Urk Attractions

The people of Urk are very conscious of their traditions and still wear the local costumes. The women wear a black skirt, a flowered or embroidered shawl and headdress; the men a black jacket and trousers and a striped shirt. The house-fronts are still painted in traditional fashion in green and brown.

The construction of the Afsluitdijk between the Waddenzee and the IJsselmeer in 1932 reduced the previously busy shipping traffic in the harbor; but the town has nevertheless contrived to preserve its traditional character. Every Friday ships which have been plying in the IJsselmeer and the North Sea return to port; and the superstition that the men must not board their ships again before midnight on Sunday is still observed. The fish auction is also still carried on.

The Hulp en Steun Fisheries Museum (Visserijmuseum) at Wijk 1, No. 44, has models of fishing boats and other exhibits illustrating the local fisheries.

The Old Urk Museum (Museum Oud Urk), in an old farmhouse at Wijk 3, No. 73, displays dolls in traditional local costumes and puts on periodic special exhibitions on the history of the village.