North Holland Peninsula - Noord-Hollands Schiereiland

It North Holland Peninsula is a region in North Holland. It also includes the region West Frisia. The area mainly attracts tourists with the sandy beaches on the North Sea coast, the bulb fields in the northwest and the historic town and village views inland. In addition to IJsselmeer and Markermeer, there are also a number of inland lakes (Amstelmeer, Alkmaardermeer) that attract water sports enthusiasts. The landscapes are typically Dutch: polders and reclaimed land alternate. In the west, the dunes are already visible from a great distance, those of Schoorl are the highest in the Netherlands.

Regions

Places

• Alkmaar — The largest city in this area has a well-preserved historic center, where the famous cheese market takes place every Friday in summer. The city is also known for the Ontzet ("Victory begins at Alkmaar"), which is celebrated annually on October 8. The most important architectural landmark is the Sint-Laurenskerk, the northernmost example of Brabant Gothic. The city is an important regional center and has much to offer shoppers.
• mountains — The village of Bergen has been popular with artists for centuries. In summer, it hosts exhibitions, art markets and other activities that attract a mixed crowd. The village has a picturesque historic core. The adjacent Bergen by the Sea is a calm seaside resort, surrounded by dunes and nature reserves.
• den Helder — The naval city of the Netherlands is surrounded by fortresses. The Defense Line of Den Helder is a protected cityscape. In the center, the Rijkswerf and the large offices of the navy are worth seeing. Den Helder has not had a historic center since the Second World War, but some 19th century neighborhoods and canals have been preserved. Most tourists visit the city for its unique location right on the sea. It is also the departure port of the ferry to Texel.
• Enkhuizen - In the Golden Age, Enkhuizen was the largest city in this region. However, the prosperity was short-lived, so that the development of the city came to a halt in the 18th century. That is why the center has remained remarkably undamaged. The city has impressive monuments, including heavy city gates, two large medieval churches and a stately town hall. There is also the Zuiderzee Museum. The old port city is nowadays very popular with water sports enthusiasts.
• Horn - Just like Enkhuizen, Hoorn experienced its great prosperity in the Golden Age. In addition to being an important port, the city was also an administrative center at the time. Various stately buildings recall this time. One of them houses the Westfries Museum, one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. The steam tram departs from Hoorn to Medemblik.
• fellow view - The oldest city in West Friesland has a picturesque historic center. On its edge is a large historic medieval church with a leaning tower. The harbor is dominated by Radboud Castle, a medieval fortress that is now turned into a museum. Lovers of steam engines can combine a ride on the Hoorn-Medemblik electric tram with a visit to the Dutch Steam Engine Museum.
• Schagen - Schagen received city rights in the late Middle Ages and has long been a busy marketplace. In summer there are folkloric markets every Thursday. The historic center is small, but has a small castle, a large market square with a few stepped gables and two high church towers that can be seen from a great distance in the surrounding polder land.
• Schoorl - The dunes of Schoorl are the highest in the Netherlands. The dune area is particularly extensive and offers a varied landscape of forest, heath and sand. There are some dune lakes. In the village itself there is the Klimduin, where the well-known "Girls' Market" takes place on Whit Monday, the beginning and end of many love relationships for centuries. In the area there are even smaller climbing dunes where hardly any tourists come. The sandy beaches here are also remarkably quiet.

Other destinations

Info

The North Holland Peninsula consists of different regions. all around Alkmaar there are mainly dune and sand areas ("ghost grounds") with loose allotments and old settlements (e.g. hello and Castricum). Alkmaar itself is a large provincial city with large suburbs such as Heerhugowaard, Langedijk and Heiloo has about 200,000 inhabitants.

Much more rural is the Noordkop, with Den Helder as the most important city and mainly polder villages and farms. The land here is flat and tightly parceled out; the villages are relatively new and spacious. The Old Island Wieringen differs greatly from this: here you will find winding roads, old villages and even hills. There is also a lot of history in it West Frisia, the area within the Westfriese Omringdijk. There are many mound villages in the vicinity of Schagen, in the east elongated regional villages are typical. Animal husbandry (cows) and arable farming (cabbage) alternate, but there are also orchards.

