Last updated: May 2026
Cosy cobbled streets with flowerpots on the sidewalks, where cats roam with no worries; old houses telling the story of an important past, sinuous canals, a historical train and a ferry, an open-air museum and a beautiful marina: Enkhuizen is a town that will charm you for sure!
I first discovered Enkhuizen a few years ago and since then I’ve been visiting a couple of times. Enkhuizen is situated in the Noord-Holland province, on the shores of both Ijsselmeer and Markermeer lakes. I love the chill vibes of the place, the historical look and feel (there are 366 monuments around the city), the fact that is not overcrowded and you can get a taste of the local life. Also, I love the Zuiderzee Museum, where I can see how people of this area lived in the past, how their houses looked like on the outside and inside and pretend I traveled back in time while watching the fishers waving their nets.
History of Enkhuizen: a VOC town on the water
Enkhuizen was an important port in the 17th century, one of the places used by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and West India Company for their travels and trade, Amsterdam grew into the dominant trade hub of the Dutch Republic. In 1602, Enkhuizen became one of the six chambers of the VOC, and the city’s warehouses and shipyards hummed with activity. The Peperhuis, a 1625 warehouse later taken over by the VOC to store spices, tea, and textiles, still stands on the Wierdijk, and today it’s part of the Zuiderzeemuseum. The herring trade made Enkhuizen rich long before the VOC arrived. At its peak, the city had the largest herring fleet in the Netherlands, earning it the nickname Haringstad — the Herring City. By 1622, nearly 22,000 people lived here, making it one of Holland’s wealthiest towns.
At that time, Enkhuizen had a connection to the North Sea; it was before the Dutch built the Afsluitduijk, the dike that closed the connection to the sea for this part of the country. The Afsluitdijk changed everything, as the saltwater Zuiderzee became the freshwater IJsselmeer, and the herring fleets that had sustained the town for centuries gradually disappeared.
Even if big ships are not mooring in the harbour anymore, carrying spices and other goods, the love for the sea life can still be felt all around. From the house gables featuring mermaids and ships, to the beautiful marina packed with boats, the connection of the city with the sea is visible everywhere. People are still going out on the lakes and practice water sports and fishing, and there are boat races events here throughout the year. There are shops in the town where you can have the freshest fish sandwich, and you can spend hours watching the boats (if you’re so passionate about it). There is even a Ship-in-a-bottle museum (Flessenscheepjes Museum) — which I find adorable.
✨Day-trip suitability
International visitors: ● ● ● ● ○ — Highly recommended if you have time
NL-based day-trippers: ● ● ● ● ●— Worth planning a day/weekend around
● Circles indicate suitability, not quality. Some subjectivity included. How to read these ratings 📜
What to do in Enkhuizen
The best way to visit Enkhuizen is on foot, exploring the streets and taking the time to spot the monuments, maybe even doing a bit of shopping in the local boutiques. If you walk to the edge of the city centre, you can see the former city walls and the gates, like the Koepoort (the Cow Gate), and, beyond them, a countryside landscape. You wouldn’t expect it from such a small town, but Enkhuizen has plenty to keep you busy for a full day or even a weekend. Here are the highlights.
Zuiderzeemuseum
The Zuiderzeemuseum is the main reason many visitors come to Enkhuizen, and rightly so. The open-air section takes you through reconstructed streets, houses, and workshops from villages around the former Zuiderzee — you can watch artisans at work, visit historic ships, and get a real sense of how people in this region lived. The indoor museum, housed partly in the Peperhuis, covers maritime history and has the largest collection of ships-in-bottles in the world. Set aside at least a few hours, though a full day is easy to fill.
→ Read more about the Zuiderzee here: Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen: a Trip Back in Time
Visit the marinas
Enhuizen still has a tight connection to the sea, and I never miss the marinas when I visit. The town has five harbours, and you’ll find boats moored practically everywhere you look.
Walking the Old Town
The best way to visit Enkhuizen is on foot, exploring the streets and taking the time to spot the monuments, maybe even doing a bit of shopping in the local boutiques. Start at the Drommedaris, the 1540 defence tower that once guarded the city’s southern harbour entrance. It’s served as a prison, a post office, and a café over the centuries, and today it’s a cultural centre.
