Enkhuizen Tourist Attractions
|
|
Enkhuizen, situated on the IJsselmeer and traversed by numerous canals, ranks as one of the prettiest towns in the Netherlands. Its trade with the Baltic countries, and later its herring fisheries, enabled it to develop into a flourishing and prosperous port town with a population of some 40,000; but decline set in when most of the merchants moved to Amsterdam, and the final blow came with the destruction of its herring fishing fleet of 400 vessels in 1625 and the silting up of its harbor.
Harbor
From the station there is a good view of the harbor (Spoor- or Buyshaven and Buitenhaven), with its innumerable boats and yachts. From the harbor there are boats to Medemblik, Stavoren and Urk and a ferry to the Zuiderzee Museum.
Dromedaris Tower
The landward side of the harbor is dominated by the Dromedaris Tower, a relic of the town's fortifications (1540). The tower, which was heightened in 1649, has a carillon by the Hemony brothers which ranks among the finest in the Netherlands. From the tower (round, with the addition of a gatehouse) there is a fine view of the harbor quarter. It served at one time as a prison, and some of the cells can still be seen.
Old Houses on Oud Haven
On the facade of a house at Zuiderspui 1 in Enkhuizen can be seen the coats of arms of Medemblik, Enkhuizen, West Friesland, Orange and Hoorn. A house at Dijk 32, dating from 1625, displays the motto "Contentement passe rychesse" ("Contentment is worth more than wealth").
Westerstraat
The street called the Dijk which runs along the north side of the Oude Haven leads to Venedie and the Melkmarkt, from which Westerstraat goes off on the left. Two interesting houses in this street are No. 76 (Late Gothic facade, 16th C.) and No. 158 (Renaissance facade). At the end of the street is the Koepoort, an old town gate (1649; roof 1730).
Mint
Facing St Gomaruskerk is the imposing gabled facade of the old Mint (16th C.).
St Gomaruskerk
The Westerkerk or St Gomaruskerk (15th-16th C.) is a Gothic hall-church with timber vaulting. Between the church and the bell tower is the verger's house, with a fine stepped gable of 1600. The bell tower, originally built in 1519, was renovated in neo-classical style in the 19th century, with a wooden facing.
St Gomaruskerk Interior
The most striking features of the interior are the wooden choir screen (1542), one of the finest in the northern Netherlands, and the pulpit (1567), a copy of the pulpit of the Grote Kerk in The Hague. There is a fine 17th century library with hundreds of theological works, some of them of great value.
Town Hall
From the Kaasmarkt, Nieuwstraat leads into Zwaanstraat, in which is the Town Hall (Stadhuis), a magnificent example of Dutch architecture of the Golden Age, built at the end of the 17th century and little altered since then. The handsome sandstone facade is excellently preserved, as is the richly decorated and furnished interior (particularly the Burghers' Hall and the burgomaster's room), with pictures, ceiling and wall paintings and valuable tapestries. The walls of the fine Council Chamber (1705) are clad with Utrecht velvet. Behind the Town Hall is the old Prison (1612).
Zuiderzee Museum
Near the Enkhuizen Town Hall, at Wierdijk 12, is the Binnenmuseum, the indoor part of the Zuiderzee Museum, the outdoor section of which can be reached only by boat. The Binnenmuseum is housed in the Peperhuis, a 17th century warehouse of the East India Company. It illustrates the history of shipping and fishing in the old Zuiderzee with displays of implements and equipment, house interiors, everyday objects, regional costumes, ship models and old fishing boats (in the main hall). About 500m/550yd north is the Buitenmuseum (Outdoor Museum), an open-air museum consisting of 135 buildings with gardens, canals and streets dating from 1880-1932 from the area around the former Zuiderzee.
Zuiderkerk or St Pancraskerk
Near the east end of Westerstraat stands the Zuiderkerk or St Pancraskerk, which dates from the early 15th century. The tower was built in 1450 and heightened between 1518 and 1526 by the addition of an octagonal upper section and an onion dome (total height 75m/245ft). It has a carillon by the Hemony brothers (originally 35 bells, later increased to 45). The paintings on the timber ceiling (1484) were covered with whitewash at the Reformation but were exposed in the early 20th century by the removal of the whitewash.
Waagmuseum
In the Kaasmarkt (No. 8) is the old Weigh-House (Waag) of 1559, its colorful facade decorated with several coats of arms; it is now a museum. Notable features are the old scales for weighing butter and cheese; the Chirurgijnskamer (surgeons' room) on the first floor, the meeting place of the town's doctors from 1639; the delivery room (18th C.); a sick-room (1910); and a dental surgery (1920).
Summer Garden
Near the Koepoort is the Summer Garden, an experimental garden with various species of flowers grown in the Streek, the flower-growing area between Enkhuizen and Hoorn.
Sprookjes Wonderland
On the north side of Enkhuizen is the Sprookjes Wonderland, with an interesting "dwarfs' village".
Old Houses
On Breedstraat, which runs south from the Town Hall, are a number of interesting old buildings with Late Gothic or Renaissance facades (Nos. 14, 41, 59, 60 and 61). There are also a number of houses of the 16th-18th centuries in Westerstraat and the Dijk.
Brandaris Bolkoppen Race
The Brandaris Bolkoppen Race at Enkhuizen is a tug-of-war between fishing vessels on the IJsselmeer, with various events on land.
Grootebroek, Netherlands
South of Enkhuizen lies Grootebroek, where a flower show, the West Frisian Flora, is held annually in February. The show, at which the latest developments in bulb growing are displayed, attracts large numbers of flower lovers as well as bulb growers.
Map of Enkhuizen Attractions
Map - Enkhuizen
