De Rijp Attractions

The little town of De Rijp near Alkmaar is best known as the birthplace of the 17th century water engineer Jan Leeghwater. In the 17th century it had a fishing fleet which was later used for whaling. The Late Gothic cruciform church (1529; Reformed) has oak barrel vaulting and 24 magnificent stained glass windows.

In 1970 the two towns of Graft and De Rijp near Alkmaar were amalgamated. The local museum (In 't Houten Huis, Jan Boonplein 2) illustrates the history of the two communities.

The De Rijp Town Hall, built in 1630 on the initiative of Jan Leeghwater, has three tall gables and an imposing flight of steps leading up to the entrance.

The Weigh House (Waaggebouw; 1690) at Kleine Dam 2 in De Rijp has 24 stained glass windows.

The museum in the "Wooden House" at Jan Boonplein 2 has a collection which includes tiles, pottery, old charts and whale skeletons.