C3
5 Stedelijk Museum .................................B2
6 Waaggebouw.........................................C3
1 Sights
Before exploring the city, it’s worth pur- Ø Activities, Courses & Tours
chasing a copy of the Walking Tour of the 7 Grachtenrondvaart Alkmaar ...............C3
Town Among the Historic Buildings book-
let (€2.50) from the tourist office. It covers ÿ Sleeping
historical buildings such as the Renaissance 8 Hotel Stad en Land ............................... A1
Stadhuis in extensive detail.
ú Eating
Waaggebouw HISTORIC BUILDING 9 Cafe Restaurant De Buren...................C3
10 De Vlaminck...........................................C3
(Weigh House; Waagplein 2; hcarillon 6.30pm &
7.30pm Thu, 11am & noon Fri, noon & 1pm Sat mid- û Drinking & Nightlife
Apr–mid-Sep) Built as a chapel in the 14th De Boom ........................................ (see 4)
century, the Waaggebouw was pressed into
service as a weigh house two centuries later. ý Entertainment
This handsome building houses the tour- Theater De Vest ............................ (see 5)
ist office and the Hollands Kaasmuseum
(Dutch Cheese Museum; www.kaasmuseum.nl; þ Shopping
Waagplein 2; adult/child €3/1.50; h10am-4pm 11 De Tromp Kaashuis ..............................C3
Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, to 4pm Sat Nov-Mar), with a
reverential display of cheesemaking uten- ï Information
Tourist Office................................. (see 2)
sils, photos and a curious stock of paintings
by 16th-century female artists.
114
ALKMAAR’S CHEESE MARKET of Dutch beer commercials since the 1950s
will have you in stitches. After your tour,
head to the sociable bar, De Boom.
Kaasmarkt (Cheese Market; Waagplein; T Tours
h10am-noon Fri Apr–early Sep) On Fri-
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TNAolokurmrtashaHro llan d day mornings, waxed rounds of kaas Grachtenrondvaart Alkmaar CANAL TOUR
(cheese) are ceremoniously stacked on (www.rondvaartalkmaar.nl; Mient; adult/child
the main square. Soon, porters appear €6/4.50; hhourly 11am-5pm Apr-Oct) Scenic
in colourful hats (denoting the cheese canal tours with multilingual commentary
guild), and dealers in white smocks depart from Mient, near the Waagplein, and
insert a hollow rod to extract a cheese last 45 minutes.
sample, and sniff and crumble to check
fat and moisture content. Once deals are 4 Sleeping
struck, the porters whisk the cheeses on Camping Alkmaar CAMPGROUND €
wooden sledges to the old cheese scale. (%072-511 69 24; www.campingalkmaar.nl; Berger-
It’s primarily for show, but as living relics weg 201; campsites €23-27, cabins €45; W) This
go it’s both fascinating and entertaining. year-round campground lies in a pleasant
copse convenient to the ring road, 1km
northwest of the train station. Tent sites
The mechanical tower carillon springs to are sheltered; wooden cabins (without
life with jousting knights. bathrooms) sleep two people. Take bus 6 to
Stedelijk Museum MUSEUM Hogeschool (10 minutes).
(http://stedelijkmuseumalkmaar.nl; Canadaplein 1; Hotel Stad en Land HOTEL €€
adult/child €10/free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) The
Stedelijk Museum’s collection of oil paint- (%072-512 39 11; www.stadenlandhotelalkmaar.nl;
Stationsweg92-94; s/d/tr/ffrom€62.50/85/115/130;
ings by Dutch Masters, including impres- W) Close to the train station, with 23 basic
sive life-sized portraits of Alkmaar nobles, is
alone worth the entry fee. Other works show yet comfy rooms, Stad en Land is a good
choice for a short overnight visit. Rooms at
the city in post–Golden Age decline; sombre the rear are the quietest and overlook a little
scenes of almswomen caring for the poor
recall how the church’s role grew as trade pond.
declined. Modern works on display include 5 Eating
Charley Toorop’s odd oil painting of the Alk-
maar cheese market; her cheese-bearers with Charming restaurants and bars surround
grotesque features remain controversial. the Waag and the Bierkade quay. Away from
the cheese-market madness, Koorstraat and
Grote Kerk CHURCH Ritesvoort have many excellent bistros and
cafes.
(www.grotekerkalkmaar.nl; Kerkplein; h11am-5pm
Tue-Sun Jun-Aug, Thu-Sat mid-Apr–May) F
Alkmaar’s Grote Kerk is renowned for its or-
gans. The most famous is the little ‘Swallow De Vlaminck FRITES €
Organ’ (1511) in the north ambulatory. The (www.devlaminck.nl; Voordam 2; frites from €2.50;
17th-century organ built by Jaco van Campen h11am-7pm Fri-Wed, to 9.15pm Thu) The fries
dominates the nave. Organ recitals – which are superb at this storefront counter, as are
will thrill any fan of 1930s horror movies – the 17 different sauces, including peanut,
take place on Wednesday evenings and at sambal oelek (Indonesian chilli sauce), gar-
noon on days when the church is open. The lic, and tomato ketchup. Take your paper
pastel stained-glass windows bathe the inte- cone to the benches in front alongside the
rior in spring colour. canal.
Abby’s INTERNATIONAL €€
(%072-511 11 11; www.restaurantabbys.nl;
Nationaal Biermuseum MUSEUM Ritesvoort 60; mains lunch €6-19.50, dinner €16.50-
(www.biermuseum.nl; Houttil 1; adult/child €4/2; 27.50; h11am-10pm) In the shadow of an old
h10.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat Jun-Aug, 1-4pm Mon-
Sat Sep-May) Housed in the atmospheric windmill, Abby’s has cool jazz inside and
old De Boom brewery, the Nationaal cool breezes outside on the terrace. Soups,
Bierm useum has a decent collection of salads and sandwiches are the mainstays
beer-making equipment and wax dummies at lunch, but dinner has more adventurous
showing how the suds were made. The video offerings: tournedos (small, round pieces of
115
tenderloin beef) with caramelised fennel, 88 Information
squid-ink linguine with Norwegian lobster,
and shredded daikon (peppery radish) with Tourist office (VVV; % 072-511 42 84; www.
prawns in vodka tempura. vvvalkmaar.nl; Waagplein 2; h10am-4pm Mon-
Thu & Sat, 9am-4pm Fri Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm
Cafe Restaurant De Buren INTERNATIONAL €€ Mon-Sat Oct, 1-4pm Mon, 10am-4pm Tue-Sat
(www.restaurant-deburen.nl; Mient 37; mains Nov-Mar) In the Waaggebouw, the towering old
€15.50-26.50; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat, 11am-9pm weigh house.
Sun) Outside tables at this vintage cafe/
restaurant stretch along the canal and wrap 88 Getting There & Away H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d DNBrooirnetkkhi noHgpo l&LlaNaningdhetdli jikfe
around to the old fish market. The menu
spans the globe, with dishes such as coq au BICYCLE
vin blanc (chicken thighs in white wine), National route LF7 runs west 9km to link with
steak and frites with pepper-cognac sauce, the LF1 coastal route. It runs east 28km to join
pumpkin ravioli, smoked spare ribs with the LF21 which follows the IJsselmeer and links
corn on the cob, and feisty Thai curries. Edam, Hoorn and Amsterdam.
Rent a Scooter Alkmaar (www.ras-alkmaar.nl;
6 Drinking & Nightlife Molenbuurt 21; bikes/electric bikes/scooters
per 24hr €13.50/35/65; h 9am-5pm Mon-
oDe Boom BROWN CAFE Sat) Rents not only scooters but bicycles and
electric bikes too.
(http://proeflokaaldeboom.nl; Houttil 1;
h2pm-midnight Sun & Mon, 1pm-midnight Tue & TRAIN
Wed, 1pm-2am Thu-Sat) The pub on the ground The train station is 1km northwest of the centre.
floor of the Nationaal Biermuseum lives up Destination Fare (€) Duration Frequency
to its location. The inside is unchanged since (min) (per hour)
the 1930s – you expect to hear a scratchy 35 4
78rpm playing. Outside you can enjoy the Amsterdam 7.40 30 2
fine selection of brews at seats on a moored Den Helder 7.80 50 2
old canal boat. Live jazz plays on Thursday Enkhuizen 7.80 25 2
nights. Hoorn 4.90
3 Entertainment Broek op Langedijk
Alkmaar has a lively arts scene – pick up a % 0226
copy of the monthly Alkmaar Agenda (free)
from the tourist office to see what’s on. The vast waterlogged area north of Alkmaar
was once home to 15,000 tiny, yet produc-
Theater De Vest PERFORMING ARTS tive, farms, each one an island. Rather than
tending to their crops by tractor or getting
(%072-548 98 88; www.theaterdevest.nl; Canada about by road, the farmers used rowboats.
plein 2; hbox office noon-4pm Mon-Sat, 30min Most of the farms have been replaced by
before performance Sun) The centre for Alk- developments but in the town of Broek op
maar’s highbrow entertainment, De Vest Langedijk, about 8km northeast of Alkmaar,
runs the gamut from traditional plays and the fascinating Museum Broeker Veiling
puppet shows to avant-garde dance. In sum- (Museum Broeker Auction; www.broekerveiling.nl;
mer Canadaplein turns into a stage for the Museumweg 2; adult/child €16.50/8.75; h10am-
performing-arts festival Zomer op het Plein 5pm Jul & Aug,Tue-Sun Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct,Wed-Sun
(Summer on the Square). Nov-Mar) recalls this way of life.
7 Shopping The centrepiece of this surprisingly fun at-
traction is a vast auction house where farmers
Langestraat is the pedestrianised shopping arrived with boatloads of produce then wait-
street with mainstream stores. Laat has a ed – afloat – inside, until they could paddle
more interesting and diverse collection. through an auction room where wholesale
grocery buyers would bid on the produce.
De Tromp Kaashuis CHEESE Built in 1878, it sits on 1900 piles. You can
tour the immense interior and re-created
(www.kaashuistromp.nl; Magdalenenstraat 11; auctions where the winning bid gets a bag
h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat) If you’re look-
ing to pick up some cheese after seeing so
much of it, check out this quality-certified
shop where samples abound.
116
of apples. Prices include auction-house and Rode Steen (Red Stone or Fortress), the
museum entry as well as a boat ride. square named for the blood that once flowed
from the gallows. On the northeastern side
On its exterior, the museum shows some of the square, the Waag, the 17th-century
of the 15,000 islands. Inside, the exhibits on weigh house, has a carved unicorn, the town
how the farms worked are a combination of symbol.
high-tech wizardry and old-fashioned mech-
anised gadgets. It runs 45-minute tours oWestfries Museum MUSEUM
around some of the 200 surviving island
plots nearby. On the grounds you can see (http://wfm.nl; Rode Steen 1; adult/child €8/free;
some of the traditional crops in situ. There’s h11am-5pm Mon-Fri, 1-5pm Sat & Sun) Housed
a fine little cafe. in the former seat of the Staten-College
(States’ Council), the body that once gov-
From Alkmaar take bus 10 (30 minutes, erned seven towns in Noord-Holland, this
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NSHiogorhtrthns H&oAlcltainvdi t i e s hourly) to the museum. A 9km bike route absorbing museum has a rich collection of
from Alkmaar follows canals and passes historical paintings – so rich that it was the
through the tiny old village of Sint Pancras. target of art theft in 2005, when paintings
worth €10 million were stolen (and are still
missing). Fortunately four large group por-
Hoorn traits of prominent schutters (civic guards)
by Jan A Rotius (1624–66) remain.
% 0229 / POP 71,888 The building’s 1632 wedding-cake facade
bears the coat of arms of Oranje-Nassau, the
With a magnificent horn-shaped harbour, Dutch-German royal dynasty that the Dutch
for which it’s named, a string of museums named as rulers when Napoleon left. Its rear
and excellent restaurants, Hoorn attracts courtyard has a number of curious stone
both weekenders and skippers alike. It tablets from local facades.
was once the capital of West Friesland and,
thanks to the presence of the Dutch mer- Hoofdtoren HISTORIC BUILDING
chant fleet, a mighty trading city. As a mem-
ber of the League of Seven Cities, it helped (Hoofd 2) Overshadowing surrounding his-
free the country from the Spanish who occu- toric buildings, the massive defensive gate
pied the town from 1569 to 1573. Hoofdtoren (1532), topped by a tiny belfry,
now houses one of Hoorn’s best restaurants.
Hoorn’s most famous son, explorer Wil-
lem Schoutens, named South America’s Museum van de Twintigste Eeuw MUSEUM
storm-lashed southern tip – Cape Horn – (Museum of the 20th Century; www.museumhoorn.
after his home town in 1616. nl; Krententuin24,Oostereiland; adult/child€8/3.50;
h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun) In the
1 Sights & Activities vast former prison on Oostereiland, south of
the Hoofdtoren, this entertaining museum
A stroll through Hoorn’s streets lined by is devoted to household goods and modern
16th-century buildings is one of the town’s inventions. Among the eye-openers are a
greatest draws. The scenic harbour is lined 1964 Philips mainframe computer – a clun-
by stately gabled houses, especially along ky bookcase-sized unit with a whole 1KB of
Veermanskade. Check out the old ware- memory – and a 30-sq-metre scale maquette
houses on Bierkade, where lager was (model) of Hoorn in 1650.
brought from Germany.
Affiche Museum MUSEUM
The old quarter begins about 800m
southeast of the train station. From the sta- (Dutch Poster Museum; www.affichemuseum.nl;
tion, walk south along broad Veemarkt to Grote Oost 2-4; adult/child €3.50/1.75; h11am-
Gedempte Turfhaven, turn right and take 5pm Tue-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun) The proud
the first left into Grote Noord, the pedes- graphic-art traditions of the Netherlands are
trianised shopping street. At the end is the celebrated through the display of scores of
scenic main square, Rode Steen. The main posters. Many are beautiful and evocative old
harbour is 300m further southwest, down a
road named West.
Rode Steen SQUARE prints from the age of steamships and trains.
Hoorn’s heyday as a shipping centre is Museum Stoomtram STEAM TRAIN
long gone, but the imposing statue of Jan
Peterszoon Coen, founder of the Dutch (%0229-214 862; www.museumstoomtram.nl;
circle ticket adult/child €21/15.80; hApr-Oct)
East India Company, still watches over the Not a museum in the traditional sense, this
117
historic steam locomotive puffs between hnoon-10pm) A spiralling red-brick staircase
Hoorn station and Medemblik (22km; one leads up to this exquisite restaurant inside
hour). You can combine train and boat Hoorn’s historic Hoofdtoren. In a candlelit
travel on the ‘Historic Triangle’ (adult/child bare-boards space, it serves high-end fare –
€26/19.30): from Hoorn to Medemblik by truffle risotto; beef steak with polenta, ruc-
steam train, then by boat to Enkhuizen and cola staampot (mash) and red-wine jus; sole
finally a regular NS train back to Hoorn. De- with sautéed spinach – at good-value pric-
parture times vary, confirm in advance. es; reservations are recommended. On the
ground floor, its bar has outdoor pavement
4 Sleeping seating in summer.
oGevangenis Hotel Hoorn DESIGN HOTEL € Oude Waegh GRAND CAFE €€
(www.oudewaegh.nl; Rode Steen 8; mains lunch €5-
(%0229-820 246; http://gevangenishotelhoorn. 12.50,dinner €11.50-23.50; hkitchen 8am-9pm Sun- H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NHSloeoretrphni nHgo llan d
nl; Schuijteskade 5; cell s/d €65/73, standard d/f Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat) On the main square in
€80/160; W) Oostereiland’s enormous former the splendid Waag building, this local gather-
prison – still with bars on its windows – is ing place has a terrace strung with fairy lights
now partly occupied by this hip hotel. You can and a bustling dining room where you can
sleep in 11 cells (converted to include a private dine on lunchtime dishes such as steak sand-
bathroom) behind the original cell doors, or wiches, fish burgers and beef carpaccio with
if that’s too unnerving, in 14 standard rooms. pesto and Parmesan, or evening meals such
Also here is a light-filled, harbour-view bras as steak with pepper sauce, and satay-chicken
serie. Parking is across the bridge. skewers with cassava chips.
The complex also houses a cinema, as oMarque
well as the Museum van de Twintigste Eeuw.
Hotel de Keizerskroon HOTEL € MODERN EUROPEAN €€€
(%0229-508 323; www.marquerestaurant.nl; Bier-
(%0229-212 717; www.keizerskroonhoorn.nl; Breed kade 2; mains €29-35, 3-/4-/5-/6-/7-course menu
33; s/d/tr from €75/95/105; W) Conveniently
situated in the town centre, this 23-room €39.50/45.50/55.50/66.50/72.50; hnoon-2pm
& 6-10pm Wed-Sun) Marque’s kitchen is at the
hotel-restaurant has basic dated but perfect- cutting edge, creating dishes like foie gras,
ly clean, serviceable rooms, though beware
that there’s no lift and no soundproofing, so beetroot, apple and hibiscus terrine; Gillar-
deau oysters poached in Champagne; plaice
it can be noisy until late at night. Walk-in with seaweed and algae; spring lamb with
rates are often much cheaper.
new potatoes and honey jus; and passion
fruit soufflé with white chocolate. It’s set
Bed & Breakfast Grote Noord B&B €€ in a red-shuttered canal-side house, with a
(%06 2871 9018; www.bedandbreakfastgrote
noord.nl; Grote Noord 3; s/d €84/94; W) The mezzanine loft and pavement tables in fine
weather. Book ahead.
