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

Nearby attractions

1. Westfries Museum

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…

2. Hoofdtoren

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…

4. Grote Kerk

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…

5. Stoommachine Museum

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…

6. Kaasmarkt

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…

7. Kaaswaag

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. Edams Museum

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…