The West Frisian Surrounding Dike long dike surrounds the old West Friesland. Bee Schagen the dike is the highest: several deep wheels here remind us of dike breaches, when the North Sea still came here. Only the part between Medemblik, Enkhuizen and Hoorn is still on the open water. The dike is ideal for cycling trips.

Language

On the North Holland peninsula, Dutch spoken, but influences of Frisian can be recognized in the local dialect. It is assumed that in West Friesland and the surrounding area Frisian was originally spoken, which still resounds in the Dutch of the current population. The real dialect is mainly spoken by the older generation, but many regional words and sounds can also be heard in the language of young people. The dialects of Wieringen, Enkhuizen and Egmond aan Zee deviate the most from Standard Dutch.

Arrive

By car

• Amsterdam via the A'dam A10 ring road and the A8 and A7 motorways.
• Flevoland direction Lelystad then over the Markerwaarddijk (N302) to arrive at Enkhuizen.
• Friesland and Groningen via the A7 motorway and the Afsluitdijk.

By train

Both from Amsterdam as from Haarlem trains run to the North Holland peninsula. Intercity trains from Amsterdam run to Alkmaar, Den Helder (via Schagen) and Enkhuizen (via Hoorn). From Haarlem there is an express train to Hoorn. On the routes in the north of the provinces, all trains stop at all stations (so the intercity trains to Enkhuizen and Den Helder continue after Hoorn and Alkmaar as a stop train). Sprinters run from Haarlem, Amsterdam and Zaandam towards destinations on the peninsula.

By boat

• In the summer season the "MS Bep Glasius" sails three times a day between Stavoren and Enkhuizen.
• During the summer season, the passenger ship 'Prins Claus' maintains a boat connection between Urk and Enkhuizen.
• There is an hourly service to Den Helder every day from Texel.

Travel around

Various trips can be made in the province by car and bicycle. When it has frozen, you can also enjoy skating in the wetlands. The many nature reserves are of course good for long walks.

• In the spring, a trip along the bulb fields in the northwest of the province. There are many colorful fields to view, especially in the Zijpe, around Callantsoog and south of Den Helder. In Anna Paulowna are annually the Flower days organized, with the villagers putting mosaics of flowers in their front yards.
• The West Frisian Surrounding Dike can be traveled by bicycle and for the most part also by car. Picturesque villages and towns can be visited along the way.
• The historic cities Medemblik, Enkhuizen and Hoorn can be combined in one day by traveling by steam tram to Medemblik, by boat to Enkhuizen and then by train to Hoorn.

To look at

The cities are each worth seeing. In the countryside, historic churches, castles and old farms are especially interesting. The region has a number of typical regional building forms:

• cloche farms - "The land of the pyramids", that is what West Friesland is sometimes jokingly called. The characteristic farms of the region are indeed pyramid shaped. The basis of a farmhouse is a square construction, on which the roof rests. Stolpen can be found everywhere on the peninsula, especially in the West Frisian regional villages and in the Zijpe. A different type occurs on Wieringen.
• Church towers with a brick spire - In the flat country, church towers are very sensitive to lightning strikes. The danger was reduced by also bricking the spire of the church tower. Brick spires are mainly found in the vicinity of Medemblik (the city itself, opperdoes, twisk, Abbekerk, Wognum) and on Wieringen (Oosterland and western country).

• Wooden facades - North Holland above the IJ is known for its wooden facades. Not only in Waterland, but there are also many to be found in villages in West Friesland. Kolhorn is particularly picturesque.
• Various villages have a cool historical bowl. the elongated twisk is full of large farmhouses, so typical of the region. Other villages worth seeing are Barsingerhorn, Kolhorn and Egmond aan den Hoef.

To do

Especially in the summer there are many events in the different towns and cities. The lively party culture in the West Frisian countryside is also known outside the region. The many village festivals in the region are sometimes negatively in the news due to the excessive use of alcohol, but they are mainly pleasant and also nice for tourists to experience.