Rode Steen is just metres from this historic
B&B. Both of its rooms (medium and large)
have exposed 16th-century timbers, as well 7 Shopping
as toasty open fireplaces and amenities in- Hoorn Markt MARKET
cluding iPod docks and minibars. (Breed; h10am-2pm Sat) Hoorn’s weekly
open-air market unfurls along Breed every
5 Eating Saturday.
Wormsbecher SEAFOOD € 88 Information
(%0229-214 408; http://wormsbechervis.nl;
Wijdebrugsteeg 2; dishes €4-13.50; h11am-6pm) Tourist office (VVV; % 0229-218 343; www.
Turquoise tiles front this classic fresh-fish vvvhartvannoordholland.nl; Rode Steen 1;
takeaway outlet. It’s a perfect place to try out h11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun Jul & Aug,
the locally loved smoked eel. A fine seafood 11am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Jun & Sep-Nov, closed
salad is a bargain at €7.50. There are plen- Dec-Mar) In the Westfries Museum building.
ty of picnic spots along the harbour and on 88 Getting There & Around
Oostereiland.
BICYCLE
oDe Hoofdtoren MODERN EUROPEAN €€ National bike route LF21 runs 20km south to
(%0229-215 487; www.dehoofdtoren.nl; Hoofd 2; Edam and joins the LF15 for the 25km coastal
mains lunch €14.50-24.50, dinner €18.50-24.50, run to Enkhuizen.
3-/4-/5-course dinner menu €34.50/39.50/44.50;
118
Fietspoint Ruiter (%0229-217 096; Station- ¨¨Buitenmuseum
plein 1; bike rental per day from €9; h4.50am- Opened in 1983, the Buitenmuseum was
1am Mon-Thu, 4.50am-2.40am Fri & Sat, assembled from houses, farms and sheds
7.30am-1am Sun) Hoorn is a popular Amster- trucked in from around the region to show
dam commuter town and this bike garage/ Zuiderzee life as it was from 1880 to 1932.
rental outlet at the station operates virtually Every conceivable detail has been thought
around the clock. through, from the fence-top decorations and
BUS choice of shrubbery to the entire layout of
The bus station is outside the train station. villages, and the look and feel is certainly
Bus 135 serves Den Helder (1¼ hours, hourly). authentic. An illustrated guide (in English),
Change buses at Den Oever for trips across the included in the ticket price, is an essential
IJsselmeer towards Leeuwarden. companion on your tour.
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d SENniogkrhhtthusiHz&eoAnlcltainvdi t i e s Buses 314 and 317 serve Edam (30 minutes, four Inhabitants wear traditional dress,
times hourly); they’re covered on a Waterland and there are real shops such as a bakery,
Ticket (p108).
chemist and sweets shop. Workshops run
demonstrations throughout the day. Though
TRAIN varying in character, the displays join seam-
Destination Price (€) Duration Frequency lessly: lime kilns from Akersloot stand a
(min) (per hour) few metres from Zuidende and its row of
Monnickendam houses, originally built out-
Alkmaar 4.90 25 2 side the dykes. Don’t miss the Urk quarter,
raised to simulate the island town before the
Amsterdam 8 35 4 Noordoostpolder was drained. For a special
Enkhuizen 3.90 25 2
There’s a heritage route to Medemblik and postmark, drop your postcards at the old
Enkhuizen run by the Museum Stoomtram post office from Den Oever. The Marker Ha-
(p116). ven is a copy of the harbour built in 1830 on
what was then the island of Marken. There’s
a fun playground at the entrance.
While the grounds are open all year, there
Enkhuizen are activities here only from April to October.
% 0228 / POP 18,383 ¨¨Binnenmuseum
Occupying a museum complex adjoining
Enkhuizen may be a quaint town today but the Peperhuis, this indoor museum is in
during the Golden Age its strategic har- the former home and warehouse of a Dutch
bour sheltered the Dutch merchant fleet. It shipping merchant. The displays include a
slipped into relative obscurity in the late 17th fine shipping hall: paintings, prints and oth-
century but now possesses one of the largest er materials tell of the rise and fall of the
recreational vessel fleets on the IJsselmeer. fishing industry, and the construction of
the dykes. Here too are cultural artefacts,
For many travellers, Enkhuizen’s biggest such as regional costumes, porcelain, silver
drawcard is the Zuiderzeemuseum, one of and jewellery, that indicate the extent of the
the country’s finest. country’s riches at the time.
1 Sights & Activities
oZuiderzeemuseum MUSEUM
(%0228-351 111; www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl; Wier- Drommedaris HISTORIC BUILDING
dijk 12-22; adult/child €15/10; hBinnenmuseum
10am-5pm year-round, Buitenmuseum 10am-5pm Located between the Buitenhaven and the
Oude Haven, the Drommedaris was built as
Apr–late Oct) This captivating museum con- a defence tower as part of the 16th-century
sists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air
Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt town walls. Once a formidable prison, it now
serves as a meeting hall. Its clock-tower ca-
and relocated dwellings and workshops, rillon tinkles on the hour.
and indoor Binnenmuseum, devoted to
farming, fishing and shipping. Visitors are Flessenscheepjes Museum MUSEUM
encouraged to leave their vehicles at a car (Bottleship Museum; www.flessenscheepjesmuseum.
nl; Zuiderspui 1; adult/child €4/2.50; hnoon-5pm
park (€5) off the N302 at the south edge of mid-Feb–Oct, Sat-Mon Nov–mid-Feb) Almost as
town. A ferry (included in admission; every
15 minutes April to October) links the car tiny as the boats in its collection, this en-
chanting museum has a fascinating collec-
park with the train station and the Buiten- tion of ships in bottles carved by seamen
museum. Plan to spend half a day here.
119
through the ages. There are more than 1000 local produce, a lift and 24-hour reception,
examples, some up to 750 years old. A film as well as a fabulous rooftop terrace over-
shows the secret to their construction. looking the gate.
Waag HISTORIC BUILDING Hotel Garni RecuerDos B&B €€
(Waagstraat 1) At the east end of Westerstraat, (%0228-562 469; www.recuerdos.nl; Westerstraat
the 16th-century Waag (weigh house) over- 217; s/d from €63/88; W) Owned by a warm
looks the old cheese market. and welcoming music-society patron, this
stately manor house has three immaculate
Town Hall HISTORIC BUILDING rooms, each with its own garden terrace.
(Breedstraat 53) Enkhuizen’s classical town Enjoy breakfast in the glassed-in conserv-
hall was modelled after the Amsterdam
town hall that once stood on the Dam. You atory where there are often live music
performances.
can peek through the windows at the lavish H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d ESNlnoekrehtphui inHzgeonllan d
Gobelins tapestries. 5 Eating
Westerkerk CHURCH De Smederij MODERN DUTCH €€
(%0228-323 079; www.restaurantdesmederij.nl;
(www.westerkerkenkhuizen.nl; Westerstraat 138; Breedstraat 158; mains €21-25.50, 3-/4-course menu
h10am-5pm Sat Jul–mid-Sep) Along Wester-
straat you’ll spot the remarkable Westerkerk, a €36.50/39.50; h5-9pm Fri-Tue) Cute as a button,
15th-century Gothic church with a removable this cosy restaurant was once a forge, and
wooden belfry. The ornate choir screen and is now decorated with beautiful old framed
imposing pulpit are worth a look. Opposite maps. Hearty, highly creative seasonal fare in-
the church is the Weeshuis, a 17th-century cludes pumpkin and duck ravioli, guinea fowl
orphanage with a sugary, curlicued portal. in dark beer sauce, and salmon with truffled
hollandaise sauce.
4 Sleeping
De Drie Haringhe SEAFOOD €€€
Camping Enkhuizer Zand CAMPGROUND € (%0288-318 610; www.diedrieharinghe.nl; Dijk 28;
(%0228-317 289; www.campingenkhuizerzand.nl;
Kooizandweg 4; campsites €16.50-27.50; hApr-Sep) 3-/4-course menu €39.50/45; hlunch by reservation,
dinner 5-9pm Wed-Sun) Specialising in seafood,
On the north side of the Zuiderzeemuseum’s this upmarket locale has been receiving rave
Buitenmuseum, this popular site is a model
of self-sufficiency with beautiful white-sand reviews for years for its seasonally changing
Dutch- and French-inspired dishes such as
beaches, tennis courts and a grocery store. smoked-eel terrine with saffron mayo, smoked
oDe Koepoort BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€ salmon and crab cannelloni, and grilled sea
bass with green-asparagus risotto. It’s en-
(%0228-314 966; Westerstraat 294; s/d/tr/f from sconced in an old East India Company ware-
€80/95/130/150; paW) Adjacent to the
historic city gate De Koepoort, the western house, with a lovely walled summer garden.
gateway to the city, its namesake hotel has 6 Drinking & Nightlife
25 timber-trimmed designer rooms (some
with balconies) with ultracomfortable beds. oDe Mastenbar
BAR
Amenities include a lobby lounge with leather (www.demastenbar.nl; Compagnieshaven 3; h10am-
10pm) Hidden away down at the harbour, local
armchairs, bar, restaurant using seasonal
DYKE ROAD
The N302 between Enkhuizen and Lelystad is one of the country’s most extraordinary
routes. It runs along a narrow, causeway-like 32km-long dyke, completed in 1976 as the first
step of the reclamation of the Markerwaard. A cycling path parallels the road along its length.
Along the way you’ll pass below a high-tech causeway that connects Enkhuizen harbour
with the IJsselmeer, with ships floating over the motorway. A stone monument at the half-
way mark in the form of a chain link symbolises the joining of West Friesland with Flevoland.
Checkpoint Charlie (www.roadhousecheckpointcharlie.nl; N302; dishes €7.50-13.50;
h10am-2pm Mar-Sep, Fri-Mon Oct) Despite having no running water and generator-only
power, this outpost by the Dyke Road’s halfway-point monument at N52° 38’ .03” E05°
25’ .0” still manages to dish up pancakes, omelettes, sandwiches, toasties, schnitzel and
apple tart, which you can wash down with beer or rosé.
120
favourite De Masten has a cavernous nautical- dating to the 12th century and the Hanseat-
themed interior with printed maps on the ic League. Parts of the town are especially
ceiling, old ship’s wheels, compasses and cop- beautiful, including its busy harbour, old
per lanterns, and a panoramic sun-drenched waterfront streets and medieval fortress.
terrace where you can watch cruise boats and
working barges float past. Its kitc hen special- 1 Sights & Activities
ises in fresh seafood, Flemish onion soup and
tasting plates including wild game. Stroll along Kaasmarkt, Torenstraat, Nieuw-
straat and the Achterom canal to see richly
88 Information decorated building facades.
Tourist office (VVV; % 0228-313 164; www. Kasteel Radboud CASTLE
vvvhartvannoordholland.nl; Tussen Twee Havens
1; h8am-5pm Jul & Aug, 9am-5pm Apr-Jun (www.kasteelradboud.nl; Oudevaartsgat 8; adult/
& Sep–late Oct) Just east of the train station, child €6/4; h11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-5pm Sun
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d MINnoefdroterhmmbaHltoiiklolnan d Enkhuizen’s tourist office sells ferry tickets and May–mid-Sep, 2-5pm Sun mid-Sep–Apr) Pint-sized
a self-guided tour booklet in English (€1.50). Kasteel Radboud was built by Count Floris
V in the 13th century and served as a prison
before a 19th-century remodelling by Pierre
88 Getting There & Away Cuypers, the designer of Amsterdam’s Rijks
museum. The original floor plan has been
You can take a fun and historic trip between preserved and the imposing Ridderzaal
Enkhuizen and Hoorn and Medemblik on a steam (Knights’ Hall) still looks much as it did in the
train (p116) and boat combo. Middle Ages. Interpretive signs (in English)
BICYCLE detail the castle’s long history and the count’s
From Enkhuizen, Hoorn is 25km west along the undoing. It’s signposted from the harbour on
coastal national routes LF15 and LF21. the eastern side of town.
John Brandhoff Tweewielers (% 0228-325
771; www.johnbrandhofftweewielers.nl; Wester- Stoommachine Museum MUSEUM
straat 25; bike rental per day from €8; h 9am-
6pm Tue-Fri, to 5pm Sat) Rents bikes. (Steam Engine Museum; http://stoommachine-
museum.nl; Oosterdijk 4; adult/child €5.50/4.25;
h10am-5pm Jul & Aug, Tue-Sun mid-Feb–Jun &
FERRY Sep–mid-Nov) Ever wondered what drove the
Enkhuizen-Stavoren Ferry (% 0228-326 006; Industrial Revolution? Part of the answer
www.veerboot.info; adult/child one way €11/7; lies at the Stoommachine Museum, in the
h mid-Apr–Oct) The Enkhuizen–Stavoren Ferry old pump station outside Medemblik. Thirty
plies the IJsselmeer connecting Noord-Holland handsome old steam engines from the Neth-
with Friesland. The 90-minute trips depart once erlands, England and Germany are fired up
or twice daily from near the tourist office, which for demonstrations on various days; check
sells tickets. Boats dock in Stavoren, which is on the website for dates.
the train line to Leeuwarden via Sneek. The Museum Stoomtram (p116) departs
TRAIN from the old train station for Hoorn. You
Destination Price Duration Frequency can also catch a boat to Enkhuizen as part
(€) (min) (per hour) of a triangle tour.
Alkmaar 7.80 50 2
Amsterdam 10.90 60 2 5 Eating
Den Helder 12.40 90 2
De Twee Schouwtjes MODERN DUTCH €€
(%0227-547 077; http://detweeschouwtjes.nl;
Oosterhaven 27; mains €19.50, 3-/4-course menu
Hoorn 3.90 25 2 €30/36; h2-10pm Tue-Sun; W) Overlooking a
boat-filled canal, this rustic restaurant with
For Alkmaar, change at Hoorn. Den Helder heavy timber beams and butter-coloured
requires a change at both Hoorn and Heerhugo walls serves stunning contemporary fare:
waard, which is inconvenient but the fastest salmon and asparagus crème brûlée, mus-
public-transport option. tard soup with smoked eel, lamb with crispy
quinoa and mint jus, plaice with parsley
Medemblik sauce, and lemon tiramisu with orange and
tarragon crystalline granita. Owner Frank
% 0227 / POP 43,391 Groot often plays the piano and sings of an
evening.
About 12km northwest of Enkhuizen, Me-
demblik is the oldest port on the IJsselmeer,
121
88 Information restaurant near the Marine Museum and
ferry terminal. Gourmet sandwiches such
Tourist office (VVV; % 0227-542 852; www. as smoked beef, egg and truffle mayo are
vvvhartvannoordholland.nl; Kaasmarkt 1; served at lunch; dinner mains span beetroot-
h10am-5pm Jul & Aug, 11am-3pm Apr-Jun & marinated lamb with baked potatoes to
Sep-Oct) At the back of the local stationers, oven-r oasted sea bass with cherry tomatoes.
post office and tobacconist; hours can vary. You can just stop in for a beer, wine or cider.
88 Getting There & Around 88 Getting There & Away
BICYCLE BICYCLE H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d DNIneofnrotHrhmelaHdtoeilorlnan d
The national bike route LF21 runs south and east The LF1 Northsea route links Den Helder with
along dykes 21km to Enkhuizen. Sluis by the Belgian border, passing dunes along
the North Sea coast and fields of tulips around
BUS Julianadorp, around 9km south of Den Helder.
The nearest train station is in Hoorn; bus 239
makes the 30-minute journey twice hourly. TRAIN
Direct train services from Den Helder include
Den Helder Alkmaar (€7.50, 30 minutes, two hourly) and
Amsterdam (€14.10, 1¼ hours, two hourly).
% 0223 / POP 56,506
Texel
The workmanlike naval town of Den Helder
has a couple of interesting sights worth check- % 0222 / POP 13,641
ing out before you hop on the ferry to Texel.
Sweeping white-sand beaches, wildlife-rich
1 Sights nature reserves, sun-dappled forests and
quaint villages are among the highlights of
Marine Museum MUSEUM Texel, the largest and most visited of the
Wadden Islands. About 3km north of the
(www.marinemuseum.nl; Hoofdgracht 3; adult/child coast of Noord-Holland, Texel (pronounced
€6/3; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun tes-sel) is 25km long and 9km wide. It was
Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm Tue-Fri Nov-Mar) In the vast actually two islands until 1835 when a spit
former armoury of the Dutch Royal Navy, of land to Eyerland island was pumped dry.
displays at the Marine Museum cover naval
history mainly after 1815, the year the Neth- Before the Noordzeekanaal opened in the
erlands became a kingdom. You can run ram- 19th century, Texel was a main stop for ships
pant through several vessels moored on the en route to Asia, Africa and North America:
docks outside, including an ironclad ram ship the first trade mission to the East Indies be-
and a submarine left high and dry. Check out gan and ended here. It was also the scene of a
the exhibits on modern-day pirates. colossal maritime disaster: on Christmas Day
1593, hurricane-force winds battered a mer-
Fort Kijkduin FORT, AQUARIUM chant fleet moored off the coast and 44 vessels
sank, drowning about a thousand seamen.