Don’t miss the Stadhuis (town hall), built in 1688 by Amsterdam architect Steven Vennekool ( locals say it was designed to echo the Royal Palace on Dam Square) and De Waag (the weigh house, 1559) where you can still see the original weighing mechanism.
The churches and de Librije
Enkhuizen has two notable churches. The Zuiderkerk (Sint-Pancraskerk) dates back to 1423 and has a 75-metre tower ( look up inside to see the biblical ceiling paintings from 1484, hidden for centuries after the Reformation and rediscovered in the 20th century). The Westerkerk, built around 1470, is home to De Librije, the only 17th-century city library in the Netherlands still in its original location. The collection of some 600 leather and parchment-bound books has been here since the late 1500s.
The Koepoort and the City Walls
If you walk to the edge of the city centre, you can see the former city walls and the gates, like the Koepoort (the Cow Gate) — built between 1590 and 1593 when the city expanded westward. The name comes from the cattle that passed through on their way to market, some from as far as Denmark. Notice the curved passage: it was designed that way so enemies couldn’t fire straight through it. Beyond them, a countryside landscape.
Take a canal boat tour
One of the best ways to see Enkhuizen is from the water. Rondvaart Enkhuizen runs 45-minute boat tours in an open sloep through the canals, passing centuries-old tea houses, farms, and the old ramparts. The skipper narrates in Dutch and English.
Sprookjeswonderland
Visit the Sprookjeswonderland, a fairy tale themed park for kids. It’s a good option if you’re visiting Enkhuizen with young children. The park is set in a wooded area just outside the centre.
Sow to Grow
Sow to Grow is an interactive museum about plant science and seed breeding. It’s a small but interesting stop, especially if you’re curious about the Netherlands’ seed industry (Enkhuizen has historically been a centre for it). The museum is on Westerstraat, in the heart of town.
Beyond the centre
If you feel the need to see some green areas in between your visit to the historical monuments, there are a few places that you can go to: Snouck van Loosenpark (a cute park close to the train station) and Wilhelminaplantsoen (a park with a petting zoo and a tea garden).
For something wilder, cycle or walk to De Weelen, a 350-hectare nature reserve between Enkhuizen and Andijk. It’s a peaceful landscape of creeks, reed beds, meadows, and small forests, with a bird reserve tucked inside. The adjacent Streekbos recreation area has hiking trails and a natural swimming pond.
About four kilometres from Enkhuizen, on the IJsselmeer dike near Oosterdijk, you’ll find the De Ven lighthouse. Built in 1699–1700, it’s one of the oldest lighthouses in the Netherlands and the only survivor of three that once guided ships from the Waddenzee to Amsterdam. The white brick tower is 15 metres tall and makes for a lovely cycling detour.
Day trips from Enkhuizen
If you’re spending more than one day in the area, Enkhuizen is perfectly placed for exploring the rest of West Friesland.
Take the ferry to Medemblik, a small waterfront town with the medieval Radboud Castle. Or hop on the historic steam train that runs between Hoorn and Medemblik; during tulip season, the route through the fields is spectacular. You can combine train, boat, and ferry into a triangle route between Hoorn, Enkhuizen, and Medemblik for a full day on the water and rails.
Hoorn is another excellent day trip: a larger VOC town with its own beautiful harbour, museums, and picturesque streets along the IJsselmeer. Or simply rent a bike and explore the polders and small villages around the city.
Practical tips
Getting there: Enkhuizen is about an hour by direct train from Amsterdam Centraal, with frequent departures throughout the day. You can also arrive by historic steam train from Hoorn or by ferry from Stavoren (Friesland).
How long to spend: You can see the highlights in a day trip, but if you want to visit the Zuiderzeemuseum properly and explore the surrounding area, a weekend is ideal.
Best time to visit: The warmer months from May to September are best for outdoor activities, canal boat tours, and the ferry connections. Many events and markets take place in summer. That said, Enkhuizen’s quiet cobbled streets have a certain charm in the off-season too.
Every time I visit Enkhuizen, I discover a new corner or a detail I hadn’t noticed before: a carved gable, a tiny courtyard, a reflection in the canal. It’s a town that is small enough to feel familiar, and rich enough to keep surprising you.
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