# Enkhuizen and Hoorn The Zuiderzeemuseum open-air village and the Historic Triangle: train to Hoorn, steam tram to Medemblik and boat to Enkhuizen, in a day from Amsterdam. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/enkhuizen-and-hoorn · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Before 1932, when the Afsluitdijk closed it off and turned it into the IJsselmeer lake, the Zuiderzee was an inland sea surrounded by ports that traded with half the world. Hoorn and Enkhuizen were two of the most important, and when trade moved to Amsterdam they were left almost as they were: quays with defensive towers, warehouses, churches and merchants' houses. Enkhuizen has 361 national monuments and the Zuiderzeemuseum, a whole village of the old coast rebuilt in the open air. And between the two cities you travel as people did a century ago: the Historic Triangle, by steam tram and by boat. ## How do I get there from Amsterdam? By train: the line leaves Amsterdam Centraal heading north and reaches Hoorn and, at the end, Enkhuizen, which is on the same harbour. You pay by contactless card. By car, park in Enkhuizen free and with no limit next to the station or on the Dirck Chinaplein; the centre is a three-hour blue zone. ## What is the Historic Triangle? A perfect day from spring to autumn. You take the train from Amsterdam to Hoorn; next to the station you board the Museumstoomtram's steam tram, which slowly crosses the polders of West-Friesland to the port of Medemblik; there you board the MS Friesland boat, which crosses the IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen, and you return by train. The day ticket for the tram and the boat costs €29.50 (€21 for ages 4 to 12), and €46.50 with admission to the Zuiderzeemuseum. It runs to a calendar of days published on its website; buy online to be sure of a seat. ## What to see in Enkhuizen? The Zuiderzeemuseum is the reason for the trip: an open-air village with houses, shops, workshops, a harbour and boats from the whole coast, open from late March to October, and the Treasure House, with the collections, all year. It is about twenty minutes on foot from the station. Afterwards, stroll around the harbours and the Drommedaris, the tower of the old gate over the water, the Waag, the town hall and the two great churches, the Westerkerk and the Zuiderkerk. ## And in Hoorn? Hoorn can be seen in an hour or two before the tram: the inner harbour with the Hoofdtoren of 1532, the quayside terraces and the Roode Steen square. The Westfries Museum, on the square, is closed until mid-2027 for works. ## Where to eat and sleep? In Enkhuizen, Herberg De Compagnie, next to the station, is open every day with lunch, dinner and its own beers, and La Dique, the restaurant of Die Port van Cleve, serves dinner every day with a view of the harbour. To sleep, Die Port van Cleve has 24 rooms opposite the Drommedaris, and Herberg De Compagnie has eight, two minutes from the train. ## One day or one night? The Triangle with the museum fills a long day: if you leave Amsterdam early, you can do it, but the museum village deserves half a day on its own. With a night in Enkhuizen, you do the museum at leisure one day and the tram and boat the next, or the other way round if it suits you: boat to Medemblik and tram to Hoorn. ## When to go? From late March to October: the museum village is open and the tram and boat run. In winter, Enkhuizen is a quiet harbour with the Treasure House open, and the tram only runs on the special Sinterklaas and Christmas trains. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Edam (a 20.9 km), Volendam and Marken (a 23.7 km), Alkmaar (a 29.5 km), Zaanse Schans (a 33.7 km) ## Qué hacer - **Zuiderzeemuseum, the Open-Air Village of the Old Zuiderzee** (4 h · All ages · Winter, Treasure House only €9.50 · ages 4 to 12 €6 · family €25; in season, price with the village on their website): Until 1932, when the Afsluitdijk closed it off, the Zuiderzee was an inland sea with fishing villages, shipyards and harbours. The Zuiderzeemuseum tells that life, and does so on a grand scale: in the open-air village, streets, canals and a harbour have been rebuilt with houses, shops, workshops and boats brought from all along the coast, where you can see, hear, smell and try the life of the time. Opposite, in the Treasure House, the objects and exhibitions of the collection are kept. Season and tickets The village opens from late March to late October; in 2027, from 26 March. The Treasure House is open all