(www.fortkijkduin.nl; Admiraal Verhuellplein 1, Huis
duinen; museum & aquarium adult/child €8/6; Sheep are everywhere across the island; the
h10am-5pm Apr-Oct, 11am-5pm Nov-Mar) Built local wool is highly prized and there are nu-
under Napoleon’s orders in 1811 to accom- merous dairies producing cheese. Cyclists will
modate 1400 soldiers, this hulking hilltop be enchanted and there are enough diversions
fortress (originally called Fort Morland) now to keep you entertained for days on end.
houses a military museum incorporating an
armoury, and a fantastic subterranean aquar- 1 Sights
ium with 14 tanks filled with every species of
marine life from the Waddenzee and North oTexel Dunes National Park NATIONAL PARK
Sea, one with a walk-through tunnel. Kids
love it. It’s located 4km east of Den Helder. (Nationaal Park Duinen van Texel; www.npduinen
vantexel.nl) The patchwork of dune-scape
5 Eating running along the western coast of the is-
land is a prime reason for visiting Texel. Salt
Kade 60 MODERN EUROPEAN €€ fens and heath alternate with velvety, grass-
(%0223-682 828; www.kade60.nl; Willemsoord 60; covered dunes; plants endemic to the habitat
mains lunch €6-16.50, dinner €16-24.50; hkitchen include the dainty marsh orchid and orange-
11am-10pm Tue-Sun) A former iron found- berried sea buckthorn. Much of the area is
ry now houses this cavernous canal-side
122
bird sanctuary and accessible only on foot. boggling. Demonstrations by rope-makers,
The visitor centre at Ecomare has schedules fish-smokers and blacksmiths take place in
and makes reservations for excellent two- the outdoor section, while the indoor displays
hour ranger-led dune walks in English and cover everything from underwater archaeolo-
Dutch (from €7.50). gy to windmill technology.
De Slufter became a brackish wetland Reede van Texel, which the museum
after an attempt at land reclamation failed; translates accurately as Texel Roads, has
when a storm breached the dykes in the ear- nothing to do with asphalt but rather is a
ly 1900s the area was allowed to flood and a vast and amazingly detailed model of the
unique ecosystem developed. To the south, shipping lanes and ports as they existed in
De Muy is renowned for its colony of spoon- the 17th century.
bills that are monitored with great zeal by
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TANecotxreitvlhi tHi eosllan d local naturalists. Lighthouse LIGHTHOUSE
A stone’s throw from the windswept beach (www.vuurtorentexel.nl; Vuurtorenweg 184, De
lies the dark, leafy forest of De Dennen, be- Cocksdorp; admission €4; h10am-5pm Apr-Oct,
tween Den Hoorn and De Koog. Originally Wed, Sat & Sun Nov-Mar) Battered by storms
planted as a source of lumber, today it has an and war, Texel’s resilient crimson-coloured
enchanting network of walking and cycling lighthouse stands 35m high. Climb its 153
paths. In spring the forest floor is carpeted steps for sweeping views across the islands
with snowdrops that were first planted here and shallow waters.
in the 1930s.
Ontstaan Uit Iepen van de
oEcomare WILDLIFE RESERVE Molenlaan SCULPTURE
(www.ecomare.nl; Ruijslaan 92, De Koog; adult/ (Arise From the Mill; Molenlaan, De Cocksdorp) Op-
posite De Cocksdorp’s supermarket, by the
child €12.25/8.25; h9.30am-5pm) Initially cre- car park, you’ll spot Ontstaan Uit Iepen van
ated as a refuge for sick seals retrieved from
the Waddenzee, Ecomare has expanded into de Molenlaan (Arise From the Mill; 2010)
by Meijert Boon, a three-storey-high timber
an impressive nature centre devoted to the sculpture in the shape of a traditional wind-
preservation and understanding of Texel’s
wildlife. It has displays on Texel’s develop- mill. A 45-step staircase twists up inside;
you can climb it for fabulous views.
ment since the last ice age and the island-
ers’ interaction with the sea, as well as large
aquariums filled with fish from the Wadden- Eureka Orchideeën & Vogelbush GARDENS
zee and the North Sea (including sharks); (Eureka Orchids & Birds; www.eurekatexel.nl;
outside there are marked nature trails. Schorrenweg 20, Oosterend; adult/chlld €7.50/5;
The highlight is the zeehonden (‘sea dogs’, h8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat, 10am-
ie seals) themselves. Their playful water bal- 5pm Sun Jul–mid-Sep, 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, to
let will delight even the most jaded visitor. Try 5pm Sat mid-Sep–Jun) June is the time to see
to catch feeding time at 11.30am or 3.30pm. wild orchids on Texel, a rarity in the country.
Porpoise feeding takes place at 10.30am and Otherwise, head for the steamy Eureka Or-
1.30pm; fish feeding is at 2.30pm. Rescued chideeën & Vogelbush to view native orchid
birds are the other main tenants. Look out species along with a menagerie of tropical
for the six skeletons of whales stranded in birds in a large greenhouse.
the Waddenzee, including a 15m-long sperm
whale carcass complete with 52 fearsome 2 Activities
teeth.
Texel has a total of 170km of well-s ignposted
oKaap Skil Museum cycling routes. All the roads are suitable
for bikes, and you can circumnavigate the
Van Jutters & Zeelui MUSEUM island following the dykes in the east and
the trails behind the dunes in the west. The
(Maritime & Beachcombers Museum; www.kaap tourist office sells maps and booklets of cy-
skil.nl; Heemskerckstraat 9, Oudeschild; adult/ cling routes and hiking trails.
child €8.50/6.50; h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm
Sun) A stunning new slatted-timber-encased
reception building made from recycled De Eilander BOATING
(%06 2063 4413; www.deeilander.nl; De Volharding
materials frames the superb Maritime & 6, De Cocksdorp; catamaran hire per hour from €45;
Beachcombers Museum. Its extraordinary hMay-Oct) Catamarans can be hired from
variety of flotsam and jetsam recovered near the Vlieland boat dock. Five-hour sail-
from sunken ships and the shore is mind- ing courses cost €160.
T Tours 123
Tessel Air SKYDIVING The still-working fishing harbour at Ou-
deschild is filled with former large prawn
(%0222-311 434; www.paracentrumtexel.nl; TexelAir- trawlers that found new life as tour boats.
port,Postweg 120; 15min scenic flight €39.50,tandem Competition is fierce and the best way to
parachute jump €209; hdailyApr-Oct,Sat by request choose a boat is to wander along the docks
Nov-Mar) Tessel Air offers 15-minute pleasure checking out itineraries and offers. Trips
flights over Texel (minimum two people), and around Texel sail close to an endangered
for a bit more cash they’ll explore the other seal colony on the sandbanks.
Wadden Islands. To really feel the wind in
your face, try a tandem parachute jump. Departure times are dependent on tides.
Kitesurf School Texel KITESURFING
(%06 1097 1992; www.kitesurftexel.nl; Paal 17, De Emmie TX10 BOAT TOUR
Koog; kitesurfer/windsurfer rental per hour from €15,
3hr lesson from €95; h9am-5pm Apr-Oct) Kitesurf (%06 5149 8614; www.garnalenvissen.nl; Oudes H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TNoeoxurertlsh H o llan d
child; 2hr tour adult/child €11/9; h10.30am &
School Texel offers exhilarating kitesurfing 2pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct) Prawns caught on the
and windsurfing lessons as well as rentals.
Emmie’s journey are prepared fresh for
passengers.
Ozlines WATER SPORTS
(www.ozlines.com; Paal 17, De Koog; equipment Texel 44 BOAT TOUR
rental from €8, lesson adult/child from €80/25;
h9am-7pm Jul & Aug, 1-7pm Sat & Sun Apr-Jun & (%06 5110 5775; www.tx44.nl; Oudeschild; 2hr
tour adult/child €11/9; h2pm Mon, 11am & 2pm
Sep-Oct) Rent kite-surfers, SUPs (stand-up Tue-Sat, 12.30pm Sun Apr-Oct) Purpose-built for
paddleboards) and surfboards at this surf
shop that sets up on groovy 17 Kilometre touring, the Texel 44 has a big upper deck
for seal spotting.
Beach. Lessons are also available.
Manege Elzenhof HORSE RIDING Texelstroom BOAT TOUR
(%0222-317 469; www.manegeelzenhof.nl; Bos- (www.texelstroom.nl; Haven, Oudeschild; 3hr tour
adult/child €22.50/18; h1.30pm Tue, Thu & Sat
randweg 252, De Koog; horse & pony ride adult/ Jul & Aug, Thu & Sat May, Jun, Sep & Oct) If you
child per hour €16/8, lesson per 30min €17.50;
h8.30am-5pm May-Oct) One of several prefer traditional sailing to a powered pleas-
ure craft, take a three-hour tour aboard this
horse-riding stables on the island, Manege beautiful 1906 yacht.
Elzenhof offers horse and pony rides and
lessons on gentle creatures lined up at the
troughs with their names inscribed on Tuk Tuk Express DRIVING TOUR
plaques. It also organises a two-hour beach (%06 2145 2052; www.tuktukexpresstexel.nl; Haven
12, Oudeschild; per day Mon-Fri/Sat & Sun €119/144;
ride per adult/child for €32/16. In July and h9am-7pm Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm Apr-Jun, Sep &
August, you can take a 2½-hour evening ride Oct, by reservation Nov-Mar) A fun way to spin
along the shore (adult/child €45/22.50). around the island is behind the wheel of a
NAVIGATING TEXEL
Ferries from the mainland dock at ’t Horntje on the south side of the isle, from where
buses head north to Texel’s six main villages.
Den Burg The island’s modest capital and main shopping destination; 6km north of ’t
Horntje.
De Koog Texel’s beachy tourist heart with a distinctly tacky streak; 5km north again.
Den Hoorn A charming village handy to tulip fields and windswept sand dunes; 5km
northwest of ’t Horntje.
Oudeschild The best harbour facilities on the island, a fine museum and splendid fish
restaurants; 7km northeast of ’t Horntje.
Oosterend Quiet hamlet with distinctive architecture; 6km northeast of Den Burg.
De Cocksdorp At the northern end of the island, this tiny village is a launch pad for the
island of Vlieland and the rest of the Frisian Islands.
Beaches on the west coast are numbered by the kilometre from south to north.
124
Texel 444e# 0
0 5 km
ABCD 2.5 miles
444444444431 Kilometre õ# ste dijk D
Beach Ù# 7 Vlieland
# Kilometre Beach
Ù# 33
11
11
4444444444N O R T H
SEA
äb29ÿ#27ä#áb\#29Ø#De1CK0olimckpssdtorarpat
444444444427 KiloBmeeatcrheÙ#
8 Hollandseweg
De Slufter äb29 ú#
Postweg Hoofdweg31
2 44444444442
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NFTeosxrtetlihvaHlosl&laEnvdent s 9 K12ilKo1NB9milTaeoKe1atBemt7icirelxohoeKeaDetmnÙ#cirlelh2aeoenD0BlmÙ#tFrBuHePKieeeaunoatilcBlrld1eorobhee5skBrsmaÙ#nØ#eD÷#c1e11ah#6et8c#zrRD2Ùn#1ú#3hØ#ÿ#eo4Ø#9nezÙ#E#\eeØ#n1äb1ú#WcnH2S#Hd238oiÿ#ejeo#\kê#3mmD2ÿ#ot201em4eraN6räbn252rKew08de3ro1TeweoOgoerggufDf2riiæ#ce4sPetM#\ÿ#DOï#6Dþ#eDuLeNnyDeÿ#25äb3S2äbB025EW83t18uRaaäbäb2ar2a9gW8rRlStäb#\2Ace99hdAæ#OiØ#Mÿ#2loLdwo8ueuSsE11yrÿ#ttl7w9w2uNeeferâ#etKV&e2Bäbge2gna0ar9\#UZwdnOæ#aÿ5S##ReeepuJrgGedwu2SlSeeu2t\#cksgti3hú#cOieol2hrorMirsalsedntnuecwsraeeegnuäbd2mr9
444444444444444444443P on twegNieuwlanderweg Hoofd eg Waddenzee
3
666444444444466644444¸0444440¸4444444444444444444 L
4
s
DePRoentdewegw eg
Veerhaven
Horntje
4444444Teso #\ 't
f#
5 Hors äb28 Route 28 : Veerhaven–Klimpstraat 5
4 4 4 4 44 4Den Helder
D äb29 Route 29 : Veerhaven–De Witte Hoek
(4km)
ABCD
4444444zlittle three-wheeled, four-seater, blue-and-
white tuk tuk (Italian Piaggio Calessino con- Festivals & Events
vertible, of which only 999 were made).
If you’re here during lambing season around
Easter, you’ll see adorable bouncy lambs all
over the island; locals enjoy taking a Lam-
Jan Plezier HORSE RIDING metjes Wandeltocht (walk to look at the
(%0222-316 225;
www.janpleziertexel.nl; tour
adult/child €16.50/8.50; h10am & 2pm Mon- lambs).
Sat Apr-Oct) Scenic three-hour horse-drawn
wagon rides follow one of two routes: one Ronde om Texel CATAMARAN RACE
primarily along the beach, and one through
the forest. Tours depart from the lighthouse. (www.roundtexel.com; hearly–mid-Jun) The
It also offers horse riding from €60 for three largest catamaran race in the world attracts
hours. some 600 participants and thousands of
spectators along the beaches.
125
Texel 19 Boutique Hotel Texel ..............................C2 H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NST leoexreetplhi nHgo &llEaantdi n g
20 Camp Silver Island Hideaway ................C3
æ Top Sights 21 De Bremakker ..........................................B3
1 Ecomare................................................... B3 22 Design Hotel Texel Suites ......................C4
2 Kaap Skil Museum Van Jutters & 23 Hotel De 14 Sterren .................................B4
Zeelui ..................................................... C4 24 Peek Lifestyle Lodges .............................B4
3 Texel Dunes National Park .................... B5 25 Stayokay Texel ........................................B4
26 Strandhotel Noordzee ............................B3
æ Sights 27 't Anker...................................................... C1
4 De Kroon van Texel................................. B4 28 Texel Yurts ...............................................C4
5 Eureka Orchideeën & Vogelbush .......... C3 ú Eating
6 Kaasboerderijk Wezenspyk ................... B4 29 Bij Jef.........................................................B4
7 Lighthouse ................................................ C1
8 Ontstaan Uit Iepen van de Molenlaan ...C1 De Worsteltent............................... (see 23)
9 Texelse Bierbrouwerij ............................ C4 Freya ............................................... (see 24)
Gusta................................................(see 19)
Ø Activities, Courses & Tours 30 Het Kompas .............................................B4
10 De Eilander................................................ C1 31 IJsboerderij Labora .................................C2
Emmie TX10 ...................................(see 22) Peek................................................. (see 24)
11 Jan Plezier................................................. C1 Restaurant Topido ........................ (see 27)
12 Kitesurf School Texel ............................. B3 32 Rôtisserie Kerckeplein ............................C3
13 Manege Elzenhof .................................... B3 't Pakhuis ........................................ (see 22)
14 Ozlines...................................................... B3 Taveerne De Twaalf Balcken .......(see 24)
15 Paal 17 ...................................................... B3 Vispaleis Rokerij van der Star ......(see 28)
16 Paal 19 ...................................................... B3 þ Shopping
17 Tessel Air ................................................. C2 De Kade .......................................... (see 22)
Texel 44...........................................(see 22) 33 De Texelse Chocolaterie.........................B4
Texelstroom ...................................(see 22)
Tuk Tuk Express ............................(see 22)
ÿ Sleeping
18 Bij Jef ........................................................ B4
4 Sleeping & Eating warm Mediterranean hues, and most have
a terrace or balcony with garden views.
There are more than 45,000 beds on the Breakfast is served in your room. Its bistro,
island, but it’s essential to book ahead, espe- De Worsteltent (%0222-310 288; www.14ster
cially in July and August. De Koog has by far ren.nl; Smitsweg 4, Dennenbos, Den Burg; mains
the most options, but hamlets such as Den lunch €6.50-13.50, dinner €17.50-24.50; hnoon-
Hoorn or De Cocksdorp are more peaceful. 8.30pm), brings Italian-accented fine dining
to a 300-year-old slate-floored thatched-
The tourist office has a list of B&Bs from roofed timber barn.
around €30 per person per night. Prices
drop in the low season (October to April) Stayokay Texel HOSTEL €
when island life slips into a lower gear. Texel’s (%0222-315 441; www.stayokay.com; Haffelderweg
11 main campgrounds teem in summer; the 29, Den Burg; dm €22-37, d €50-80; W) Texel’s
tourist office can advise on vacancies. Many modern HI hostel has 240 beds in clean, col-
farms also offer rooms and campsites. ourful rooms, and has a cafe on-site. You can
rent bikes to cycle to the beach 6km away.
