Hindeloopen

Hindeloopen (Frysian: Hylpen) is a city of 900 people (2017) in Friesland, The Netherlands.

Understand
Hindeloopen got its city rights in 1225 and is one of the eleven Frysian Cities. Though it never had a harbour but instead only a roadstead by the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), or the IJsselmeer as it is known today. Hindeloopen became a mercantile city and was part of the Hanseatic League. It mostly exported gin and wool to the countries by the Baltic Sea (mostly modern-day Poland and Germany), whereas it only imported wood that would be traded to the city of Amsterdam and the Zaanstreek.

The city grew most between 1650 and 1790. Its mercantile fleet consisted of about eighty ships during this time. The captain houses of this era still show how wealthy the Hindeloopers were. Later, during the rule of Napoleon, the city lost its position due to trade bans, and it turned into a city of fishermen.

By car
Like other cities with a similar fate as Hindeloopen such as Stavoren, which once used to be a rich Hanseatic city, Hindeloopen does not have a direct connection to a highway. Instead, take the A7 in the direction of Sneek. When coming from the Afsluitdijk, leave the A7 at Bolsward, shortly before Sneek. When coming from the south or east, i.e. not using the Afsluitdijk, use the A6 or A32 to connect to the A7. Head for Sneek, followed by Bolsward. Exit the highway at Bolsward in the direction of Workum. After the bend in the N359, shortly after passing Workum, look for an intersection with a right turn leading to Hindeloopen. You will be lead directly into the city from here.

By train
The Hindeloopen train station is 1.4 km (a bit less than a mile), a 17-minute walk, from the harbour. Keep this in mind when using the train. To get to the station, take a train to Sneek, where you want to find the train heading to Workum and Hindeloopen that ends in Stavoren.

Get around
Hindeloopen is very small in area, it is easiest to explore it by foot. Within an hour or two you will have seen most of the city.

See

 * The Westertoren. A tower built in 1593.
 * The former city hall, which now functions as a museum.
 * The former Harbour building and Sylhús, which was built during Hindeloopen's golden age in 1619.
 * The old fishers harbour, which has been rebuilt in 2006 to look like it did in 1934.
 * The old fishers harbour, which has been rebuilt in 2006 to look like it did in 1934.

Go next
From Hindeloopen, you can visit Stavoren, a small city much like Hindeloopen, by train directly. Other (larger) cities in Friesland are Sneek, Heerenveen, Leeuwarden and Harlingen.