Hindeloopen: Town history on the IJsselmeer

Hindeloopen brings together museums and historic buildings with walking and cycling routes along the IJsselmeer. If you’d like to plan your stay around a particular interest, you can choose from a range of themes: the history of the Elfstedentocht and shipping, routes through the town and along the dike, or watersports on the IJsselmeer.

Museums and buildings in Hindeloopen

The Friesian Ice Skating Museum has the world’s largest collection of ice skates and presents the complete history of the Elfstedentocht. It also offers Hindelooper painting workshops for children and adults. Museum Hindeloopen also focuses on local culture: its subjects include Hindelooper traditional dress, painting and interiors. Its maritime exhibition portrays a year in the life of Hindeloopen’s merchant shipmasters in the 18th century—with trading voyages to the countries around the Baltic Sea and the return to the port of Amsterdam.

The buildings also tell the story of different periods in the town’s history. The Grote Kerk was rebuilt around 1590; its church tower from that period was completed in 1593. The church is listed as a Rijksmonument in recognition of its distinctive location, visual value and age, as well as valuable elements of its interior and architecture. Next to the church stands the Peilschaalhuisje, a replica built in 2016 on the original foundations. It is located at the bend in the sea dike that protects Hindeloopen from the water. The old KNRM lifeboat station from 1911, a national monument, also stands on the dike.

The town’s art history also includes traditional Hindelooper painting: Roosje Oud Hindelooper Kunst anno 1894 has kept the tradition alive for four generations, using old techniques in its own painting studio. The 11Fountains fountain in Hindeloopen was inspired by the town’s coat of arms.

Walking and cycling routes

For a walk around town, the stadswandeling Hindeloopen starts at Museum Hindeloopen and follows a 2.5-kilometre route through Hindeloopen. You can get it at the Schaatsmuseum, Museum Hindeloopen and the VVV webshop. This is different from the guided town walk offered by Museum Hindeloopen, which passes, among other places, the harbour, the Sylhús with its “leugenbank” and the Grote Kerk.

A longer walk connects Hindeloopen and Stavoren along an 11-kilometre route beside the IJsselmeer dike. The route passes through the Bocht van Molkwar nature reserve, managed by Fryske Gea. After the walk, you can take the Arriva train back to Stavoren. The two walking options therefore differ considerably in distance and destination: the shorter route goes through Hindeloopen, while the longer one connects two towns along the dike.

A cycling route also takes you beyond the town limits: “Van stad naar stad: Hindeloopen – Workum – Stavoren” runs along the IJsselmeer coast through the three Frisian Elfstedentocht towns of Hindeloopen, Workum and Stavoren. Hindeloopen’s locks date from the 17th century and connect the town centre and the marina for pleasure boats with the IJsselmeer.

IJsselmeer, watersports and getting around

Hindeloopen is on the IJsselmeer and offers opportunities for watersports. The water is shallow at the Kitesurfing Spot at Hindeloopen, which is located behind the dike. Kitesurfing is possible there year-round. Culture, walking and watersports therefore offer different ways to shape your stay.

For help finding your way around, Museum Hindeloopen has a VVV visitor centre with a large floor map and a digital information tablet. Hindeloopen also has a railway station on the Leeuwarden–Sneek–Stavoren line. From the station, it’s about a 20-minute walk through the meadows to the town centre. Free parking with a parking disc is available on the edge of the historic town; from there, it’s a few minutes’ walk to the centre. If you’re arriving by train or parking, check the timetable or signs at the location.

Discover more destinations: Makkum, Parrega, Workum, Lollum, Sneek, Warns, Koudum, Uitwellingerga.

For the broader travel overview: Súdwest Fryslân.