With more than 27,000 sheep roaming
the island, lamb naturally gets top billing on Peek Lifestyle Lodges BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
menus, but seafood comes a close second. As- (%0222-313 176; www.peektexel.nl; Gravenstraat 3,
paragus season is celebrated in spring. Look Den Burg; d/ste from €95/140; W) In the heart
out for local food, beer and wine producers of Den Burg, this boutique gem has three
(p128).
4 Den Burg spacious, contemporary rooms in black,
white and slate tones. All have balconies; the
oHotel De 14 Sterren suite has a kitchenette. All-organic fare at its
HOTEL € street-level, blond-timber-panelled restaurant,
(%0222-322 679; www.14sterren.nl; Smitsweg
4, Dennenbos, Den Burg; d €70-85; W) On the Peek (%0222-313 176; www.peektexel.nl; Graven-
edge of De Dennen forest, charming Hotel straat 3, Den Burg; mains €19.50-25, 3-/4-/5-course
De 14 Sterren’s 14 rooms are decorated in
126
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NST leoexreetplhi nHgo &llEaantdi n g TEXEL’S BEACHES
The island offers idyllic swimming, cycling, walking, boating, or just relaxation. Its pristine
white beaches, lining the western shore in one unbroken ribbon, are numbered by the
kilometre and marked with a paal (piling) from south to north.
The currents can be treacherous; lifeguards are on duty in July and August from No 9
northeast of Den Hoorn to No 21 near De Koog.
No matter how crowded the island, with a little hiking you can always find a stretch of
deserted sand.
Top beaches:
¨¨No 9 Uncrowded, and popular with locals and nudists.
¨¨No 12 Uncrowded, with a sheltered cafe.
¨¨No 17 The party beach (www.paal17.com), where there’s always a groovy vibe. Lots of
day- and night-time activities, including windsurfing and kitesurfing.
¨¨No 19 The emphasis at this beach (www.paal19.nl) is on lounging with good food and
drink, but there’s good windsurfing and kitesurfing here, too.
¨¨No 20 Right in front of the tourist enclave of De Koog, and rather built-up.
¨¨No 27 A fairly isolated beach popular with nudists.
¨¨No 31 Near the lighthouse; no swimming due to treacherous rip tides but lots of wind
sports.
¨¨No 33 No swimming, but lots of beach sports and occasional seal-spotting.
menu €32.50/39.50/49.50; h6-10pm Thu-Mon) oBoutique Hotel Texel BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€
S, includes Texel lamb, beef and fish. (%0222-311 237; www.hoteltexel.nl; Postweg 134,
De Cocksdorp; d/f/ste from €115/165/175; Ws)
oFreya BISTRO €€ Texel’s best hotel has 42 stunning rooms (two
(%0222-321 686; Gravenstraat 4, Den Burg; of which are wheelchair accessible) in natu-
3-course menu €26.50; h6-9pm Tue-Sat) This ral charcoal tones, fabulous leisure facilities
petite, welcoming restaurant serves a daily including an indoor swimming pool, sauna
changing set menu (à la carte) of contempo- and beauty treatments, and an outstanding
rary Dutch cuisine along the lines of smoked restaurant, Gusta (%0222-311 237; www.hotel
duck breast with asparagus, herb-crusted texel.nl; Postweg 134, De Cocksdorp; mains €20-22,
Texel lamb with oven-baked potatoes, and 3-course dinner menu €32.50; hnoon-9pm), serv-
local berries with meringue topped with ing seasonal Texel produce such as Wadden-
clouds of whipped Texel cream. Reserva- zee platters with eels, prawns, cockles, fish
tions are a must. and lobster. It’s 4.5km south of De Cocksdorp.
Taveerne De Twaalf Balcken DUTCH €€ ’t Anker HOTEL €€
(www.12blacken.nl; Weverstraat 20, Den Burg; lunch
dishes €3-9, dinner mains €13-22; hkitchen 10am- (%0222-316 274; www.hotelhetankervantexel.nl; Kik-
kertstraat 24, De Cocksdorp; s/d from €47/93; iW)
10pm Mon-Sat, 5-9pm Sun; W) The cosy ‘Tavern This small, family-run hotel near Roggesloot
of the 12 Beams’ is a locals’ haunt that spe-
cialises in lamb dishes. Its front section is nature reserve is full of woodsy charm and has
basic yet comfy rooms behind a solid brick fa-
dark and subdued – perfect for sipping one cade, a lush garden and hearty breakfasts.
of the many Trappist beers on offer – while
the rear conservatory is light and airy.
Restaurant Topido BISTRO €€
(%0222-316 227; www.topido.nl; Kikkertstraat
21-23, De Cocksdorp; mains lunch €7-14.50, din-
4 De Cocksdorp ner €22.50, 3-/4-/5-/6-course dinner menu
€36.50/45/50/55; h11am-9pm Tue-Sun) In the
At the northern end of the island, little De heart of the village, casual Topido uses is-
Cocksdorp has a good-sized supermarket land produce in its menus. Lunch is a light
and some appealing cafes along its tidy low- affair (soups, burgers, sandwiches), but
key streets.
127
dinner dishes are creative: Texel lamb with 4 Oudeschild
roast beetroot; sea bass encrusted in locally
grown herbs; and local-vegetable strudel. If the kids need to work up an appetite, take
them to the pirate-themed playground at the
4 Den Hoorn north end of the harbour.
oBij Jef BOUTIQUE HOTEL €€€ Texel Yurts GUESTHOUSE €€
(%0222-319 623; www.bijjef.nl; Herenstraat 34, Den (%06 3077 1667; www.texelyurts.nl; Rommelpot
Hoorn; d €195-245; W) The eight simple yet 19, Oudeschild; 2-person yurt 3 nights/week from
stylish rooms in this former rectory come €375/855) Bed down in a luxurious fabric- H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NST leoexreetplhi nHgo &llEaantdi n g
with a bath, a lavish breakfast, views of the sided, timber-beamed yurt set in a shady
countryside and a sun-drenched balcony. Its clearing near town, and fitted out with beau-
sumptuous restaurant (%0222-319 623; www. tiful furniture and a woodstove. Hammocks
bijjef.nl; Herenstraat 34, Den Hoorn; mains €40, sway in the grounds. There’s a minimum
4-/5-/7-course menu €75/85/100; h6-9pm Wed- stay of one week in July and August, and
Fri & Sun,7-10pm Sat) has a constantly changing three nights the rest of the year.
menu created from local produce, meat and
seafood. Try for a garden table. Design Hotel Texel Suites DESIGN HOTEL €€€
(%06 5061 5558; www.texelsuites.com; Haven
MODERN DUTCH €€€ 8, Oudeschild; ste from €230) Inside a histor-
Het Kompas
(%0222-319 360; www.whiskybarplaza.nl; Heren ic harbourside brick warehouse, the three
straat 7, Den Hoorn; mains €33.50-45; hnoon- panoramic suites here are bigger than
10pm Apr-Oct, Wed-Mon Nov-Mar) Behind a dark many Dutch apartments: two are 90 sq
blueberry-coloured exterior, Het Kompas metres (one is a duplex), and the third is a
serves excellent – if pricey – modern Dutch whopping 140 sq metres with a huge gas-
dishes and really comes into its own as a powered fireplace. All have kitchens, baths
whisky bar. There are more than 3000 dif- and rain showers. Seafood caught daily is
ferent varieties; it also organises rare and the speciality of its restaurant, ’t Pakhuis
closed distillery tastings. There’s a flower- (%0222-313 581; www.pakhuis.com; Haven 8, Ou-
filled garden out back. deschild; mains €22.50-35.50, 3-/4-/5-/6-course
menu €35/45/55/62.50, with paired wines
€52.25/68/83.75/97; hnoon-9pm).
4 De Koog
De Koog’s main drag, Dorpstraat, Texel’s tour- Vispaleis Rokerij van der Star SEAFOOD €
ist haven, is lined with cheap chipperies, bis- (www.vispaleistexel.nl; Heemskerckstraat 15, Oude
tros of uncertain provenance and the island’s schild; dishes €4-9; h8.30am-6pm Mon-Sat)
only concentration of boisterous bars. Fresh-from-the-ocean seafood is dished up
at this cafe, including garlicky seafood soup
De Bremakker CAMPGROUND € and sublime smoked fish. Seating is basic –
(%0222-312 863; www.bremakker.nl; Templierweg go for a plastic chair on the terrace.
40; campsites for 2 people €31.50, chalets per week
from €335; hApr-Oct; a) This leafy and se-
rene campground is situated between Den 4 Oosterend
Burg and De Koog at the forest’s edge, about oCamp Silver
1km east of the beach. There’s a laundry and
Island Hideaway CARAVAN PARK €€
(%0222-318 571; http://campsilver.nl; Eenden-
snack bar, plus sports facilities including a kooiweg 2, Oosterend; d €120; hApr-Oct; pW)
football field, beach volleyball, a jumping
castle and bike hire (per day from €7), plus S Eight gleaming silver Airstream trailers
indoor ping-pong tables for rainy days. occupy this glamping paradise 5km north-
east of Den Burg, off Oosterenderweg. All
Strandhotel Noordzee HOTEL €€ are decked out with designer fabrics and
(%0222-317 365; www.strandhotelnoordzeetexel.
nl; Badweg 200, De Koog; d from €149) This is one shiny stainless-steel bathrooms. Rates in-
clude organic breakfast; the camp kitchen
of Texel’s few hotels directly on the sand. Its has a pantry with ingredients, heat-and-eat
10 comfy rooms (some with waterbeds) all
have North Sea views and some have bal- homemade meals and drinks on an honesty
system; there’s a groovy geo-dome-housed
conies; you can also unwind on the large lounge. Minimum stay is two nights.
beachside terrace.
128
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d INTneofxroetrlhmaHtoilolnan d ISLAND PRODUCE
Across the island you’ll find wonderful local produce, from fruit to cheese, chocolate, ice
cream, beer and (rare for the Netherlands) wine.
Texelse Bierbrouwerij (%0222-320 325; www.texels.nl; Schilderweg 214b, Oudeschild;
tour adult/child €9.50/4.50; htour 2pm & 3pm Tue-Fri, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm Sat) See how beer
is made at the island’s brewery, housed in a former dairy, on an informative 45-minute
guided tour (in English and Dutch). Tour prices include four tastings; you can drop in for
a drink on the terrace or at the bar. Its flavour-packed beers vary with the seasons and
are widely available across Texel.
De Kroon van Texel (www.wijngaarddekroonvantexel.nl; Rozendijk 32, Den Burg; vineyard
tour adult/child €9/2.50; hcellar door 10am-5pm May–late Sep, vineyard tour 11am Tue & Sat,
2pm Fri May–late Sep) Wineries across the Netherlands are few, so it’s especially worth
dropping in to De Kroon, a small but international medal-winning estate. One-hour tours
take you through the vines and end with three tastings, or you can just come to sample
and buy its Riesling, Johanniter, rosé and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Kaasboerderijk Wezenspyk (%0222-315 090; www.wezenspyk.nl; Hoondernweg 29, Den
Hoorn; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Sat) This small dairy between Den Hoorn and Den Burg is a
terrific place to taste and buy rounds produced from the local cows, sheep and goats.
A glass viewing window lets you see the cheese being churned. You can just pop by, or
book ahead for a one-hour tasting at 2pm Tuesday and Friday (adult/child €5.50/2.75).
IJsboerderij Labora (www.ijsboerderijlabora.nl; Hollandsweg 2, De Cocksdorp; ice cream per
scoop €1.25; hnoon-8pm Jul & Aug, noon-6pm May & Jun, 1.30-5pm mid-Feb–Apr, Sep & Oct) At
this working dairy farm, you can see the cows being milked (by robots) to make Labora’s
luscious ice cream. Each day there are 18 flavours, such as strawberry, made with straw-
berries grown on the farm, served in a giant waffle cone and topped with fresh strawber-
ries and handmade strawberry syrup and whipped cream from the cows’ milk.
Other varieties range from strender stropertje (caramelised Texel raisins) to red-wine
and cinnamon sorbet, and apple pie.
De Texelse Chocolaterie (%0222-313 179; www.detexelsechocolaterie.nl; Spinbaan 1a, Den
Burg; h9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) The heavenly aroma here of melting chocolate made from
fresh Texel milk will make you go weak at the knees. Its exquisite pralines and bonbons are
laid out like jewels, and come in shapes such as the island’s outline, lighthouse, sheep and
windmills. You can learn to make bonbons during two-hour workshops (€27; by reservation).
De Kade (Haven 9c, Oudeschild; h10am-6pm Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun
Mar-Jun, Sep & Oct) Hundreds of Texel-made products from all over the island are stocked
at this one-stop shop at Oudeschild’s historic harbour: cheese, wine, jams and preserves,
herbs, handicrafts, woollen blankets and clothes.
Rôtisserie Kerckeplein MODERN EUROPEAN €€ office is signposted from the ferry terminal; on
(%0222-318 950; www.rotisserie-texel.nl; Oester- the southern fringe of Den Burg.
straat 6, Oosterend; mains €11-35.50; h6-8pm Wed-
Sun) This cosy restaurant with loft seating has 88 Getting There & Away
refined the art of cooking local lamb, with
seven varieties of the tender island meat. Trains from Amsterdam to Den Helder (€14.10,
Wash it down with a dark Texels Speciaalbier. 75 minutes, twice hourly) are met by Texel
Hopper (% 0222-784 000; www.texelhopper.nl)
88 Information buses that whisk you onto the ferry, which the
bus also boards.
You’ll find ATMs in every town. Den Burg has
banks, bookshops, pharmacies and other A ferry (p203) runs from north of De Cocksdorp
services. to car-free Vlieland in the Frisian Islands.
Tourist office (VVV; % 0222-314 741; www.
texel.net; Emmalaan 66, Den Burg; h9am- Teso (% 0222-369 600; www.teso.nl; foot pas-
5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat) Texel’s tourist senger/car return €2.50/37, off-peak car return
Tue-Thu €25; hto Texel hourly 6.30am-9.30pm,
from Texel hourly 6am-9pm) Teso runs crossings
129
from Den Helder to ’t Horntje aboard huge ferries; trouble; Floris was imprisoned in 1296 and H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d NGMeoutritdteihnngH oAlrloaunndd
journey time is 20 minutes. On some summer murdered while trying to flee.
days there’s a service every half-hour – check the
timetable online. Services start half-hour to an Today, Muiderslot is the Netherlands’
hour later on Sundays. Car queues can be huge in most visited castle. The interior can be seen
high season; plan to arrive at the docks at least an only on 30-minute guided tours. The I Am-
hour before departure. sterdam Card (p99) is valid here.
88 Getting Around In the 17th century, historian PC Hooft
entertained some of the century’s greatest
BICYCLE writers, artists and scientists here, a group
Touring bikes can be rented in every town on Texel famously known as the Muiderkring (Muid-
and at the ferry terminal for about €6 per day. en Circle). Inside the castle, you’ll see pre-
cious furnishings, weapons and Gobelin
BUS hangings designed to re-create Hooft’s era.
Bus 28 run by Texel Hopper (%0222-784 000;
www.texelhopper.nl) operates throughout the Pampus HISTORIC SITE
year; a single trip anywhere on the island has a
flat rate of €3. You’ll need a paper ticket in ad- (www.pampus.nl; adult/child ferry & tour €20/11;
vance, available on board Teso ferries and from h9am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) Off the coast of
tourist offices. The route links ’t Horntje with Muiden lies a derelict fort on the island of
Den Burg (seven minutes) and De Koog (another Pampus. This massive 19th-century bunker
15 minutes) before returning via the Ecomare was a key member of a ring of 42 fortresses
wildlife reserve. Buses generally run hourly built to defend Amsterdam. Rescued from
during daylight (until 10pm in summer). disrepair by Unesco, it’s now a World Her-
itage site and is great fun to explore. Ferries
Texel Hopper also operates minibus services to Pampus depart from Muiderslot port on
around the rest of the island on demand – re- a varying schedule in season. Usually there’s
serve at least an hour ahead by phone or online at least one morning departure which allows
and pay by credit card or give the code of your a couple of hours to prowl the fort before a
prepaid bus ticket. mid-afternoon return.
TAXI 5 Eating & Drinking
Taxi Botax (% 0222-315 888; www.taxibotax
texel.com) Taxi Botax takes you between the Café Ome Ko BROWN CAFE
ferry terminal and any destination on the island,
including Den Burg (€16), De Koog (€26.50) and (www.cafeomekomuiden.nl; cnr Herengracht &
De Cocksdorp (€43.50). Book in advance. Naardenstraat; h8am-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri &
Sat) In warm weather the clientele of little
bar Café Ome Ko, with big green-striped
awnings, turns the street outside into one
big party. When there’s no party on, it’s a
Muiden perfect spot to watch the comings and go-
ings through the busy lock right outside.
% 0294 / POP 6576 It serves lunchtime sandwiches and classic
Dutch bar snacks (croquettes et al).
