I’m quite sure not many travellers know about the Enkhuizen, Medemblik & Hoorn in the Netherlands. Dutchies might know the towns but not the historical significance. I found out about this area in the province North Holland when a friend of mine recommended it to me. Allow me to also introduce you to the Dutch Historical Triangle!

Enkhuizen

A tour through the historical triangle of the Netherlands can start in all three locations. My friend and I decided to park the car and start the journey in Enkhuizen. We used the planner to find out which schedule suited us best.

The Dutch Tourist Office (VVV) is centrally located next to the train station. Travelling by car works out fastest for me, so I was thrilled to find that parking is free next to the train station. All tickets can be bought at once at the VVV – apart from the stretch between Hoorn & Enkhuizen where public transportation is a must. If you have the Dutch Museumkaart , the whole trip is free (again, apart from regular train).

The museum boat “Friesland” leaves from the dock next to the VVV.

Even in winter the boat is comfortable. There’s plenty of seating inside, so you can sit at one of the tables and enjoy the view. In summer you might be able to venture outside, but there was no way I was going to attempt that on the cold October day I visited. Instead I sat back and watched the IJsselmeer and towns pass me by through the window.

After a short trip by boat – a boat which contains plenty of snacks I might add – we reached Medemblik.

Medemblik

Medemblik is a surprising town filled with cultural landmarks. I hadn’t heard about this town at all until I found out about the museum boat – train combo. Sometimes it takes just a bit of luck to find the most beautiful spots! When I started researching what to do in the hour or so we would have there I was absolutely spoilt for choices.

All the monuments, mills, statues and other important buildings would not have been able to keep me away from…

… Radboud Castle! The moment I found out there was a castle in this town I knew I had to make my way there. It was constructed in the 13th century. I didn’t have time to venture inside, so I only saw it from the outside, but even then it was worth the walk around the harbour.

The harbour is in a kind of U-shape. The boat docked on the one side of the U and the castle is located on the other side. There’s no bridge that connects the two. It takes around 20 minutes to walk to the castle, but the walk itself is worth it. It takes you past a cute harbour filled with yachts and traditional Dutch houses.

The most surreal thing I have seen is this wind turbine which is peaking above the houses. It looks like something alien, right?

After that little walk around Medemblik, it was time to board the steam train. I don’t really know the story behind this steam train, all I know is that I enjoyed the ride and the view. It’s unbelievable how much smoke comes from it! It’s good there’s only one in the Netherlands (that’s a bold statement for someone who doesn’t know it’s true but let’s just go with it), otherwise we would be insanely polluted.

The pace of the ride is comparable to that of the train in Sri Lanka between Ella & Kandy. Luckily, this time we weren’t travelling that far.

The train takes you past fields, villages & small stations, which have recently been renovated. For travellers it’s a great way to see the Dutch countryside.

Hoorn

The train stops in Hoorn. All we saw in Hoorn was the train station. It was already a long day, and I wanted to see if we would be able to make it to the Zuiderzee museum in Enkhuizen.

We walked out of the old train station, straight into the new one to get the regular train back to Enkhuizen.

Unfortunately, we were back too late and the Zuiderzee museum was already closed.

Conclusion

This historical triangle is a great way for travellers to see the Dutch countryside and to experience some of our different and traditional modes of transportation. The schedule in autumn/winter doesn’t allow for much sightseeing as there are only a few steam trains leaving. In summer you should have more time to also explore the towns.

The Zuiderzee museum is something I regret missing, and I will definitely put it on my to-visit list for next year.