Hoorn is a hospitable city. We would therefore like to welcome you. Our city offers you a pleasant historic center with many shops, cozy restaurants and an attractive harbour. Whether you are looking for a nice antique shop, a national retail chain, a surprising gift shop or a second-hand book shop, in Hoorn you will find everything in the compact city centre. Do you like good food and drink? Hoorn offers you a choice of restaurants, from surprisingly nice to top class. And Hoorn not only has that famous Café on the Harbor that Father Abraham sang about, there are countless other cozy cafés!
Hoorn is a city with almost 70,000 inhabitants and therefore has a lot to offer. The old center of the city is the place where everyone likes to come. Whether you live in Hoorn or come as a guest, the old town attracts! There is a nice ‘shopping round’ where all well-known shops but also unique things can be found. And adjacent to this ‘shopping round’ you will find special shops with, for example, gift items, books, antiques and curiosities, but also museums and galleries. And of course you will also end up in the harbour, perhaps the most beautiful harbor on the Markermeer…
The city center of Hoorn has never looked so beautiful! All buildings have been restored and many have been given a new function. For example, VOC warehouses have been converted into apartments, cheese warehouses became a museum or restaurant and you will now find modern art in the old Boterhal. You do not walk through a historic city in Hoorn, no, you can smell and feel the history of the VOC, the WIC and the whalers. With a bit of luck, the fishermen will hang their nets to dry on the bridge, an old ship will be renovated in the harbor and a Horinese will tell you a wonderful story. For example about the adventures of the Boys of Bontekoe. Or the Battle of Bossu, which was once fought right off the coast of Hoorn.
Hoorn has a rich history. Come taste it.