An ideal easy jaunt by bike from Amsterdam,
Muiden is an unhurried, historical town 88 Getting There & Around
renowned for its medieval red-brick castle,
the Muiderslot. Life otherwise focuses on BICYCLE
the busy central lock that funnels scores of National bike route LF20 passes by Amsterdam’s
pleasure boats out into the vast IJsselmeer. Leidseplein. Follow it east for 7km until it passes
under the A10 and look for the start of the LF23
1 Sights route. Cross the canal and follow the LF23 for 9km
through parklands southeast to Muiden.
oMuiderslot CASTLE
(Muiden Castle; www.muiderslot.nl; Herengracht 1;
adult/child €13.50/9; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, from
noon Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, noon-5pm Sat & Sun Nov-
Mar) Built in 1280 by Count Floris V, son of BUS
Willem II, the exceptionally preserved moat- Buses 320, 322 and 327 link Amsterdam’s Ams-
ed fortress Muiderslot is equipped with round tel station with Muiden (20 minutes, two hourly).
towers, a French innovation. The count was a The castle is then a 1km walk.
champion of the poor and a French sympa- FERRY
thiser, two factors that were bound to spell Ferries operated by Veerdienst (www.
veerdienstamsterdam.nl; Krijn Taconiskade 124;
130
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d SHNieogtrhtGthos oHio llan d AALSMEER FLOWER AUCTION
Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer (www.floraholland.com; Legmeerdijk 313; adult/child €7/4; h7-
11am Mon-Wed & Fri, 7-9am Thu) Aalsmeer is home to the world’s biggest bloemenveiling
(flower auction), run by vast flower conglomerate FloraHolland. Get to the viewing gallery
before 9am to catch the best action as the flower-laden carts go to Dutch auction, with a
huge clock showing the starting price. From the starting bell, the hand drops until a deal
is struck.
Take bus 172 from Amsterdam Centraal Station to the Hoofdingang stop (45 minutes,
four per hour, from 4.59am). Monday is busiest, Thursday quietest.
The one-million-sq-metre space sees some 90 million flowers and two million plants
change hands every day of operation. You can take an aromatic self-guided tour on a
3km-long wheelchair-accessible elevated walkway above the frenetic warehouse floor,
overlooking the choreography of flower-laden forklifts and trolleys. Along the route, sign-
boards with push-button audio recordings interpret the action.
The route also passes windows where you can peek into the auction rooms and see
blooms being prepped for display as the carts go to auction. More and more transac-
tions are taking place online, so catch it while it’s still here.
adult/child ferry & tour of either Pampas or Muid- long after its strategic importance had be-
erslot €20/15; h11am Tue-Fri, 11am & 1.30pm come moot.
Sat & Sun Apr-Oct) run from the newly built Am-
sterdam neighbourhood of IJburg (reached from Today, the walled town of Naarden-V esting
Amsterdam Centraal Station on tram 26 in 20 is an upmarket enclave with fine restaurants,
minutes). The ferry tickets include a tour of either galleries and antique shops.
Pampus or Muiderslot. Bicycles travel for free.
1 Sights
Inside the fortress, most of Naarden-
Vesting’s quaint little houses date from 1572,
Het Gooi the year the Spaniards razed the place dur-
ing their colonisation of Noord-Holland. The
Along the slow-moving Vecht River south- bloodbath led by Don Frederick of Toledo
east of Amsterdam lies Het Gooi, a shaded is commemorated by a stone tablet on the
woodland strewn with lakes and heath. In building at Turfpoortstraat 7.
the 17th century this ‘Garden of Amsterdam’
was a popular retreat for wealthy merchants,
and nature-hungry urbanites still flock to its oVestingmuseum
leafy trails to hike and cycle today. MUSEUM
(Fortress Museum; www.vestingmuseum.nl; West-
Naarden, on the Gooimeer to the north, walstraat 6; adult/child €7/5; h10.30am-5pm Tue-
has an intriguing fortress. The main town, Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun) The Vestingmuseum
Hilversum, is really just an Amsterdam brings context to the vast star-shaped fort
suburb with a few interesting early-20th- ress, which is thought to be the only one in
century buildings, most notably the Raad- Europe featuring a buffer of two walls and
huis (town hall; 1931) by Willem Dudok. two moats. You can stroll around on the
rolling battlements before descending into
the cramped casements for insights into a
Naarden soldier’s life here.
% 035 / POP 17,204
Naarden is a highlight of the Het Gooi Grote Kerk CHURCH
area thanks to its remarkable fortress,
Naarden-Vesting, on its northwest border. (www.grotekerknaarden.nl; Markstraat 13; church
This military work of art has the shape of free, tower adult/child €3/2; hchurch 10.30am-
a 12-pointed star, with arrowheads at each 4.30pm Tue-Sat, 1.30-4.30pm Sun & Mon mid-Jun–
tip. This defence system, one of the best pre- mid-Sep, tower 2-3pm Wed, Sat & Sun) It’s easy
served in the country, was – like closing a to spot the tall tower of the fort’s central
barn door after the horse has bolted – built Grote Kerk, a Gothic basilica with stun-
only after the Spanish massacred the inhab- ning 16th-century vault paintings of biblical
itants in the 16th century. The bastions were scenes. You can climb the tower’s 235 steps
staffed by the Dutch army until the 1920s, for a view of the leafy Gooi and the Vecht
5 Eating 131
River. Organ concerts are held throughout You’ll find some excellent dining options in-
the year – check the agenda for times and side the walls.
varying prices.
Comenius Museum MUSEUM Passionata DELI €
(www.comeniusmuseum.nl; Kloosterstraat 33; (www.passionata-naarden.nl; Marktstraat 31; dishes
adult/child €5/free; hnoon-5pm Tue-Sun) The
17th-century Czech educational reformer €3.50-12; h10am-6pm Tue-Sat, noon-6pm Sun)
This stylish Italian deli is a perfect source
Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius) is buried for picnic supplies you can take to enjoy out
in the Waalse Kapel (Walloon Chapel) of
the fortress’s former monastery. His life and on the town walls. Fantastic sandwiches in-
clude fillings such as prosciutto, bresaola,
work (he promoted the concepts of universal ricotta, Gorgonzola, truffle mayo, sundried
education for rich and poor) are related next
door at the Comenius Museum. Tickets are tomatoes and rocket. H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d TNHoeoturrtGsho oHio llan d
only available from the tourist office and the Fine BRASSERIE €€
Vestingmuseum, not at the Comenius Museum (%035-694 48 68; www.restaurantfine.nl; Markt-
itself. straat 66; mains €19.50-26.50, 3-course dinner menu
€29.50; hnoon-10pm Wed-Mon) Aptly named,
T Tours this cosy bar and restaurant has canal-side
Boat Tours BOAT TOUR wicker chairs and wooden tables, plus regular
art exhibitions. You can stop in for a glass of
(%035-694 1194; www.vestingvaart.nl; adult/child wine and a cheeseboard. The monthly chang-
€6.50/4.50; h1pm & 3pm Mon-Fri, 1pm, 3pm &
5pm Sat & Sun May-Sep, 1pm & 3pm Apr & Oct) ing menu is superb and highlights local sea-
food, such as Waddenzee oysters baked with
Enjoyable one-hour tours on vintage boats spinach and hollandaise, prawn and crusta-
explore the moats and some of the reedy
natural areas. cean risotto, and mussels with garlic and chilli.
DRAINING THE ZUIDERZEE
The Netherlands’ coastline originally extended as far as the sandy beaches of Texel and
its Frisian Island companions. The relentless sea, however, never seemed to be in agree-
ment with such borders, and by the end of the 13th century storms had washed sea
water over flimsy land barriers and pushed it far inland. The end result was the creation
of the Zuiderzee (South Sea).
The ruling Dutch had for centuries dreamed of draining the Zuiderzee to reclaim the
huge tracts of valuable farmland. The seafaring folk of the villages lining the sea were of a
different opinion, even though the shallow Zuiderzee constantly flooded their homes and
businesses, and often took lives with it. A solution needed to be found, and the only way
to tame the waves, it seems, was to block them off.
A huge dyke was proposed as early as the mid-17th century, but it wasn’t until the late
19th century, when new engineering techniques were developed, that such a dyke could
become reality. Engineer Cornelis Lely, who lent his name to Lelystad, was the first to
sketch out a retaining barrier. A major flood in 1916 set the plan in motion, and construc-
tion began in 1927. Fishermen worried about their livelihood, and fears that the Wadden
Islands would vanish in the rising seas were voiced, and while the former concerns were
legitimate, the latter proved unfounded.
In 1932 the Zuiderzee was ceremoniously sealed off by the Afsluitdijk (Barrier Dyke), an
impressive dam (30km long and 90m wide) that links the provinces of Noord-Holland and
Friesland. The water level remained relatively steady, but the fishing industry was effec-
tively killed as the basin gradually filled with fresh water from the river IJssel – this is how
the IJsselmeer was born. However, vast tracts of land were created and soon turned into
arable polders (areas surrounded by dykes where the water can be artificially controlled).
A second barrier between Enkhuizen and Lelystad was completed in 1976 – creating the
Markermeer – with the idea of ushering in the next phase of land reclamation, but the
plan was shelved because of cost and environmental concerns.
For more information on this vast human endeavour, spend some time at Lelystad’s
Nieuw Land (p133) museum, which details the land reclamation.
132
H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d LIFnlefleoyvsrotmlaaadtnido n SCHOKLAND
Schokland Museum (www.museumschokland.nl; Middelbuurt 3; adult/child €6/4.50;
h10am-5pm Jul & Aug, 11am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, 11am-5pm Fri-Sun Nov-Mar)
Schokland’s islanders eked out an existence for hundreds of years on a long, narrow strip
of land in the Zuiderzee. By the mid-19th century the clock had run out: fish prices plum-
meted and vicious storms were eroding the island away. The plucky locals hung on, de-
spite the appalling living conditions, prompting Willem III to order their removal in 1859.
Schokland was eventually swallowed up by the Noordoostpolder in the 20th century. The
Schokland Museum affords glimpses into this tortured past.
Displays, including a film in English, detail the history of the island, now a Unesco World
Heritage site. Views from the lower path hint at just how big the waves were at the prow-
shaped barrier, constructed from tall wooden pilings. Ironically, since the area was drained
the foundations have begun to dry out. Schokland is sinking but no longer into the sea.
There’s no public transport to the museum. By bike, the LF15 from Urk, 14km to the
west of Schokland, passes right through. Once here, you can follow a 10km route around
the old island.
88 Information (1968). The first residential rights were grant-
ed to workers who’d helped in reclamation
Tourist office (VVV; www.vvvgooivecht.nl; Ut and to farmers, especially those from Zeeland,
recht Gate, Westwalstraat 6; h noon-3pm Wed, who lost everything in the great flood of 1953.
Sat & Sun) Set in the old barracks, Naarden’s
tourist office has a free English-language self- The cities that sprang up bring to mind any
guided walking-tour leaflet of the town. thing but the Golden Age. The main hubs –
Almere, Lelystad and Emmeloord – are dull
88 Getting There & Around places, laid out in unrelieved grid patterns.
However, Lelystad has some good attractions
BICYCLE and the train line means you can stop off on
National bike route LF23 passes right through journeys to the northeast. The top highlights
Naarden-Vesting and is an ideal way to explore are the old fishing villages Urk and Schokland.
the extents of the star-shaped moat and nearby
waters of the Gooimeer. The castle at Muiden is Lelystad
11km northwest on the LF23.
TRAIN % 0320 / POP 76,285
Direct trains run between Amsterdam Centraal
Station and Naarden-Bussum (€4.70, 30 min- Unattractive modern architecture dominates
utes, up to four hourly). From the station, bus the disjointed sprawl of Lelystad, the capital
110 (five minutes, twice hourly Monday to Friday, of Flevoland province. Founded in 1967, it is
hourly Saturday and Sunday) runs to the for- an unfortunate example of urban planning
tress, otherwise it’s a pleasant 1.8km walk. gone awry. This expanse of steel and concrete
is, however, home to three superb museums
FLEVOLAND that are winners with kids and adults alike.
Flevoland, the Netherlands’ 12th and young- 1 Sights
est province, is a masterpiece of Dutch hydro-
engineering. From 1927 to 1932 an ambitious Lelystad’s Batavia exhibit and Nieuw
scheme went ahead to reclaim more than Land museum are next to Bataviastad, a
1400 sq km of land – an idea mooted as far mock fort containing a huge factory-outlet
back as the 17th century. The completion of discount-shopping centre. It’s 3km west of
the Afsluitdijk (Barrier Dyke) paved the way the train station and linked by bus 3 (10
for the creation of Flevoland. Ringed dykes minutes, two hourly).
were erected, allowing water to be pumped
out at a snail-like pace. Once part of Overijssel Bataviawerf HISTORIC SITE
province, the Noordoostpolder was inaugu-
rated in 1942, followed by the Southeastern (Batavia Yard; www.bataviawerf.nl; Oostvaardersdijk
Flevoland (1957) and Southwestern Flevoland 1-9; adult/child €11/5.50, combination ticket with
Nieuw Land €16/8.50, combination ticket with Luch-
tvaart Themapark Aviodrome €20/15; h10am-
5pm) Bataviawerf is home to a replica of a
133
17th-century Dutch merchant frigate, the TRAIN
Batavia, which took 10 years to reconstruct. There are a few regular services to/from Lelystad
The original was a 17th-century Titanic – station.
big, expensive and supposedly unsinkable.
True to comparison, the Batavia, filled to Destination Price (€) Duration Frequency
the brim with cannon and goods for the (min) (per hour)
colonies, went down in 1629 on its maiden Amsterdam 9.80 40 2
voyage off the west coast of Australia. The Groningen 22.10 1½ 2
replica, however, redeemed its predecessor Leeuwarden 21.40 1½ 2
in 2000 by sailing around the Pacific. Zwolle 10.30 30 2
The huge weathered wooden skeleton Urk H a a rle m & N o rth H o ll a n d FUE laretkvi noglan d
alongside belongs to the Seven Provinces, a
replica of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter’s mas- % 0527 / POP 19,567
sive 17th-century flagship that’s been under
construction in fits and starts for years with Until 1939, Urk was a proud little island
no completion date in sight. In a separate that was home to a sizeable fishing fleet
building, the Netherlands Institute for Mar- and an important signal post for ships
itime Archaeology displays the remains of a passing into the North Sea. It reluctantly
2000-year-old Roman ship found near Utrecht. joined the mainland when the surround-
ing Noordoostpolder was pumped dry.
Nieuw Land MUSEUM Although now cut off from the North Sea,
the town is still a centre of the seafood
(www.nieuwlanderfgoed.nl; Oostvaardersdijk 113; industry.
adult/child €9/4, combination ticket with Bataviawerf
€16/8.50; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri,11.30am-5pm Sat & Dozens of historic fishing boats are
Sun Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 11.30am-5pm Sat & moored around the harbour. At the western
Sun Sep-Jun) Nearly half the Netherlands was end of town, take the coastal walk around
created by land reclamation. Nieuw Land has the lighthouse. Just 70m off the shore lies
exhibits about polder reclamation aimed at the Ommelebommelestien, a slippery rock
kids, who can build model bridges or dams, said to be the birthplace of all native Urkers.
and navigate ships through locks. Legend also has it that, far from receiving
the delivery by stork, dad had to take a row-
Luchtvaart Themapark Aviodrome MUSEUM boat to pick up his newborn.
(www.aviodrome.nl; Pelikaanweg 50; adult/child
€17.50/15, combination ticket with Bataviawerf The supports of the village church, Kerk-
€20/15; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) Fronted by a re- je aan de Zee (Prinshendrikstraat 1; h10am-
ception area designed like an airport check-in 5pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun Apr-Sep), are made
counter, this hugely engaging museum has 70 entirely out of masts of VOC (Dutch East
historic aircraft on display, including a repli- India Company) ships that brought back
ca of the Wright Brother’s 1902 Flyer, Baron exotic goods from the East Indies. Inside
von Richthofen’s WWI triplane, a Spitfire and are ship models and, at times, haunting re-
a KLM 747. You can also play air-traffic con- citals by the choir. Across the road by the
troller in a re-created flight tower or watch water’s edge you’ll spot the Fishermen’s
aviation films in the mega-cinema. It’s at Monument, a lonely statue of a woman in
Lelystad Airport, 8km southeast of the train a billowing dress gazing seaward where her
station; take bus 148 (10 minutes, two hourly). loved ones were lost. Marble tablets around
the perimeter list the Urk seafarers who
5 Eating never returned – name, age and ship’s ID
number – with new names still being added.
Chains and fast-food outlets dominate the
Lelystad dining scene. The vast plaza by Bus 141 runs between Urk and Kampen
Nieuw Land has a few cafes, but your best (50 minutes, four hourly Monday to Sat-
option is bringing a picnic. urday, four daily Sunday) and Zwolle (1½
hours, four hourly Monday to Saturday, four
88 Getting There & Away daily Sunday).
BICYCLE Urk is 34km northwest of Lelystad on the
The national bike route LF20 starts near Muiden national bike route LF20. Zwolle in Overijs-
and runs across the reclaimed polder for 44km sel is 50km southeast on the LF15, a scenic
to Lelystad before veering off to the waterfront. ride of dykes, rivers and Schokland.