• Carnival - West Friesland has traditionally been a predominantly Catholic region and Carnival is celebrated enthusiastically in many villages. During the day there are parades with floats and of course there is partying until late into the night. The most famous is the parade in swag, but also in many other villages in the region there are large parades, e.g. in St Martin and Warm houses.
• cheese market - In the summer every Friday at the Waagplein in Alkmaar. The weighing and carrying of the cheeses are acted out for the public and provided with explanations. Various regional cheeses are for sale on the associated market.
• Fair - The largest fair in the region is that of Horn, with many attractions and activities. Yet the many village fairs are especially typical: for days on end there is partying until the wee hours of the morning. Although alcohol abuse is unfortunately common, the activities that are organized and the nostalgic fairground attractions are also interesting for tourists.
• patch day - The fair of Horn is traditionally closed with an annual market, the Lappendag. A variety of products are offered in the morning. During the day, the focus shifts to the cafes.
• Easter cattle - The annual livestock inspection in Schagen Every year results in a grand folk festival that attracts young people from far and wide. In the morning you can view the "double-billed" (beef cows), other livestock and agricultural implements, in the afternoon there is mainly drinking and partying.
• Fleet days - The "open days" of the Dutch navy attract interested parties from all over the country den Helder. The various ships of the fleet can be viewed by the public.
• West Frisian folklore - Schagen dresses up in traditional costume every Thursday in the summer months and old crafts are displayed at the commodity market. There are regional specialties for sale.
• Flora and fishing days - Den Oever At the end of August, depending on the time at which ebb and flow are expected, Den Oever will be dominated by a five-day fair. Monday is a special day in particular when a large part of the fishing fleet sails around the Wadden Sea around noon and visitors can sail for free.

Food

Due to its location directly on the sea, fish always been a popular product on the peninsula. Especially in the fishing villages with their own exit (Den Helder, Den Oever) you can eat affordable and good fish. The West Frisian soil has special properties, which means that certain plant diseases do not occur. Various species are therefore grown in the region cabbage grown on a large scale, which are of good quality because many pesticides are unnecessary. During the harvest season, the vegetables can often be bought cheaply along the road.

The local cuisine is not very different from that of the rest of the western Netherlands. Stews and simply prepared meat and fish dishes are popular. Stews are also very popular. In the restaurants, this traditional folk cuisine is only sparsely served, although it has become more appreciated in recent years. Especially in the regional centers - Alkmaar, Hoorn, Schagen - and in the coastal towns there are many restaurants.

Going out

Nightlife is concentrated in the cities, but in summer there is also plenty to do along the North Sea coast. In the villages there are usually few facilities, but during the fairs it is very busy and young people from all over the area come to the festivities.

In particular Alkmaar and Horn have varied catering. There is something for almost every audience here. The nightlife in is special Schagen, which is visited by young people from far and wide at weekends and is therefore surprisingly lively. The greatest density of cafes is found in the coastal villages and in den Helder, where mainly smaller pubs are located.

Safety

The North Holland Peninsula is a safe holiday region that is very suitable for families with children. There is little traffic in the countryside. Crime is not a big problem, although Alkmaar, Hoorn and Den Helder each have their lesser neighborhoods - but they are also relatively safe. Those who still have to go on the road at night should take unlit, narrow roads into account. As everywhere in the Netherlands, foreigners have to get used to the many cyclists.

The local population is open and approachable. The traveler does not have to take certain sensitivities into account. The West Frisians pride themselves on being very "straightforward", which can be surprising, especially for visitors from abroad (eg Flanders), but rarely leads to conflict. Even when going out, the atmosphere is usually pleasant, although, as everywhere, the consequences of drunkenness must be taken into account.

all around

Those who spend a holiday on the North Holland Peninsula can also make trips to the surrounding area.

• Amsterdam - The capital is easily accessible and can therefore be done as a day trip. The charm of Amsterdam hardly needs further explanation. It can be very pleasant to alternate a holiday in rural North Holland with a visit to the small metropolis that is Amsterdam.
• Haarlem - Like Alkmaar, Haarlem is located on an old sand ridge. The city has a long history and a vast historic center worth seeing. Haarlem is rich in museums.
• Texel - The Netherlands' largest Wadden Island offers a particularly varied landscape, picturesque villages and overwhelming nature. The Texel lamb is famous and can be enjoyed in many of the local restaurants, just like the Texel beer.

This is a usable article. It contains information on how to get there, as well as the main attractions, nightlife and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but dive in and expand it!