The ‘Harbour Walk Hoorn’ summary
During the Harbour Walk in Hoorn we pass five different harbours of Hoorn. These are situated in a semicircle around the city centre. This gives us the opportunity to visit the central square of the city during the harbour walk. There we see some of the most important monuments of the city. During the walk you will discover that the current structure of the harbours originated from the beginning of the 17th century. We pass a few special monuments from the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. We also pass beautiful warehouses and merchant houses, a defence tower and literally walk in the footsteps of Bontekoe, the famous skipper whose ship’s logs were eagerly read during his life. During this walk I tell you a lot about the history combined with stories about the present.
Starting point and route of the ‘Harbour Walk Hoorn’
We can start the harbour tour at different places. In principle we return to the starting point, but it is also possible to end up at a specific place (e.g. a restaurant, lunch place, parking place). Possible route:
- Start at De Roode Steen (the central square of the city);
- Past the Vismarkt to the Appelhaven;
- Via narrow alleys to ‘Achter op het Zand’ with a view of the Grashaven (Gras Harbour);
- To the Oostereiland and then to the Hoofdtoren (Main Tower) with a view of the ‘Buitenhaven’ (outside Harbour);
- We walk over the Houten Hoofd with a view of the old dock and the “Vluchthaven”;
- Along the “Binnenhaven” (Inside Harbour) over the Oude Doelenkade and the Otto bridge towards the Baatland and Huis Bonck;
- Then back in the direction of the Bossuhuizen (with a view of the harbour “Karperkuil”);
- From the Bossuhuizen we have several possibilities.
We will have the opportunity to take a short or longer route back to the starting point, depending on the preference of the company. Please note: the route of the hike may vary in practice. For each hike we will discuss the different possibilities and preferences in advance. We also always take into account the accessibility of the streets for the participants in the tour.
Details of the ‘Harbour Walk Hoorn’:
- Approx. 1.5 to 2.5 hours (the walk can be made longer and shorter!)
- Total walking distance: approx. 4 km
- Starting point: in consultation
- Booking and tuning specific wishes: contact us!
More private guided tours Hoorn
General tourist information Hoorn
About the ports of Hoorn
The current harbours of Hoorn have their origin in the Golden Age. The function of the harbours has changed over the centuries. In the past, many ships were built in Hoorn for the (grain) trade with the Baltic Sea and for the West India and East India Company. Later the harbours were mainly used by a large fishing fleet. After the closure of the Zuiderzee by the construction of the closure dike in 1932, the harbours were still used for the supply of goods, but gradually all harbours are now mainly the domain of pleasure sailing and tourism.