From here it continues northeast to Urk.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Utrecht
Includes Why Go?
Utrecht City. . . . . . . . . . 135 Don’t underrate the petite province of Utrecht. Its famous
Kasteel de Haar. . . . . 142 namesake city – with its throngs of students, tree-lined canals
Utrechtse Heuvelrug and medieval quarter – deserves the limelight. No set piece,
National Park . . . . . . . 142 it has a plethora of hip, fun bars and cafes. Those with
Amersfoort . . . . . . . . . 143 calmer tastes can visit more than a dozen museums big and
Oudewater. . . . . . . . . . 144 small. Wandering the backstreets, revel in reminders of the
17th century.
Best Places to Eat
And this is no mere city-state. By bike you can explore
¨¨Blauw (p140) evocative castles like the splendid Kasteel de Haar on Utre-
¨¨Lokaal Negen (p140) cht’s doorstep. To the east stretches the Randstad’s largest
¨¨Gys (p140) park, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, studded with more magnif-
¨¨Corazon Coffee (p144) icent estates. Amersfoort radiates medieval character, but
also honours native son Piet Mondrian and his minimalist,
Best Places to angular palette.
Drink
When to Go
¨¨Cafe Derat (p141)
¨¨Café Ledig Erf (p141) ¨¨At the heart of the country, Utrecht’s weather is perfectly
¨¨Kafé België (p141) average: cold and wet in the winter, with the potential for
¨¨Drie Ringen Bierbrouwerij damp, chilly conditions the rest of the year as well.
(p144) ¨¨Perfectly clear and sunny days can appear any time,
especially from April to October. These are prime times for
bike rides round the province.
¨¨In Utrecht city, there are tasty bock beer fests in the fall when
many cafés (pubs) and bars have the seasonal brew on tap.
\# 66e# 0 135
0
_# AMSTERDAM 10 km
5 miles
Muiden FLEVOLAND
#\ D
NOORD
HOLLAND Zwolle
(40km)
\# Naarden #\
Amstelveen ·/A1
#\
¸0/·A2 Hilversum
E35
]#
Loosdrechtse
0¸Breukelen \# Plassen
UTRECHT GELDERLAND
·/E30 A1
DKasteel
/·A27 ##]3 Amersfoort Apeldoorn
(20km)
de Haar E30
A30
U trec ht U tTRrEe cChH tT C iItTYy
D
D
#V#2
0¸ ¸0#\
##]1Haarzuilens
¸0¸0 60¸66A12 E30 Utrecht City
Woerden \# Zeist Utrechtse
\# Heuvelrug
National Park
Bunn#\ik A12
D
Den Haag Nieuwegein \# 66¸06#\#4 Doorn \#
(25km) N225Veenendaal #\
##\5 Oudewater #\
ZUID Amerongen \# Rhenen
HOLLAND Ne de r r ijn \#
¸0A27 0¸/·A2
E25
Breda Eindhoven 0¸ 0¸DA15 E31
(59km) Arnhem
666(33km) (21km)
Utrecht Highlights
1 Seeing clear to history at the Kasteel de 4 Getting a bike and
Amsterdam from the tippy- Haar (p142). pedalling out to Huis Doorn
top of Utrecht’s Domtoren 3 Discovering the narrow (p142), a palace in the woods.
(p136) or plunging into the canals and medieval 5 Checking your weight
city’s vibrant nightlife. confines of Amersfoort in witchiness at Oudewater
2 Feeling the weight of (p143). (p144).
UTRECHT CITY ing this ongoing transformation. Roads such
as Catharijnebaan are being turned back into
% 030 / POP 334,176 the canals they once were and the spectacu-
lar new train station, nearing completion,
Utrecht is one of the Netherlands’ oldest cit- adds a vital complement to the old town,
ies, with a compact medieval centre set out adjoined by a greatly expanded concert
around canals unique to the Netherlands: hall that includes five venues.
there’s a lower level where warehouses were
located in the 13th century, giving the canals Utrecht’s student population of 40,000 is
a split-level character and meaning that the largest in the country, making the city a
diners and drinkers can nip off the street and very vibrant place. From subterranean mu-
enjoy a snack or a drink down at water level. sic cellars to movie-houses-cum-pubs to a
slew of special beer cafés, the range of social
While the canals form Utrecht’s restful outlets ranks among the nation’s broadest.
core, elsewhere the city is busy reinventing
itself, and part of the excitement is witness-
136 oDomtoren HISTORIC BUILDING
History (Cathedral Tower; %236 00 10; www.domtoren.nl;
Domplein; tower tour adult/child €9/5; h11am-
In Roman times the Rhine passed through 5pm Tue-Sat, noon-5pm Sun) A remnant of Ut
present-day Utrecht, then called Trajectum. recht’s original 14th-century cathedral, this
In the following centuries the town had re- tower is 112m high, with 50 bells. It’s worth
ligious ties and formed part of various em- the 465-step climb to the top for unbeatable
pires. By the 11th century it was a centre of city views; on a clear day you can see Amster-
culture and learning while Amsterdam was dam. Visit is by guided tour only, departing
still just a grubby fishing town to the west. on the hour. Tickets can be purchased online
or at the tourist office across the square.
In 1579 several regions of today’s Neth- The cathedral and its tower are the city’s
erlands united under the Union of Utrecht. most striking medieval landmarks. Follow-
The Protestant religion was made official ing almost 300 years’ construction, in 1674
but, in an early nod to tolerance, it was de- hurricane-force winds blew down the nave,
creed that Catholics would not be persecut- leaving only the tower, transept and chancel
ed. Utrecht’s university was founded in 1636, that we see today.
the year after René Descartes, a visiting pro-
fessor, wrote Discourse on Method.U trec ht US itTgRrhEetCcshH Tt C Ii tTYyDomkerk CHURCH
In 1702 centuries of simmering animosity (Cathedral; www.domkerk.nl; Achter de Dom 1; do-
between the bishops of Utrecht and the Ro- nation requested; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat May-Sep,
man Catholic Church came to a head when 11am-4pm Mon-Sat Oct-Apr, 12:30-4pm Sun year-
the bishop was booted out of his job for fail- round) Immediately north of the Domtoren,
ing to recognise the pope’s infallibility. This find the row of paving stones that marks
caused a schism that resulted in the creation the extents of the nave and the position of the
of the Old Catholics Church in Utrecht. The columns. Across the way is the Domkerk, the
religion grew in popularity and peaked in surviving chancel of the cathedral. Back out-
1889 when scores of disgruntled Catholics side, look for the horizontal metallic plates
met in Utrecht. After that the Old Catholics showing the extents of the Roman town.
lost following, and there’s well under 10,000 Behind the church is the most charming
members of the church in the Netherlands component of this ecclesiastical troika: Kloos-
today. terhof, a monastic garden and peaceful refuge.
A new component of the Domkerk experi-
1 Sights ence, DOMunder (www.domunder.nl; Domplein
4; adult/child €10/7.50; htours hourly 11am-4pm
A number of key points stand within 500m Tue-Sun), lets you go underground and view
of the Domtoren (Cathedral Tower); a few the excavated foundations of the Roman
hundred metres further south takes you to fortress that stood here. To purchase tickets
the museum quarter. Utrecht likes its mu- and sign up for tours go to the DOMunder
seums and has over a dozen, some quirkier outlet next to the tourist office.
than a carnival sideshow.
Utrecht University HISTORIC BUILDING
Focus your strolling on the two canals
that bisect Utrecht, the Oudegracht and On the eastern side of Domplein stand the
the Nieuwegracht, the old and new canals ceremonial buildings of Utrecht University,
from the 11th and 14th centuries. A third ca- surrounding the old church chapterhouse
nal, the Singel, surrounds the old core. where the Treaty of the Union of Utrecht
was signed in 1579. The treaty marked the
Scene of many a wedding photo, the pho- founding of the Netherlands as a republic.
togenic bend in the Oudegracht is illuminat-
ed by lamplight in the evening; hundreds sit oCentraal Museum MUSEUM
at outside cafes here by day. South of this
point is where the canal is at its most evoc- (%236 23 62; www.centraalmuseum.nl; Agniet-
ative, and the streets are quieter, stretching enstraat 1; adult/teen/child €12.50/5/free, incl
1km to the southern tip of the old town. admission to Rietveld-Schröderhuis plus €3 sur-
charge; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun) Applied arts are
A section of the Singel called the Stads- at the heart of a wide-ranging collection
buitengracht has its own turn as a lovely that also features paintings by artists of the
canal on the southeastern side of the old Utrecht School and a bit of De Stijl to boot.
quarter, where it follows many parks built on Here too is the world’s most extensive Gerrit
the site of the old fortifications. Stroll down
beside this canal and back north through
Nieuwegracht, a peaceful stretch of plush
canal houses and towering elms.
137
Pieterskerk CHURCH
FLORA’S HOF (Pieterskerkhof 3; h11am-5pmTue-Sat) Walk down
Voetiusstraat from behind the Domkerk to
This petite garden, immediately to the Pieterskerk, completed in 1048 and the oldest
right of the Domtoren entrance, makes Romanesque church in the Netherlands.
a peaceful retreat from which to observe
the tower. Universiteitsmuseum MUSEUM
(%253 80 08; www.museum.uu.nl; Lange Nieuw-
straat 106; adult/child €8/4.50; h10am-5pm) On
Rietveld collection, a dream for all minimal- display are the objects of Utrecht Universi-
ists. There’s even a Viking longboat that was ty’s research through the centuries. There’s
dug out of the local mud, plus a sumptuous a recreated late-19th-century classroom, his-
17th-century dollhouse. toric dentistry tools and models of medical
maladies. Take refuge out back in De Oude
Miffy Museum MUSEUM Hortus, the old botanical garden, an oasis of
(%236 23 62; nijntjemuseum.nl; Agnietenstraat calm sheltering trees and plants collected by
2; child/adult €7.50/2.50; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun)
One of Utrecht’s favourite sons, author and the Dutch during their world exploits.
illustrator Dick Bruna is the creator of the Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum MUSEUM U trec ht US itTgRrhEetCcshH Tt C Ii tTYy
beloved cartoon rabbit Miffy (Nijntje as she’s (Dutch Railway Museum; %230 62 06; www.spoor
known in Dutch) and she naturally takes wegmuseum.nl; Maliebaanstation; admission €16;
pride of place at the artist’s former studio, h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) The national railway
across the street from the Centraal Museum. museum features historic trains, including
The museum was renovated in 2015 to make the luxurious cars of the Orient Express and
it more toddler-friendly (for ages two to six). Holland’s oldest steam locomotive, a vast
collection of model trains and thematic dis-
Rietveld-Schröderhuis HISTORIC BUILDING plays in an old station building; a high-speed
minitrain takes kids around the grounds. To
(%reservations 236 23 10; www.rietveldschroder get there, take bus 3 from Utrecht CS to Ma-
huis.nl; Prins Hendriklaan 50; adult/teen/child liebaan and walk southeast for five minutes.
€15.50/8/3; incl admission to Centraal Museum;
h11am-5pm Tue-Sun; tours every hour by prior res-
ervation) This Unesco-recognised landmark
Aboriginal Art Museum MUSEUM
house is just east of the city centre. Built (%238 01 00; www.aamu.nl; Oudegracht 176;
adult/child €9/5; h10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 11am-5pm
in 1924 by Utrecht architect Gerrit Rietveld Sat & Sun) Dreamtime in Utrecht: the focus
for socialite Truus Schröder-Schräder, it is
a stark example of ‘form follows function’. here is on contemporary Australian Aborig-
Especially notable are the architect’s use of inal art, from the paintings of the Central
primary colours and the transitions between Desert to photography by urban artists.
interior and exterior. Visits are by mandato-
ry tour, best booked in advance online. Sonnenborgh
Nearby, on Erasmuslaan, are a pair of Museum and Observatory MUSEUM
social-h ousing blocks also designed by Riet- (%820 14 20; www.sonnenborgh.nl; Zonnenburg
2; adult/child €7/4.50; h11am-5pm Tue-Fri, 1-5pm
veld. It’s a 20-minute walk east of the town Sun) The Sonnenborgh is actually two mu
centre.
seums in one: above is an exhibit on the his-
oMuseum Catharijneconvent MUSEUM tory of astronomy, in a site that was among
the foremost astronomical research sites on
(%231 38 35; www.catharijneconvent.nl; Lange earth in its heyday. Below are the founda-
Nieuwestraat 38; adult/child €12.50/7; h10am- tions of the original bastions it’s built upon.
5pm Tue-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun) Museum Though the exhibit could use an overhaul,
Catharijneconvent is the pick of Utrecht’s this site remains special, perched on a hill
museums, with the finest collection of medie- overlooking the Singel.
val religious art in the Netherlands – virtually On certain days you get a chance to look
the history of Christianity, in fact – housed in through the ancient telescopes at the sun (h1-
a Gothic former convent and an 18th-century 5pm Sunday) and the moon, stars and plan-
canal-side house. Marvel at the many beauti- ets (h8-9.30pm Friday April to September;
ful illuminated manuscripts, look for the odd €10). For the latter you’ll need to book online.
Rembrandt and hope for one of the often sa- There’s also a mini-p lanetarium (based on the
lacious special exhibitions. one in Franeker, Friesland) in the library.
138
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666666(Grocer’s Museum; %231 66 28; www.kruide and the restoration workshop lets you see
Museum voor het er organs from the 18th century onwards.
MUSEUM Hourly tours demonstrate them with gusto,
Kruideniersbedrijf
niersmuseum.nl; Hoogt 6; h12.30-4.30pm Tue-Sat) how the mechanical marvels work.
Tucked into a narrow lane is this charming
Activities
2replica of an old grocery store, where lovely
ladies in aprons dole out sweets and tea
from decorative containers. Pick up a block Canal Tours CANAL TOUR
of white liquorice candy to add to hot milk –
an old Dutch tradition. (%272 01 11; www.schuttevaer.com; Oudegracht
a/d Werf 85; adult/child €10/7.50; h11am-
5.30pm) Hour-long canal tours are a fine way
to see the old town and the old water-level
Museum Speelklok MUSEUM warehouses. The landing is on Oudegracht
just south of Lange Viestraat. Alternatively
(%231 27 89; www.museumspeelklok.nl; Steenweg you can rent canal bikes (%030-231 15 27;
6; adult/child €11/6; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun) This
museum has a colourful collection of play-
139
Utrecht City 18 Mary K Hotel ............................................ B1 U trec ht UF etTsRrtEeicCvhHaTtlsC iI&tTYyE v e n t s
19 NH Centre Utrecht Hotel ........................C2
æ Top Sights 20 Strowis Hostel.......................................... C1
1 Centraal Museum ................................... D5 ú Eating
2 Domtoren................................................. C3 21 Blauw ........................................................C4
3 Museum Catharijneconvent .................. D4 22 Gys............................................................. C1
23 Kimmade ..................................................B3
æ Sights 24 Lokaal Negen ...........................................C3
4 Aboriginal Art Museum .......................... C3 25 Moksi & Tandoori ....................................C4
5 Dom Under .............................................. C3 26 Opium ....................................................... C1
6 Domkerk .................................................. C3 27 Polman's ...................................................C2
7 Flora's Hof................................................ C3 û Drinking & Nightlife
8 Miffy Museum.......................................... D5 28 ACU ........................................................... C1
9 Museum Speelklok ................................. C3 29 Cafe Derat ................................................C4
10 Museum voor het 30 Cafe Kalff .................................................. B1
Kruideniersbedrijf ................................ C2 31 Kafé België ...............................................C3
11 Pieterskerk .............................................. D2 32 't Oude Pothuys .......................................C4
12 Universiteitsmuseum ............................. D5 33 The Village ................................................ C1
13 Utrecht University .................................. C3 ý Entertainment
34 RASA ......................................................... B1
Ø Activities, Courses & Tours 35 Springhaver Theater ...............................C3
14 Canal Bikes .............................................. B2 36 TivoliVredenburg .....................................A2
15 Canal Tours ............................................. B2
ÿ Sleeping
16 Apollo Hotel Utrecht City Centre .......... B2
17 Grand Hotel Karel V ................................ B4
www.canal.nl/canal-bike; 90min per person €9.50; sister, the ACU (p140). Fruit, muesli and yo-
h10am-6pm Jul & Aug, 10am-6pm Wed-Sun Apr- gurt feature in the vegan breakfast (€6).
Jun & Sep-Oct) – pedal boats – from in front
of the municipal library. Stayokay Hostel Bunnik HOSTEL €
(%656 12 77; www.stayokay.com; Rhijnauwenselaan
z Festivals & Events 14; dm/d from €18/49; W) This charming old
mansion overlooks a canal on the fringes of a
Holland Festival Oude Muziek MUSIC nature reserve, 5km east of the city centre in
(Holland Festival of Ancient Music; www.oudemuz Bunnik. There are three dining halls, a tradi-
iek.nl; hlate Aug) This event celebrates music
from the Middle Ages to the baroque period. tional bar and a lovely terrace. It’s on nation-
al bike path LF4 or you can take bus 41 from
Utrecht CS (direction: Wijk bij Duurstede).