year, daily from 10:00 to 17:00. In winter, with only the Treasure House, entry costs €9.50, €6 for ages 4 to 12, and the family ticket €25; the season price is published on their website. If you come on the steam tram and the boat, the Historic Triangle ticket with the museum costs €46.50. Getting there From Enkhuizen station it is about twenty minutes' walk along the quays. By car, park free next to the station or on the Dirck Chinaplein. - **Steam Tram from Hoorn to Medemblik** (All ages; free up to age 3 · €17.50 single adults · €10.50 ages 4 to 12 · return or triangle €29.50): Next to Hoorn railway station a museum steam tram departs, with steam locomotives and old carriages. It runs slowly across the polders of West Friesland, between farms and villages, to the harbour of Medemblik, on the shore of the IJsselmeer. From there, the MS Friesland boat crosses to Enkhuizen: this is the Historic Triangle, and it closes with the regular train back to Hoorn or Amsterdam. Tickets and season The single tram ticket costs €17.50 (€10.50 for ages 4 to 12), and the Triangle day ticket, tram and boat, €29.50 (€21 for children). With entry to the Zuiderzeemuseum, €46.50. It runs from spring to autumn according to a calendar of days published on their website, and in December there are special Sinterklaas and Christmas trains. There is no need to book, but if you buy online you secure your seat. Where it departs From the Museumstoomtram station at Van Dedemstraat 8 in Hoorn, next to the railway station. - **MS Friesland Boat from Medemblik to Enkhuizen** (All ages · €17.50 single adults · €10.50 ages 4 to 12): The MS Friesland is a museum passenger ship linking Medemblik and Enkhuizen across the IJsselmeer, the former inland sea. It is the second part of the Historic Triangle, after the steam tram, but can be taken on its own. On arrival in Enkhuizen you pass the lighthouse and the Drommedaris tower. Tickets The single journey costs €17.50 and €10.50 for ages 4 to 12; combined with the tram, €29.50. The Enkhuizen jetty is on the Tritondam, next to the railway station. - **Walk Around the Harbours of Enkhuizen and the Drommedaris** (1 h 30 · 3 km · All ages · Free): Enkhuizen was one of the great cities of the Zuiderzee, with shipyards, sail lofts and rope walks, and when the merchants left for Amsterdam it fell asleep, almost intact: today it has 361 national monuments. The walk starts at the harbour, in front of the Drommedaris, the tower of the old city gate over the water, and continues along the quays to the Waag, the town hall, the Zuiderkerk, with its tower, and the late Gothic Westerkerk. How to do it Everything is on foot from the station, which is on the harbour itself. If you have time to spare, the Rondvaart Enkhuizen boat tours the canals of the Boerenhoek, the district of farms within the walls, with little tea houses and fortified gates. - **Hoorn Harbour, the Hoofdtoren and the Roode Steen** (1 h 30 · 3.5 km · All ages · Free): In the Golden Age Hoorn was one of the ports of the Zuiderzee, and its postcard view is the Binnenhaven, the inner harbour, with the Hoofdtoren of 1532 guarding the entrance. Stroll along the quays, where there are now terraces and pleasure boats, and climb through the centre to the Roode Steen, the main square, with the Waag and the Westfries Museum building. Good to know The Westfries Museum is closed until mid-2027 for a major restoration. In the meantime, Hoorn is seen from the outside: harbour, square and streets. From the station it is about ten minutes' walk to the Roode Steen, and next to the station the steam tram to Medemblik departs. ## Dónde comer - **Restaurant La Dique, at Die Port van Cleve** (Restaurant, Enkhuizen, €€€). Qué pedir: a dinner by the window with the harbour and the Drommedaris in front of you. - **Herberg De Compagnie** (Bar, Enkhuizen, €€). Qué pedir: a burger with one of the beers they brew themselves. ## By plane: Fly to Amsterdam and Take the Train to Hoorn and Enkhuizen Hoorn and Enkhuizen are north of Amsterdam, on the shore of the IJsselmeer, and you reach them by train from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and nearly all the major Spanish cities. The line passes through Amsterdam Centraal and continues to Hoorn and Enkhuizen, where it ends. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Die Port van Cleve** (Hotel): The place Die Port van Cleve occupies a monumental early 17th-century house on the Dijk, the quay of Enkhuizen's inner harbour, with the Drommedaris tower opposite. It has been a hotel since around 1900 and was completely renovated a few years ago: it has 24 rooms, single and double, a lift, the La Dique restaurant, lounge, bar and a terrace over the harbour. Why stay here Because you sleep at the heart of the harbour, five minutes from the station and the Medemblik boat, and twenty minutes' walk from the Zuiderzeemuseum. With a night here, the museum village and the Historic Triangle fit into two unhurried days. Getting there and parking From the station, five minutes on foot along the harbour. By car, in front of the hotel you can park with a disc for three hours from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays it is free all day; for longer, the free car park beside the station. - **Herberg De Compagnie, Rooms** (Small hotel): The place Above the De Compagnie tavern there are eight rooms two minutes from the station and the harbour. You can have breakfast in the house, and downstairs you have the restaurant and the beer bar. Why stay here For convenience: you arrive by train or on the Medemblik boat and you are at the door. It is the option for sleeping in Enkhuizen without a car and without spending much, and for having dinner and a beer without having to go back anywhere. Getting there Two minutes' walk from the station. By car, park free next to the station or on the Dirck Chinaplein. ### Servicios - **Enkhuizen Station**: End of the line from Amsterdam, right on the harbour: the boat to Medemblik leaves next door and parking is free with no time limit. - **Hoorn Station and Steam Tram Station**: Trains from Amsterdam and towards Enkhuizen; next door, at Van Dedemstraat 8, the steam tram to Medemblik departs. Ten minutes on foot from the harbour. ## Car-free: The Historic Triangle by Train, Tram and Boat Without a car, Hoorn and Enkhuizen are done as they were a hundred years ago: train to Hoorn, steam tram to Medemblik, boat to Enkhuizen and train back. The budget per person per day includes accommodation, food, the Triangle ticket and the museum. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Die Port van Cleve** (Hotel): The place Die Port van Cleve occupies a monumental early 17th-century house on the Dijk, the quay of Enkhuizen's inner harbour, with the Drommedaris tower opposite. It has been a hotel since around 1900 and was completely renovated a few years ago: it has 24 rooms, single and double, a lift, the La Dique restaurant, lounge, bar and a terrace over the harbour. Why stay here Because you sleep at the heart of the harbour, five minutes from the station and the Medemblik boat, and twenty minutes' walk from the Zuiderzeemuseum. With a night here, the museum village and the Historic Triangle fit into two unhurried days. Getting there and parking From the station, five minutes on foot along the harbour. By car, in front of the hotel you can park with a disc for three hours from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays it is free all day; for longer, the free car park beside the station. - **Herberg De Compagnie, Rooms** (Small hotel): The place Above the De Compagnie tavern there are eight rooms two minutes from the station and the harbour. You can have breakfast in the house, and downstairs you have the restaurant and the beer bar. Why stay here For convenience: you arrive by train or on the Medemblik boat and you are at the door. It is the option for sleeping in Enkhuizen without a car and without spending much, and for having dinner and a beer without having to go back anywhere. Getting there Two minutes' walk from the station. By car, park free next to the station or on the Dirck Chinaplein. ### Servicios - **Enkhuizen Station**: End of the line from Amsterdam, right on the harbour: the boat to Medemblik leaves next door and parking is free with no time limit. - **Hoorn Station and Steam Tram Station**: Trains from Amsterdam and towards Enkhuizen; next door, at Van Dedemstraat 8, the steam tram to Medemblik departs. Ten minutes on foot from the harbour. ## By car: Hoorn and Enkhuizen by Car By car, Hoorn and Enkhuizen are north of Amsterdam, beside the IJsselmeer. In Enkhuizen you can park free with no limit beside the station; in the centre, a three-hour blue zone. The budget includes accommodation, food and entry fees, but not the car. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Die Port van Cleve** (Hotel): The place Die Port van Cleve occupies a monumental early 17th-century house on the Dijk, the quay of Enkhuizen's inner harbour, with the Drommedaris tower opposite. It has been a hotel since around 1900 and was completely renovated a few years ago: it has 24 rooms, single and double, a lift, the La Dique restaurant, lounge, bar and a terrace over the harbour. Why stay here Because you sleep at the heart of the harbour, five minutes from the station and the Medemblik boat, and twenty minutes' walk from the Zuiderzeemuseum. With a night here, the museum village and the Historic Triangle fit into two unhurried days. Getting there and parking From the station, five minutes on foot along the harbour. By car, in front of the hotel you can park with a disc for three hours from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays it is free all day; for longer, the free car park beside the station. - **Herberg De Compagnie, Rooms** (Small hotel): The place Above the De Compagnie tavern there are eight rooms two minutes from the station and the harbour. You can have breakfast in the house, and downstairs you have the restaurant and the beer bar. Why stay here For convenience: you arrive by train or on the Medemblik boat and you are at the door. It is the option for sleeping in Enkhuizen without a car and without spending much, and for having dinner and a beer without having to go back anywhere. Getting there Two minutes' walk from the station. By car, park free next to the station or on the Dirck Chinaplein. ## As a family: Hoorn and Enkhuizen with Family It is one of the best days out with children near Amsterdam: a steam tram, a boat across the lake and an old village where the Zuiderzee of the past comes alive. Everything is flat and the journeys are short. ### What works best The steam tram from Hoorn to Medemblik, €10.50 for ages 4 to 12 The MS Friesland boat to Enkhuizen The Zuiderzeemuseum village, from late March to October The Triangle ticket with the museum, €32 for ages 4 to 12 ### Where to stay Die Port van Cleve, with a lift ### Where to eat Herberg De Compagnie, burgers and a wide menu ### Good to know The Zuiderzeemuseum village closes from November to March The Westfries Museum in Hoorn is closed until mid-2027 ### Qué hacer as a family - Zuiderzeemuseum, the Open-Air Village of the Old Zuiderzee - Steam Tram from Hoorn to Medemblik - MS Friesland Boat from Medemblik to Enkhuizen - Walk Around the Harbours of Enkhuizen and the Drommedaris - Hoorn Harbour, the Hoofdtoren and the Roode Steen ## With young children: Hoorn and Enkhuizen with Young Children With young children, the steam locomotive and the boat are the plan in themselves. Under-4s pay neither for the tram nor the museum. ### What works best The steam tram, free up to age 3 The boat from Medemblik to Enkhuizen The Zuiderzeemuseum village, with houses and boats The Enkhuizen quays, opposite the Drommedaris ### Where to stay Die Port van Cleve, with a lift ### Where to eat Herberg De Compagnie, next to the station ### Good to know Buy your ticket online to secure a seat on the tram The full Triangle takes the whole day: bring a snack ### Qué hacer with young children - Zuiderzeemuseum, the Open-Air Village of the Old Zuiderzee - Steam Tram from Hoorn to Medemblik - MS Friesland Boat from Medemblik to Enkhuizen - Walk Around the Harbours of Enkhuizen and the Drommedaris - Hoorn Harbour, the Hoofdtoren and the Roode Steen ## Consejos ### Check the tram calendar It does not run every day: check its website before planning the Triangle. ### Buy the combined ticket with the museum Tram, boat and Zuiderzeemuseum for €46.50, instead of paying separately. ### Start early The tram, the boat and the museum village fill the whole day. ### Park at Enkhuizen station Free and with no limit; in the centre, a three-hour blue zone. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do you get from Amsterdam to Enkhuizen? By train from Amsterdam Centraal, passing through Hoorn; Enkhuizen station is on the harbour. ### How much does the Historic Triangle cost? €29.50 for adults and €21 for ages 4 to 12 for the tram and boat; with the Zuiderzeemuseum, €46.50 and €32. ### When does the Zuiderzeemuseum open? The open-air village, from late March to October; in 2027, from 26 March. The Treasure House, all year. ### Is the Westfries Museum in Hoorn open? No, it is closed for works until mid-2027. ### Can you do it in a day from Amsterdam? Yes, if you leave early; with children or at a relaxed pace, better with a night in Enkhuizen. ### What is there to see in Hoorn? The inner harbour with the Hoofdtoren, the quays and the Roode Steen square.