photogenic
Marken
Former Zuiderzee island village on a causeway north of Amsterdam, its green-and-black wooden houses raised on stilts and mounds against floods; walk out to the Paard van Marken lighthouse on the dike.
21 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeNetherlandsNorth Holland
Hoorn
North Holland, Netherlands · Europe
About Hoorn
Hoorn is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Berkhout, 24km from Houtribdijk.
Hoorn is in North Holland, Netherlands, with about 69,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Berkhout, about 4 km away.
Hoorn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦoːr(ə)n] ) is a city and municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the largest town and the traditional capital of the region of West Friesland. Hoorn is located on the Markermeer, 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Alkmaar and 35 kilometers (22Read more
mi) north of Amsterdam. The municipality has just over 75,000 inhabitants and a land area of 20.38 km2 (7.87 sq mi), making it the third most densely populated municipality in North Holland after Haarlem and Amsterdam. Apart from the city of Hoorn, the municipality includes the villages of Blokker and Zwaag, as well as parts of the hamlets De Bangert, De Hulk and Munnickaij.
Hoorn is well known in the Netherlands for its rich history. The town acquired city rights in 1357 and flourished during the Dutch Golden Age. In this period, Hoorn developed into a prosperous port city, being home to one of the six chambers of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Towards the end of the eighteenth century, however, it started to become increasingly more difficult for Hoorn to keep competing with nearby Amsterdam. Ultimately, it lost its function as port city and became a regional center of trade, mainly serving the smaller villages of West Friesland. Nowadays, Hoorn is a city with modern residential areas and a historic city center that, due to its proximity to Amsterdam, is sometimes considered to be part of the Randstad metropolitan area. Cape Horn and the Hoorn Islands were both named after this city.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hoorn?
Within an hour or so of Hoorn: Marken (21 km), Houtribdijk (24 km), Zaanse Schans (25 km), Dam Square (32 km).
Are there any good drives near Hoorn?
The nearest famous roads are Houtribdijk, Afsluitdijk and Brouwersdam.
Where is Hoorn?
Hoorn is in North Holland, Netherlands, about 4 km from Berkhout.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 68,852
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Netherlands
- Region
- North Holland
- Timezone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Coordinates
- 52.6425, 5.0597
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Netherlands
Watch for cyclists. They generally have priority.
Full driving guide for NetherlandsTags
Worth the detour from Hoorn
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
famous road
Houtribdijk
A 26 km dike road (N302) running straight across the water between Enkhuizen and Lelystad, splitting the IJsselmeer from the Markermeer with sea views on both sides.
24 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Zaanse Schans
A riverside open-air village of working green windmills, clog makers and cheese sheds just north of Amsterdam.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Dam Square
Historic heart of Amsterdam flanked by the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk, and the National Monument.
32 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Royal Palace Amsterdam
Imposing 17th-century palace on Dam Square built during the Dutch Golden Age, still used for royal functions.
32 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Anne Frank House
The preserved hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II, a powerful memorial to the Holocaust.
32 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Amsterdam Canal Ring
UNESCO-listed 17th-century canal system forming concentric half-circles through Amsterdam, lined with narrow merchant houses.
32 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Artis Royal Zoo
The oldest zoo in the Netherlands, founded in 1838, combining a zoo, aquarium, planetarium, and botanical garden.
32 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Hoorn
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 24 kmHoutribdijkA 26 km dike road (N302) running straight across the water between Enkhuizen and Lelystad, splitting the IJsselmeer from the Markermeer with sea views on both sides.
- 52 kmAfsluitdijkA 32km causeway sealing off the Zuiderzee, this dead-straight engineering marvel is one of Europe's great driving roads.
Driving in Netherlands
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€2.04/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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