Nederlands Film Festival FILM
(NFF; www.filmfestival.nl; hlate Sep) The Dutch oMary K Hotel HOTEL €€
film industry may be tiny, but its output is
generally good. Find out for yourself at the (%230 48 88; www.marykhotel.com; Oudegracht
25; d from €120; W) S A bevy of Utrecht art-
NFF, which culminates with the top prize, ists decorated the rooms at this ideally situ-
the Golden Calf.
ated canal house. Rooms come in three basic
sizes (‘cosy’, medium and large), but no two
Le Guess Who? CULTURAL are alike. All make use of the original 18th-
(www.leguesswho.nl hlate Nov) Big alternative century features and you may find a timber
music and arts fest held at various venues
around town for four days. beam running through your bathroom or a
stuffed animal snoozing in the rafters.
4 Sleeping
Grand Hotel Karel V HOTEL €€
Strowis Hostel HOSTEL € (%233 75 55; www.karelv.nl; Geertebolwerk 1, off
(%238 02 80; www.strowis.nl; Boothstraat 8; dm/r
from €20/€58; iW) This 17th-century build- Walsteeg; r from €159; paiW) The lushest ac-
commodation in Utrecht can be found in this
ing is near the town centre and has been former knights’ gathering hall from the 14th
lovingly restored and converted into a hostel
(with four- to 14-bed rooms). There’s a fine rear century. The service and decor are under
stated, and the 117 rooms are split between
garden that is a focus of activity. It’s loose and the old manor and a modern wing. A sunset
lively and around the corner from its slacker
glass of wine in the walled garden is sublime.
140
Malie Utrecht HOTEL €€ varied as Suriname: broodjes (sandwiches)
(%231 64 24; www.maliehotel.nl; Maliestraat 2; r and baras (doughnut-like savoury pastries)
from €112; paiW) Tucked away on a beau- all day, and curries and biryanis after 5pm,
tiful tree-lined avenue, this elegant and com- with plenty of meatless options.
fortable 19th-century house offers 45 large
rooms and old-world charm. There’s a nice Opium ASIAN €€
(%231 55 15; www.restaurant-opium.nl; Voorstraat
garden out back for a bit of peace and quiet. 80; mains €16-23; h5-10pm) A high-concept res-
NH Centre Utrecht Hotel HOTEL €€ taurant with a stunning interior, Opium takes
(%297 79 77, reservations 020-795 60 88; www.
nh-hotels.nl; Janskerkhof 10; r from €115; aiW) flavours from across Asia and mixes them
with locally sourced ingredients. Everything
Trad style trumps modernity at this at- is presented with an eye for drama, down to
mospheric old hotel (1870). The 47 rooms the exotic cocktails.
(minibar, trouser press etc included) are
comfortable, with stylish decor and good Polman’s GRAND CAFE €€
(%231 33 68; www.polmanshuis.nl; cnr Jansdam
views of the Janskerk across the way. & Keistraat; mains €18-27; hnoon-10pm Mon-Sat)
Apollo Hotel A chic rendezvous in a former gentlemen’s
U trec ht UEatTtRriEenCcghH Tt C Ii tTYy club, Polman’s has ceiling frescoes, extrava-
Utrecht City Centre HOTEL €€€
(%030-233 12 32; www.apollohotelresorts.com;
Vredenburg 14; s/d from €119/222; W) A low-key gant floral displays and plenty of ambience.
business hotel, the Apollo has 90 spacious, French and Italian flavours dominate the
menu and extensive wine list.
comfortable rooms. Those in back are dead
quiet, while front units have balconies over- oLokaal Negen FRENCH €€€
looking the grand boulevard. Though the (%231 13 18; www.lokaalnegen.nl; Trans 7; from
imposing round yellow facade announces a €32.50 for 3-course meal; h5-10pm) Around the
corner from the Domtoren, this long-standing
certain Hotel Smits, that’s a throwback from option offers intimate dining in the living
when it was a stock traders’ haven. room of a sturdy old house with an interior
5 Eating garden. Instead of ordering, let yourself be
pleasantly surprised by the multi-course set
The wharfside restaurants on the Oude- meals, each with an assortment of original
gracht are an obvious place to explore for starters.
dining options. However, it’s better known
for its views than culinary delights; Ut oBlauw INDONESIAN €€€
recht’s best restaurants lie elsewhere. (%234 24 63; www.restaurantblauw.nl; Springweg
oGys CAFE € 64; set menu from €27; h6-10pm Mon-Fri, 5-10pm
Sat & Sun) Blauw is the place for stylish Indone-
(%259 17 88; gysutrecht.nl; Voorstraat 77; dishes sian food in Utrecht. Young and old alike en
€10; h10am-10pm; Wv) S Everything’s
organic at this bright and airy bistro, from joy superb rijsttafels (an array of spicy dishes
served with rice) amid the reddish decor that
the burgers (tofu or lamb) and sandwiches mixes vintage art with hip minimalism.
(smoked mackerel with beet mousse; tem-
peh with sweet potato, avocado and water- 6 Drinking & Nightlife
cress) to the salads and eggplant schnitzel.
’t Oude Pothuys BROWN CAFE
Kimmade VIETNAMESE € (www.pothuys.nl; Oudegracht 279; h3pm-2am
(%737 09 93; www.kimmade.nl; Mariastraat 2;
dishes €5.50-8; hnoon-10pm Mon-Sat, 1-8pm Mon & Tue, noon-3am Wed-Sun) In a darkened,
barrel-vaulted medieval cellar, this cosy
Sun) A hole in the wall on a lane full of res- pub has nightly music, from jam sessions
taurants, this one is especially appealing for
its authentic street-food-style dishes and by emerging bands to funk, blues and elec-
tro by established acts. Enjoy drinks on the
low prices. Noodle salads are sublime. It’s canal-side pier.
primarily a takeout but there are a few small
tables and a counter in back. ACU BAR
(www.acu.nl; Voorstraat 71; hfrom 6pm Tue-Thu &
Sun,from 9pm Fri,from 11pm Sat) Anarcho-s lacker
Moksi & Tandoori SURINAMESE, INDIAN €
(%231 58 11; www.moksi-tandoori.nl; Oudegracht
235; mains €7-10; hnoon-9pm Mon-Sat, 3-9pm reference point in Utrecht, ACU combines bar,
music venue, lecture hall and more. Argue
Sun) This friendly family joint is as ethnically about whether Trotsky was too conservative
141
while downing organic vegan food by the in- The Ronda and Pandora halls have taken
imitable Kitchenpunx (hTuesday to Thurs- over the function of the Tivoli while the
day and Sunday). Hertz, Cloud 9 and 1700-seat Grote Zaal
stage classical and jazz events.
Café Ledig Erf BAR
(www.ledigerf.nl; Tolsteegbrug 3; h10am-2am) Louis Hartlooper Complex CINEMA
Overlooking a confluence of canals at the (%232 04 50; www.hartlooper.nl; Tolsteegbrug
southern tip of town, the terrace here vies 1) Ensconced in a former police station in
with the beer list; the autumn bock beer fest Amsterdam School style, this is an art-film
is a winner. centre where local cinephiles present each
movie (in Dutch) in the tradition of its
Kafé België BAR namesake, who also played piano for silent
(www.kafebelgie.nl; Oudegracht 196; h11am-3am films. Pre- or post-viewing conversation goes
Tue-Sat,1pm-3am Sun & Mon) This lively bar is an
absolute must for beer-lovers. It has 20 Bene- on at the adjacent terrace cafe facing lovely
Ledig Erf square.
lux brews on tap and cheap food for absorp- There’s a similar cinema-cafe concept at its
tion. There are a couple of canal-side tables.
sister venue, the Springhaver Theater (%231
37 89; www.springhaver.nl; Springweg 50-52).
The Village COFFEE U trec ht UEntTRrtEe rcChtHatTi nCmIi tTeYyn t
(www.thevillagecoffee.nl; Voorstraat 46; h9am- RASA WORLD MUSIC
6pm) This is the place to discuss the dif-
ference between a flat white and a latte, (%233 01 23; www.rasa.nl; Pauwstraat 13a) RASA’s
program spans the globe from klezmer en-
ponder the relative merits of French press sembles to Malian bluesmen and salsa com-
versus AeroPress or find out the advantages
of pour-over brewing. The popular coffee bos. The small theatre has comfortable arena
seating but more often than not the focus is
den doubles as a live music venue; ask about on the dance floor.
upcoming events.
7 Shopping
Cafe Derat PUB
The Hoog Catharijne shopping centre makes
(%231 95 13; wordpress.cafederat.nl; Lange a formidable buffer zone between the train
Smeestraat 37) This cosy corner pub has a lot station and city centre. Between here and
of soul, with an intriguing selection of craft the town hall are pedestrian streets with lots
brews on tap (€3.50 each). Sample lambieks of chains and mainstream shops. For more
and krieks – Lambic beers from Belgium interesting choices, wander down Voor-
and Sweden. Lambic beers are noteworthy straat and especially Twijnstraat, the south-
as they are spontaneously fermented with ern extension of the Oudegracht’s east bank.
the yeast and bacteria that live in the brew-
ing components, resulting in a unique and Huge markets take place on Vredenburg
increasingly sought-after taste. on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Most
unusual, however, is the Saturday fabric
Cafe Kalff GAY & LESBIAN market on Breedstraat.
(%231 09 19; www.cafekallf.nl; Oudegracht 47;
h4pm-1am Tue-Fri, 3pm-1am Sat & Sun) This nar-
row, stylish canal-side pub is a focus of gay 88 Information
and lesbian social life in Utrecht. It’s a good
place to start the evening before moving on Tourist office (VVV; % 0900 128 87 32; www.
to harder-partying venues such as the one visit-utrecht.com; Domplein 9; h noon-5pm
right across the way, Bodytalk. Sun & Mon, 10am-5pm Tue-Sat) Sells Domtoren
tickets. Another tourist info point is in the
3 Entertainment corridor between the train station and Hoog
Catharijne shopping centre.
TivoliVredenburg CONCERT VENUE 88 Getting There & Away
(%231 45 44; www.tivolivredenburg.nl; Vredenburg- Utrecht is a travel hub: bike routes, train lines and
kade 11) A fixture on the Oudegracht for dec- motorways converge on the city from all directions.
ades, the Tivoli pop-music hall merged into
this mega concert centre in 2014. Wrapped BICYCLE
around the original symphony hall by re- National bike route LF9 runs north through
nowned architect Herman Hertzberger, the farmlands for 23km to a junction with LF23,
new entertainment centre covers a range of which covers both Muiden and Flevoland. To the
musical styles in five different venues. south it runs through rich farmlands towards
U trec ht AKGraesot tuiennedgl UAdtreroHeuacnahdrt C i t y142 The spiffed-up version of the fortress you see
Breda. Marathon route LF7 passes through now is how it was believed to look around
Utrecht on its 350km route from Alkmaar to 1500, but equipped with all the creature
Maastricht; Amsterdam is about 50km north- comforts available in the late 19th century,
west. LF4 runs east 80km to Arnhem. such as electric lighting and running water.
To visit the castle you must join one of the
BUS hourly guided tours.
Regional buses depart from platforms on the
west (Jaarbeursplein) side of the train station. The castle is surrounded by an English land-
For information on bus and tram routes, visit the scaped garden with broad paths, canal-like
U-OV Servicepunt (% 0900 92 92; u-ov.info; stretches of pond and statues throughout.
h 6.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm Sat, 10am- The French baroque garden near the entrance
5pm Sun) at the Jaarbeursplein side of the station. bears the stamp of Héléne de Rothschild, the
baron’s wife and heir of the renowned Roth-
Eurolines (% 0880 761 700; www.eurolines. schild banking family – it was her fortune that
nl; Stationsplein 57; h 9.30am-5.30pm Mon- paid for the 19th-century restoration.
Sat) has a ticket office opposite the tram station;
its buses stop on the west side of the train sta- 88 Getting There & Away
tion on Jaarbeursplein.
To get to the castle from Utrecht, take the
TRAIN train to Vleuten (Sprinter to Den Haag, hourly),
As construction of the new station continues, and transfer to bus 127. Get off at ‘Brink’ in
the surroundings are in an ongoing state of Haarzuilens, from where it’s a 15-minute walk to
transition until at least 2018; expect a fair bit of the castle. Otherwise, the castle is right on na-
chaos. Utrecht CS (Centraal Station) is the na- tional bike route LF4, 13km west of Utrecht.
tional hub for Dutch rail services, so you’ll prob-
ably change trains here at some point. Sample
train fares and schedules:
Destination Price (€) Duration Frequency Utrechtse Heuvelrug
(min) (per hour) National Park
Amsterdam 7.50 30 4
Den Haag 11 40 4 Extending 50km east of Utrecht city be-
Groningen 24 115 1 tween the towns of Zeist and Rhenen, the
Maastricht 23 120 2 national park is a 100-sq-km expanse of low
Rotterdam 10 40 4 meadows and high dunes interspersed with
forest. At least seven medieval castles stand
88 Getting Around in and south of Doorn. Started by noble
houses in the 12th century as fortifications,
Local buses depart from platforms on the west they later lost their defensive function and
(Jaarbeursplein) side of the train station; ac- became vast private estates. Cycling and hik-
cording to current plans, the tram station is to ing paths thread across this wealth of for-
be located on the city-centre side. merly private greenery, inhabited by foxes,
badgers, pine martens and other wildlife.
AROUND UTRECHT CITY Doorn
Kasteel de Haar % 0343 / POP 10,500
Feast your senses on the imposing castle Around 20km southeast of Utrecht lies
Kasteel de Haar, restored in a fit of nostal- Doorn, a little burg with a claim to an odd-
gia little more than a century ago, long after ment in 20th-century Dutch history: the
its Gothic turrets ceased to have any defen- castle of Huis Doorn.
sive purpose, by architect PJ Cuypers (of
Rijksmuseum fame). 1 Sights
Huis Doorn CASTLE
(%421 020; www.huisdoorn.nl; Langbroekerweg 10;
adult/child €9/4.50; h1-5pm Wed-Fri, noon-5pm
1 Sights Sat & Sun, last tour at 4pm) This 14th-century
castle had numerous owners during its
Kasteel de Haar CASTLE time, but none more infamous than Kaiser
(%677 85 15; www.kasteeldehaar.nl; Kasteellaan 1; Wilhelm II of Germany, who inhabited Huis
adult/child tour €14/9, gardens only €4/3; hpark
9am-5pm, castle 11am-5pm, tours hourly till 4pm) Doorn in exile from 1920 until his death in
1941. Castle visits are by guided tour.
143
There’s a fine collection of German art tractive little canals and more than 300
that it seems the Kaiser brought with him pre-18th-century buildings.
from various German palaces. Afterwards,
stroll the grounds and ponder the fate of Zuidsingel is a fine place to start exploring:
the Kaiser, who had been allowed into exile the inner ring on the north side of town along
by the Dutch as long as he remained under Muurhuizen is quaint and good for walks.
‘house arrest’ (some house, hey?). Langestraat is the mainstream shopping strip
while Krommestraat has more offbeat choices.
88 Getting There & Away
The old town has three surviving gate-
To get here, catch a local train from Utrecht CS ways, either to the city roads or over the
to Driebergen-Zeist, then take bus 50, 56 or 81. canals: Koppelpoort (north; 15th century),
It will take about 45 minutes. On national bike Kamperbinnenpoort (east; 13th century) and
route LF4, ride 20km southeast from Utrecht. picturesque Monnikendam (southeast; 1430).
Kade Museum MUSEUM
Kasteel Amerongen (%422 50 30; www.kunsthalkade.nl; Eemplein 77;
adult/child €10/free; h11am-5pmTue-Fri,noon-5pm
Sat & Sun) A component of the Eemhuis cul-
This surreally cubic structure is surrounded tural centre west of the old town, this boldly
by wooded islands that make for an idyllic designed museum hosts large-scale tempo- U trec ht AGrme oteturinsndfgoUoTthrreterceh&t ACwi tayy
stroll. You can survey the sumptuous salons rary exhibitions devoted to contemporary
by guided tour, then admire it across the great visual artists or themes. The cafe is excellent.
lawn of the terrace cafe. It’s 30km southwest
from Utrecht on national bike route LF4. Mondriaanhuis MUSEUM
1 Sights (www.mondriaanhuis.nl; Kortegracht 11; adult/child
€8/free; h11am-5pm Tue-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun)
This small but absorbing museum honours
Kasteel Amerongen CASTLE
(%454 212; www.kasteelamerongen.nl; Drostestraat the life and work of the famous De Stijl artist
20; adult/child €10/5; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-
Oct, 11am-5pm Thu-Sun Nov-Mar) The Kasteel Piet Mondrian, with a detailed retrospective
that illustrates his development. It’s set in the
Amerongen, a fortified castle built in the 13th house where the artist was born; Mondrian’s
century, is located in the countryside outside
the town of Amerongen on the Nederrijn primary colours dominate the complex.
