Summary
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the shipping sector prospered in Hindeloopen, significantly benefiting its residents.
At that time, this town, boasting a fleet of 100 vessels, even established its distinct style of dress and interior aesthetics.
Originally situated on a bay of the North Sea (the Zuiderzee), the early-1930s construction of the Afsluitdijk dam transformed this bay into the expansive inland freshwater lake, the IJsselmeer.
Being adjacent to the coast, the IJsselmeer is recognized as Europe’s windiest lake, attracting kite-surfers to Hindeloopen during the summer months.
The well-preserved town and harbor are exceptionally picturesque, and museums delve into the intricate culture of Hindeloopen, as well as its tradition of ice-skating, a beloved activity throughout the Friesland province.
1. Tour of the Town
Although modest in size, Hindeloopen compensates with its charm.
One could traverse from one end to the other in mere minutes; however, this is improbable because of the frequent stops to capture images of the harbor, canals, bridges, and the panoramic view of the skyline and IJsselmeer from the grassy dike.
Hindeloopen is designated as a protected cityscape in the Netherlands, along with the Frisian “Beschermd dorpsgezicht” status (protected village scene). Within this compact area, more than 30 Dutch national monuments can be witnessed.
The tour concludes at the delightful old harbor, featuring a lock, a 17th-century lockkeeper’s house, and a quintessential wooden bascule bridge.
Nearby, one can find inviting waterside cafes and restaurants, perfect for dining adjacent to the charming wooden lifeboat house and the numerous masts in the harbor.
2. First Frisian Skating Museum
Ice-skating holds significant cultural value in Friesland, and this is where the first skates with metal blades were developed during the Middle Ages.
Hindeloopen lies on the route of the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour), a 200-kilometer race on the canals connecting Friesland’s cities during winter.
This event is only organized when ice conditions are favorable, with the race being announced on a mere two days’ notice (the last occurrence was in 1997). The Skating Museum narrates the 250-year history of this race and boasts the most comprehensive collection of skates globally, including an example dating back to the 800s.
Visitors can learn about historical skate manufacturing using animal bones, and tour a blacksmith’s forge and carpenter’s workshop.
Modern speed-skating is also explored, a sport in which the Netherlands excels.
Notable 20th-century champions such as Evert van Benthem, Jeen van den Berg, and Rein Jonker have contributed medals, trophies, and memorabilia to the collection.
3. Grote Kerk
The Medieval church in Hindeloopen was demolished in 1570 during the Eighty Years’ War, with reconstruction spanning from 1590 to 1632. The steeple atop the tower was reconstructed following a lightning strike in 1701, and the replacement, completed in 1724, is an elegant eight-sided structure adorned with balustrades and crowned by a dome featuring a weathervane shaped like a sailing ship.
The southern entrance of the church displays a portal carved from beech in 1658, featuring Hindeloopen’s coat of arms within the pediment.
The organ located at the rear of the church dates from 1813, crafted by Van Dam, a Leeuwarden-based company. However, the ornate case is significantly older, fashioned in the mid-1660s.
4. Museum Hindeloopen
The local museum, housed in Hindeloopen’s former town hall, provides insight into the town’s rich and intriguing history.
The exhibits emphasize Hindeloopen’s shipping trade during the 17th and 18th centuries, highlighting the substantial wealth it generated.
In a series of rooms, visitors can appreciate the distinctive local interior design and attire arising from this affluence, alongside exquisite household items, painted furniture, and artwork.
Numerous artifacts related to shipping and fishing are on display, conjuring a vision of what the harbor may have looked like during the town’s peak prosperity.
5. Sluishuis (Sylhús)
The most attractive monument along Hindeloopen’s harbor is the lockkeeper’s residence located on the landward side.
This structure, along with the adjacent lock, dates back to the 17th century and received its open wooden belfry in the 19th century.
Facing the water, there is a shelter with benches where locals frequently gather to socialize and share news.
This type of space is prevalent in Frisia and is colloquially known as a “leugenbank” (lying bench). Within the shelter, the outer wall of the Sluihuis displays Hindeloopen’s coat of arms and the year 1619. The leugenbank itself originates from 1785 and was initially used for fish auctions.
6. Jopie Huisman Museum
This museum is well worth the brief five-minute train ride to Workum; it is dedicated to self-taught painter and draftsman, Jopie Huisman, who was born in the village in 1922. The museum was established in the mid-1980s and relocated to a former school building in 1992, with a modern extension added in the early 2000s.
Huisman’s art is recognized for its Realism, profound affection for nature, and strong sense of empathy.
He possessed a remarkable ability to find significance in ordinary objects and scenes.
The exhibition, supplemented by an audio guide, allows visitors to trace his artistic evolution and observe the various styles he employed.
Post-renovation, some items depicted in his works, such as children’s dolls and the breeches he wore in a self-portrait, are on display.
The museum has also developed a 25-kilometer trail through the Frisian countryside, guiding visitors to locations that inspired his creations.
7. Flora en Fauna Fontein
In the late 2010s, the cities involved in the Elfstedentocht were unified through a region-wide art initiative.
Each city received a fountain designed by a prominent artist from one of eleven different countries.
Renowned artists, including Jaume Plensa, Shinji Ohmaki, Jorge & Lucy Orta, Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla, and Cornelia Parker, participated in this project.
Hindeloopen’s fountain, named Flora en Fauna, was crafted by the Chinese-born French artist Shen Yuan.
This installation, composed of copper, steel, accoya, and stone, was inspired in part by the majestic cedar depicted in Hindeloopen’s coat of arms.
Exotic birds are perched within the tree, which is encircled by large wooden antlers representing the deer featured in the coat of arms.
8. Water Activities
The waters around Hindeloopen experience consistent breezes, which, combined with extensive, shallow, and calm waters, have transformed this section of the IJsselmeer into a hub for water sports.
Within a five-kilometer radius, numerous enterprises (Kiteboarding Club Holland, Kitesurfschool Freeriderz, Kitesurfschool KiteMobile) offer equipment and instruction for activities like windsurfing and kite-surfing.
Kiteboarding Club Holland features a diverse range of courses, from two-day beginner sessions to week-long camps.
The center also provides other activities, such as stand-up paddleboarding, and hosts a barbecue every Saturday during the summer at the Welgelegen campsite.
Alternatively, visitors can obtain a fishing license and spend leisurely days reeling in perch, bream, roach, eel, rudd, ide, and chub from the IJsselmeer.
9. Beaches
Small beaches line the IJsselmeer at Hindeloopen.
These narrow strips of sand are framed by the grassy incline of the dike, gently lapped by calm waters.
On a warm midsummer day, Hindeloopen’s beaches are ideal for swimming in shallow waters and basking in the sun.
At other times, the beach can become quite breezy, leading to a vibrant sky filled with kites, whether families flying kites with children or kite-surfers performing tricks on the water.
10. Cycling
The countryside of Southwest Friesland is interspersed with safe cycling routes.
While this may sound intricate, knooppunten (nodes) positioned at junctions make the network simple to navigate.
These nodes provide maps, details about the surrounding area, and information regarding local dining and lodging options.
One may choose to trace the contour of the IJsselmeer or venture inland to explore the Frisian Lakes, which comprise 24 interconnected bodies of water in a serene landscape, linked by rivers and canals.
From Hindeloopen, it is also possible to join specialized cycling tours for children, as well as themed routes that follow the path of Friesland’s Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour) and guide cyclists to the numerous charming windmills scattered throughout the countryside.
