The surroundings and day trips in the area

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AROUND THE VACATION HOME

Vacation Home Natuurlijk is on the outskirts of the historic harbor town Hoorn and next to the village of Schellinkhout. It is located on the “Westfriese Omringdijk” and the Markermeer (or Ijsselmeer) lake.

From the house you have a beautiful view of a traditional Dutch windmill, dike, fields, sheep, cows and tulips. And of course the beautiful sunrise over the windmill and the dike.

You can spot different animals on and around the property, including sheep and chickens.

From the house you can walk onto the dike to enjoy the view of the Markermeer, the birds which roost in the area, and sunsets over the lake and Hoorn.

Important information about the area

Although the vacation home is in beautiful natural surroundings (lovely views and a short walk to the nearby lake), it is also located next to the “Hoorn 80” business park.

This can mean that sometimes during week days (and only during the work day) you might hear noise from the company that works on construction equipment.

Although these machines are also impressive to see!

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THE IMMEDIATE AREA

Vacation Home Natuurlijk is located on walking and cycling routes. We can recommend a walk around the nature area on the other side of the dike and near the Nek nature reserve, especially at sunrise or sunset!

Nearby you can find local products in stores or at farms such as the farmstore Heerlijkvandeboer (1.5 km). Here you can take a look at the farm too.

For kids there is also a playground in the woods and a halfpipe (1.2 km).

And would you like to cool off or enjoy (water) sports? Nearby we have recreation area Uiterdijk (1.2 km) with a kitesurfing spot and the Schellinkhout beach, Marinakaap Hoorn (2.6 km) (with beach bar Oranje-buiten, outdoor activities and boat rental), and the Julianapark with a beach (3 km). Each of these has restaurants and places for kids to play within walking distance, such as the family friendly restaurant OASE in Schellinkhout. Or do you prefer an outdoor pool? Then try the Wijzend pool (5.5 km).

4.5 km from the house is the historic center of Hoorn and the newest and biggest beach (on a lake) in the Netherlands! In and around Hoorn you can also take a watertaxi. The Westfries museum tells the story of the history of Hoorn and West-Friesland and the Museum of the 20th Century is a nice place to experience life from a different period of the town’s history. In the summer there is also a cheese market where you can see traditional scenes.

At the Blokweer nature park (4.4 km) you can enjoy 16 hectares of woods and fields, a playground, a visitors center with exhibitions and activities and a small farm. The Streekbos (17 km) also offers diverse activities, in addition to walking and the lake there is a climbing park, 18-hole mini-golf course, mountain bike route, canoe rental, observatory and education center.

In rainy weather there is also plenty to do. Dorpshuis de Dregt and Samcity offer diverse indoor activities, you can see a movie at VUE Hoorn or a performance at the Schouwburg het Park theater, bowl or mini-golf at Franky’s, enjoy the indoor pool or skating rink in Hoorn, take the kids to Ballorig, or enjoy the shopping areas and museums close by.

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IN THE REGION

Next to Hoorn are Enkhuizen (17 km) and Medemblik (20 km), historic harbor towns from the Dutch East Indies Company period that formed the Golden Triangle. The Historic Triangle day trip is highly recommended in order to have an authentic experience of these three cities: including an old fashioned steam train! There are different shops and museums to visit, including the Zuiderzeemuseum to go back in time: fun for young and old! And Sprookjeswonderland is also worth the trip for families with kids!

Amsterdam is not far (40 km). Do you prefer to take the train? The Hoorn Kersenboogerd train station is only 3 km away. From there it’s easy to reach cities including Amsterdam, Enkhuizen and Alkmaar.

For a unique experience, you can also visit the famous fishing village of Volendam (25 km) and the cheese market in Alkmaar (32 km).

And if you’re looking for more nature, that’s possible too! For example at the Schoorlse dunes national park or one of the beautiful locations along the coast, such Schoorl, with a beach on the North Sea (37 km). Or the Wadden, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, where you can spot seals, go shrimp fishing, or go “wadlopen.”

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AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE!

There are many more day trips, areas and cities in the immediate area and in North Holland which are worth exploring. For more inspiration and information, see the website and photos below.

www.ikhouvanhoorn.nl

www.hollandbovenamsterdam.com

www.hollandbovenamsterdam.com/westfriesland

www.recreatieschapwestfriesland.nl/routes

www.hollandlandofwater.com/nl/markermeer

www.marinakaaphoorn.nl/info-voor-bezoekers

www.localguidehoorn.com/dichtbij-hoorn

www.wandel.nl/routes/west-friesland

www.wandelnetwerknoordholland.nl/startpunten/startpunt-schellinkhout/200

www.leidraadlc.noord-holland.nl/structuren/westfriese-omringdijk

www.kijkopnoord-holland.nl/nieuwe-hotspot-in-schellinkhout-restaurant-oase

www.holland.com/be_nl/toerisme/bestemmingen/provincies/noord-holland/hoorn-nl.htm