River, a landscape dotted with old wooden Onze Lieve Vrouwe Toren HISTORIC BUILDING
tobacco-d rying sheds. After being burned by (www.olvkerk.nl; Lieve Vrouwekerkhof; adult/child
Louis XIV’s troops in the late 1600s, it was €5/4; htours hourly noon-5pm Tue-Sun Jul & Aug,
rebuilt to its present symmetrical appearance 2pm daily rest of year) The 15th-century Gothic
by an aristocratic family whose descendants tower is the only surviving component of a
occupied it for the next three centuries. church that used to stand on this spot un-
til an unfortunate gunpowder blast in 1787.
Amersfoort Tickets to ascend the tower (346 steps, fine
views) are sold at the nearby tourist office.
% 033 / POP 152,481
The tower previously marked the exact
Beer, wool and tobacco made Amersfoort an centre of the Netherlands, as indicated by
exceedingly rich town from the 16th century the subterranean laser light within, and is
onwards. Well-heeled with a touch of the still used as a reference point in the Dutch
provincial, it has many striking merchants’ geographical coordinate system. The square
homes that have been lovingly restored, and in front, Lieve Vrouwekerkhof, is Amers-
the egg-shaped old town offers quiet, wonder- foort’s most charming spot.
fully evocative strolls along canals and narrow
alleys that retain their medieval mystery. Sint Joriskerk CHURCH
Amersfoort makes for a good break on a (www.joriskerk-amersfoort.nl; Hof 1; adult/child €1/
train journey to/from Friesland or Gronin- free; h11am-5pm Wed-Sat May–mid-Oct) If the
gen. You can take an interesting hour-long tower of the Sint Joriskerk appears to be
stroll and then stop for a good meal. popping out of the roof, that’s because it’s
all that remains of the original 13th-century
1 Sights church; the current structure, dating from
1534, was built around it. Inside, look for the
Much of Amersfoort’s appeal comes from lavishly carved stone chancel screen, a typi-
wandering the old town, which has at- cal medieval feature.
U trec ht OAToruuoduresnwdatUetrr e ch t C i t y144 its name from a 17th-century predecessor.
Sample the various craft beers on tap, which
WITCHERY include the crisp, golden Stadsbier and the
velvety Vuurvogel (7.5% alcohol), based on a
During the horrific witch-hunts of the hallowed Amersfoort recipe.
16th century, close to a million women
all over Europe were executed – burnt, 88 Information
drowned or otherwise tortured to death –
on suspicion of being witches. Weighing Tourist office (VVV; % 0900 112 23 64; www.
was one of the more common methods vvvamersfoort.nl; Breestraat 1; h10am-5.30pm
of determining witchery, as popular Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun, closed Sun Nov-
belief held that any woman who was Mar) Has town walking tours and cycling maps;
too light for the size of her frame was across from the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Toren.
obviously a witch (because hags like that
have no soul). A woman who weighed 88 Getting There & Around
the ‘proper’ amount was too heavy to
ride a broom and thus was not a witch. BICYCLE
(Fans of the movie Monty Python and A bike-rental outlet, on the left as you exit the
the Holy Grail will be familiar with the train station, rents Batavus three-speed bikes
procedure.) Women who passed the (€7.50 per day). Utrecht is 23km southwest on
weight test were given a certificate, good a beautiful ride through forests and farms on
for life, proclaiming them to be human. national bike route LF9. It also runs north 23km
to meet LF23, and both continue into Flevoland.
The town of Oudewater emerges with
some honour. No one was ever proved TRAIN
to be a witch here and this is held up as Amersfoort’s train station is a 500m walk west
a symbol of the honesty of the locals, of the centre. Frequent trains connect Amers-
as they refused to take bribes to rig foort to Utrecht (€4.50, 20 minutes), Amster-
the weights. It’s also seen as the first dam and Deventer (€10.50, 35 minutes). There
stirrings of people power and a turn are lockers between tracks 4 and 5.
against the church, which was behind
the witch-hunts. Oudewater
T Tours % 0348 / POP 9,924
Fietsboot Eemlijn CRUISE There’s one real reason to visit Oudew ater in
the province’s southwest: witchcraft. Until
(%06 5194 2279; www.eemlijn.nl; Grote Kapel; the 17th century the Heksenwaag (Witches’
adult/child €2/free, bike €1; hexcursions 10am WeighHouse;www.heksenwaag.nl;Leeuweringerstraat
mid-Jun–mid-Sep) Embarking from the north 2; adult/child €5/2.50; h11am-5pmTue-SunApr-Oct
bank of the Eem River, about 200m outside (also Mon Jul-Sep), Fri-Sun Nov-Mar) in the town
the Koppelpoort, the ‘bike boat’ plies the centre was thought to have the most accu-
Gelderse valley to the Eemmeer. You can get rate scales in the land; women who were
off at the villages of Soest or Baarn and cycle suspected of being witches came from all
back through the woods (or vice-versa, tak- over the place to be weighed here.
ing the return cruise).
The house has a modest display of witch-
5 Eating & Drinking craft history in the loft upstairs; at the end
of your visit you’ll be invited to step onto the
Hof and Lieve Vrouwekerkhof both teem old scale. If you feel light on your feet it’s be-
with cafes and pubs. cause your certificaet van weginghe (weight
certificate) makes your weight shrink – an old
oCorazon Coffee CAFE € Dutch pound is 10% heavier than today’s unit.
(www.coffeecorazon.nl; Krommestraat 18; snacks
from €3; h10am-6pm) Excellent choice for a Oudewater is on the route of bus 107 be-
pause: the coffees, teas and fresh juices are tween Gouda (20 minutes) and Utrecht CS
superb and the apple cobbler – baked just (40 minutes), which runs every half-hour.
up the street – is a delight. From Woerden (10 minutes west of Ut
recht by rail or 18km along national bike
Drie Ringen Bierbrouwerij BREWERY route LF4), it’s a 10km ride south along the
Lange Linschoten River – follow the signs to
(www.dedrieringen.nl; Kleine Spui 18; h2-7.30pm knooppunten 69-94. There’s a bike-rental
Tue-Sun) Just below the Koppelpoort is this outlet at Woerden station.
much-heralded microbrewery, which takes
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Rotterdam & South
Holland
Includes Why Go?
Rotterdam. . . . . . . . . . 147 In the iconic region southwest of Amsterdam, tulips, wind-
Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . 162 mills, cheese, Dutch Masters and blue-and-white Delftware
Biesbosch china abound, but it’s the cities here that are the biggest
National Park . . . . . . . 165 draws.
Gouda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Den Haag The country’s second-largest, Rotterdam, is riding a wave
(The Hague) . . . . . . . . 168 of urban development, redevelopment and regeneration
Delft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 with striking additions to its dramatic skyline, and electrifying
Leiden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 art, food and bar scenes that are fuelling an international
Zeeland . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 buzz. Leiden has a centuries-old university culture, historic
Middelburg . . . . . . . . . 187 canal-laced core and exceptional museums. Den Haag, the
seat of government and the Dutch royals, as well as the capital
Best Places to Eat of Zuid-Holland (South Holland), also has a trove of magnif-
icent museums, along with a stately air, luxe shopping and
¨¨FG Food Labs (p155) resort beach, while Vermeer’s beautiful home town Delft is
¨¨Restaurant Allard (p173) an exquisite medieval time capsule.
¨¨In den Doofpot (p185)
¨¨Brasserie ‘t Crabbetje Zeeland (Sea Land), the country’s southernmost, dyke-
(p178) protected province, is anchored by the mast-filled port of
¨¨Fenix Food Factory (p156) Middelburg. Cycling throughout this gentle, mostly sub-sea-
level region is unparalleled.
Best Places to
Stay When to Go
¨¨Villa Augustus (p164) ¨¨Rotterdam’s museums, shopping, restaurants, bars
¨¨King Kong Hostel (p153) and nightlife – as well as its excellent public-transport
¨¨Des Indes (p172) network – mean you can ignore the weather while indoors,
¨¨De Vier Seizoenen (p186) and comfortably visit year-round.
¨¨Hotel The Roosevelt (p188)
¨¨Spring brings an explosion of colour to the glorious tulip-
filled gardens at Keukenhof (p187), which open just eight
weeks a year and are worth scheduling a trip around.
¨¨Between spring and autumn, you’ll find many more
attractions open throughout the region than in the winter
months, and greater odds of enjoying a balmy canal stroll or
a beach swim.
146 66Alkmaar Hoorn 6
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Rotterdam & South Holland Highlights
1 Delving into experimental and viewing its castle and tulip 5 Exploring the creaking
galleries, street art, inspired museum year-round. windmills and windswept dykes
food and bar scenes, and 3 Touring the splendid at Kinderdijk (p161).
cutting-edge architecture in Binnenhof (p168) palace in 6 Boarding the hand-built,
‘the city that’s never finished’, regal Den Haag. full-biblical-scale Ark van
Rotterdam (p147). 4 Climbing the spiralling Noach (p162) in Dordrecht.
2 Strolling amid the steps inside the tower of 7 Unwinding in Leiden’s lush
Keukenhof Gardens (p187) Delft’s Nieuwe Kerk (p177) 16th-century botanical gardens,
in Lisse, filled with thousands for sweeping views over the the Hortus Botanicus Leiden
of flowering tulips in spring, medieval townscape. (p181).
147
SOUTH HOLLAND Efforts to make the city – 80% of which
lies below sea level – fully climate-proof by
Along with the provinces of Noord-Holland 2025 include water plazas that double as
(North Holland) and Utrecht, Zuid-Holland playgrounds, car-park water-storage tanks
(South Holland) is part of the Randstad, and environmentally sustainable floating
the economic and population heart of the houses.
Netherlands.
1 Sights
Rotterdam
With so many memorable buildings and
% 010 / POP 616,000 landmarks, Rotterdam is easy to navigate.
The city centre is also a lot smaller than
Futuristic architecture, inspired local in- it seems for such a bustling metropolis –
itiatives such as inner-city canal surfing, a you might never need to use the efficient
proliferation of art, and a surge of drinking, public-transport system of metros, buses
dining and nightlife venues make Rotter- and trams. The ultimate way to see the city
dam one of Europe’s most exhilarating cities is by bike.
right now. The Netherlands’ second-largest
metropolis has a diverse, multiethnic com- oMuseum Boijmans van
munity, an absorbing maritime tradition
centred on Europe’s busiest port, and a Beuningen MUSEUM
wealth of top-class museums.
(www.boijmans.nl; Museumpark 18-20; adult/
Rotterdam is a veritable open-air gallery child €15/free; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun) Among
of modern, postmodern and contemporary Europe’s finest museums, the Museum
construction. It’s a remarkable feat for a city Boijmans van Beuningen has a permanent
largely razed to the ground by WWII bomb- collection spanning all eras of Dutch and Rot te rda m & So u th H o ll a n d RS iogtuhtttehsrHdoalml a nd
ers. Rebuilding has continued unabated ever European art, including superb old masters.
since with ingenuity and vision. Among the highlights are The Marriage
Feast at Cana by Hieronymus Bosch, the
Split by the vast Nieuwe Maas shipping Three Maries at the Open Sepulchre by Van
channel, Rotterdam is crossed by a series Eyck, the minutely detailed Tower of Babel
of tunnels and bridges, notably the dra- by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and Portrait of
matic Erasmusbrug – the swooping white Titus and Man in a Red Cap by Rembrandt.
cable-stayed bridge dubbed de Zwaan (the Renaissance Italy is well represented;
Swan). On the north side of the water, the look for The Wise and Foolish Virgins by
city centre is easily strolled. Tintoretto and Satyr and Nymph by Titian.
Paintings and sculpture since the mid-
History 19th century are another strength. There
are many Monets and other French Impres-
Rotterdam’s history as a major port dates sionists; Van Gogh and Gauguin are given
to the 16th century. In 1572 Spaniards being space; and there are statues by Degas. The
pursued by the rebel Sea Beggars were given museum rightly prides itself on its collec-
shelter in the harbour. They rewarded this tion by a group it calls ‘the other surrealists’,
generosity by pillaging the town. Rotterdam including Marcel Duchamp, René Magritte
soon joined the revolution. and Man Ray. Salvador Dalí gained a special
room in the recent expansion, and the collec-
Astride the major southern rivers, Rot- tion is one of the largest of his work outside
terdam is ideally situated to service trad- Spain and France. All in all, the surrealist
ing ships. Large canals first constructed in wing is utterly absorbing, with ephemera
the 1800s and improved ever since link the and paraphernalia rubbing against famous
port with the Rhine River and other major works.
waterways. Modern modes are not forgotten, and the
whole place is nothing if not eclectic: a nude
On 14 May 1940 the invading Germans or an old master might be nestled next to a
issued an ultimatum to the Dutch govern- ’70s bubble TV, some kind of installation or
ment: surrender or cities such as Rotterdam a vibrating table.
will be destroyed. The government capitu- There’s also a good cafe and a pleasant
lated; however, the bombers were already sculpture garden (featuring Claes Olden-
airborne and the raid was carried out anyway. burg’s famous Bent Screw, among others).
Rather than rebuild in historical style,
skyscrapers and groundbreaking architec-
tural statements give it an evolving skyline
unlike any other in the Netherlands.
Rot te rda m & So u th H o ll a n d RS iogtuhtttehsrHdoalml a nd148
ARCHITECTURE HIGHLIGHTS
Rotterdam is a vast open-air museum of modern and contemporary design, with archi-
tectural wonders such as the new home of the Museum Rotterdam, the Timmerhuis; and
the eye-popping Markthal Rotterdam (p159).
Overblaak Development (Overblaak) Designed by Piet Blom and built from 1978 to
1984, this mind-bending development facing the Markthal Rotterdam is marked by its
pencil-shaped tower, De Kolk, and ‘forest’ of 45-degree-tilted, cube-shaped apartments
on hexagonal pylons. One apartment, the Kijk-Kubus Museum-House (www.kubuswoning.
nl; Overblaak 70; adult/child €2.50/1.50; h11am-5pm), is open to the public; the Stayokay
Rotterdam (p154) youth hostel occupies the supersized cube at the southern end.
Erasmusbrug A symbol of the city, this graceful bridge dubbed ‘the Swan’ was designed
by architect Ben van Berkel in 1996 and spans 802m across the Maas river.
KPN Telecom Headquarters (Wilhelminakade 123) Designed by celebrated architect
Renzo Piano and opened in 2000, the KPN Telecom headquarters building leans at a
sharp angle, seemingly resting on a long pole.
MaasToren (MaasTower; Wilhelminakade 1) The 2009-built MaasToren is the tallest build-
ing in the Netherlands at 165m. Its durable heating and cooling system uses water from
the Maas and energy storage in the soil to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
De Rotterdam (Wilhelminakade 177) Completed in 2013, the glitzy ‘vertical city’ De
Rotterdam, designed by Pritzker-winning Rotterdam architect Rem Koolhaas, is the
Netherlands’ largest building. It incorporates a hotel, superb restaurant HMB (p156), and
cocktail bar opening to a panoramic 7th-floor terrace.
Boompjestorens (Boompjes 266-387) Completed in 1989, these three residential
towers, Clipper, Schoener and Galjoen (Clipper, Schooner and Galleon), rise to 70m.
Willemswerf (Boompjes 40) Alongside the water is the striking 1988 Willemswerf office
building, with a sloping glass trapezium making a diagonal cut-away across the facade.
Willemsbrug Rotterdam’s second signature bridge, the 1981-opened Willemsbrug,
makes a bold statement with its crimson red pylons.
Van Nelle Fabriek (Van Nelle Factory; Van Nelleweg 1) Unesco World Heritage status is a
rarity for an industrial building, but this ‘glass palace’, a former coffee, tea and tobacco
factory built between 1925 and 1931, is a 20th-century icon. It’s now filled with design
studios and is closed to the public, but Urban Guides (p153) runs 75-minute tours
(adult/child €12.50/7.50) at 10.30am Wednesday to Sunday July and August, and
10.30am Saturday and Sunday in May, June, September and October.
Het Nieuwe Instituut (%440 12 00; http://hetnieuweinstituut.nl; Museumpark 25; adult/
child €10/free; h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun) With one side surrounded by a green
moat and new garden, and the other comprising a sweeping flow of brick along Rochus-
senstraat, the Het Nieuwe Instituut is striking. It’s a merger of the Netherlands Architecture
Institute, the Netherlands Institute for Design and Fashion, and e-culture institute Virtueel
Platform, presenting exhibitions on architecture, design, digital culture and fashion.
Included in the admission price is a ticket to Huis Sonneveld (Jongkindstraat 25;
h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun), designed by Brinkman and Van der Vlugt and an out-
standing example of the Dutch New Building architectural strain (also known as Dutch
Functionalism). This 1933 villa has been lovingly restored, with furniture, wallpaper and
fixtures present and correct – it is an astonishing experience, almost like virtual reality.
Kunsthal GALLERY Everything ‘from elitist to popular’ gets an
airing.
(www.kunsthal.nl; Westzeedijk 341; adult/child €12/2;
h10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun) At the It was the victim of a major theft in 2012
southern end of Museumpark, the Kunsthal when several masterpieces by Monet and
hosts around 20 wildly diverse temporary ex- Matisse, among others, were stolen (they are
hibitions each year, including art and design. still missing).
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