Discover Purmerend

Purmerend combines a distinctive urban history with ceramic art, guided tours and green spaces. When choosing a hotel in Purmerend, your planned activities may make the difference: church and museum history, the weekly market, a city tour or leisure facilities at Leeghwaterpark each offer a different focus. Central bus connections and the option of travelling via the Purmervaart also help you plan your stay.

Cultural history from churches to ceramics

The Koepelkerk, also known as Sint-Nicolaaskerk, was built between 1851 and 1853. Its historic furnishings include three centuries-old organs: the Garrels organ and the Bätz organ date from the 18th century, while the Witte organ dates from the 19th century. Their different dates of origin give the church’s organ history a distinctive span across time.

The Purmerends Museum is located in a former town hall in the heart of Purmerend. It has the largest collection of Purmerend Art Nouveau ceramics from 1895 to 1907. The city therefore brings together two distinct cultural and historical highlights: the church with its organs and a collection devoted to a specific period in ceramic art.

Market and city history

Jan van Egmond granted Purmerend market rights in 1484. This enabled the city to develop into a fully-fledged town and the region’s market town. Purmerend’s weekly market takes place on Tuesdays. As market dates may change, check the current date before planning your visit around it.

The redesigned Koemarkt opened to the public on 11 October 2009. If the square’s current use is important to your visit, check for possible temporary changes. A faithful replica of the historic water pump was commissioned on Kaasmarkt on 9 May 2025.

The history of the water supply is also part of the city’s history: several town pumps were installed in the second half of the 19th century after contaminated water was identified as the cause of the infectious disease cholera, which was common at the time. The pumps stood in different locations; they were not a single installation.

City walks and outdoor recreation

Gilde Purmerend offers historical walking tours with guides that last up to two hours. Check the current programme and booking details before your trip. The Stadswandeling Purmerend is marked with red arrows on lampposts and traffic poles or on route posts, and includes several information boards. If construction work is taking place in the city centre, it is a good idea to check the condition of the markings and boards in advance.

The Gilde also offers a three-hour cycling tour through Purmerend, during which the city’s neighbourhoods are explained. Compared with the walking tour, which lasts no more than two hours, this is a longer activity with a different format. Dates and booking options may change, so it is worth checking the current programme for this tour too.

Leeghwaterpark is Purmerend’s city park and provides a green link between several neighbourhoods. Its facilities include a skate park and a playground. At the De Ridder children’s farm, visitors can meet a variety of farm animals. Children may enter several enclosures, and almost all the animals can be petted. As rules on contact with the animals may change, check the current guidelines before your visit.

Connections and the Beemster

Tramplein bus station is in the centre of Purmerend. Direct buses run from there to Amsterdam, De Beemster, De Rijp, Alkmaar, Edam and Volendam. Routes and destinations may change; check the current connections before departure. Purmerend station is a ten-minute walk from the city centre. As transport connections and walking conditions may change, check the current route and connections before your trip if needed.

From Purmerend, visitors can travel via the Purmervaart to the Beemster, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with historic land reclamation and a distinctive polder landscape. Travel along the waterway depends on bridges, locks and seasonal operating conditions. Check these conditions before setting out if you want to reach the Beemster this way.

For the main travel overview: Purmerend.