Hoorn's heyday as a shipping centre is long gone, but the imposing statue of Jan Peterzoon Coen, founder of the Dutch East India Company, still watches over the Rode Steen (Red Stone or Fortress), the square named for the blood that once flowed from the gallows. On the northeastern side of the square, the Waag, the 17th-century weigh house, has a carved unicorn, the town symbol.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.87 MILES
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
20.61 MILES
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
19.72 MILES
Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…
20.69 MILES
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
19.82 MILES
Housed in Rembrandt's former home on lively Jodenbreestraat, this evocative museum provides an unparalleled insight into one of the Netherlands’ greatest…
10.94 MILES
This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…
20.08 MILES
Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.
19.77 MILES
The museum of the Dutch Resistance brings the horror of German occupation in WWII vividly alive, using personal stories, letters, artefacts, films and…
Nearby North Holland attractions
0.02 MILES
Housed in the former seat of the Staten-College (States' Council), the body that once governed seven towns in Noord-Holland, this absorbing museum has a…
0.23 MILES
Overshadowing surrounding historic buildings, the massive defensive gate Hoofdtoren (1532), topped by a tiny belfry, now houses an atmospheric restaurant.
3. Museum van de Twintigste Eeuw
0.35 MILES
In the vast former prison on Oostereiland, south of the Hoofdtoren, this entertaining museum is devoted to household goods and modern inventions. Among…
8.59 MILES
The 15th-century Grote Kerk bears witness to the vagaries of Dutch weather. Its 32 dazzling stained-glass windows bearing coats of arms and historical…
8.68 MILES
Ever wondered what drove the Industrial Revolution? Part of the answer lies at the Stoommachine Museum, in the old pump station outside Medemblik. Thirty…
8.71 MILES
In the 16th century Willem van Oranje bestowed on Edam the right to hold a Kaasmarkt, which was the town's economic anchor right through to the 1920s. At…
8.73 MILES
On the western side of Edam's Kaasmarkt stands the 1778 Kaaswaag, the cheese weigh house, which has a display about the town's chief product.
8.78 MILES
Furnishings, porcelain and silverware spread over three cramped floors of Edam's oldest building, dating from 1540. Its floating cellar is a remarkable…