"Alkmaar started the victory", this is a saying from the time of the struggle against the Spaniels that ended in 1573. The historic cheesetown Alkmaar is situated along the North-Holland Northsea-coast. This Middle-aged town owns more than 400 monuments. The backcountry shows where Holland is known for: polders with farms, windmills, canals, bulbfields and villages like Stompetoren en De Rijp. Not only the Alkmaardermeer has sail and surf places, the sea also has watersports-facilities.

Every fridaymorning from mid-April to mid-September you can see why Alkmaar is THE cheesetown of Holland. From 9 to 12 in the morning farmers and cheesemakers sell their cheese. Cheese-carriers show how are transported by "berries" for over 400 years. Every Friday-morning a large number of people visit this colourful show. In the Dutch Cheese-museum you can see the manufacturing of cheese in both the old-fashioned way and modern way.

Furthermore there's a large offering of small and big canalboattrips. From Alkmaar to for example the Zaanse Schans or Alkmaardermeer. From harbour " 't Horntje" you can sail across the Alkmaardermeer. From the Broeker Veiling you'll sail through The Empire of Thousand Islands with a Covered boat or a "Langdijker Koolvlet". The Broeker Veiling, the oldest travelling vegetable-auction in the world, is now a museum you can visit. Where you can join in at the auction.

Amsterdam

In Amsterdam you'll find an interesting combination of past and present. This together forms a unique image of the capital of Holland. Amsterdam is a picturesque town, which is also a great town for shopping. Large department stores can be found in the centre of the town, smaller and exclusive shops in the "Concertgebouw"-surroundings. Where for example well known designers are situated. In "De Jordaan", originally a working-class-neighbourhood that is wonderfully restored, you can browse along the most divergent shops. Beautiful and chic you'll find at de Amsterdam diamonteers. They are known for their exclusive workmanship. Every year a million visitors amaze themselves about the way they cut raw stones into highgraded and expensive diamonds. Enough to make you mouth water.

Amsterdam is the town with the most museums per square-meter in the world. There are forty museums with diverse collections. "Het Spiegelkwartier", de access to the "Rijksmuseum", is the place where you'll find art and antiques. Paintings, ceramic, glass, jewellery, furniture, coins, books, Art Deco, to name a few things. To see the Nightwatch from Rembrandt you have to go to the Rijksmuseum. This artwork is for millions of people an absolute highlight. Besides the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum en the museum along the recently renovated Museumplein, Amsterdam has many special museum. Like for instance the Tropenmuseum, the Dutch Shippingmuseum, the Jewish Historical Museum, the Rembrandthouse and the Amsterdam Historic Museum. In smaller museum real treasure can be found. The are worth the trouble to a visit. In Amstelveen, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, you can see art in Museum van der Togt en the Cobra Musuem for Modern Art.

Culture, history and water are for centuries connected top Amsterdam. Where the river Amstel discharges into Het Ij, the first inhabitants established around the year 1200. In the beginning fishing was the main income but was later replaced by trade. At the end of the sixteenth century Amsterdam was Europe's richest town.

As from this day on thousands of merchanthouses along the canals testify the Golden Century. Sauntering along the canals is an amazing voyage. Many century-old monuments fill the sides of the canals, which are refreshed nightly. You can also make a roundtrip on a boat trough the canals, which at night are beautifully lit. In winter, if there's ice on the canals, you can eve skate over the canals.

The Waterloopleinmarket is a fleamarket known far across the boundaries. A feeling of pleasantness and kindness come across you when you enter the market. Along the Singel you'll the only floating flowermarket in the world. Weekly there are markets for stampcollectors and lovers for old books and prints.

At night you won't have the be bored for a second in Amsterdam. A large number of bars, café's, disco's and nightclubs provide a broad choice in nice things to do.

Beemster   Until the seventeenth century everything in the Beemster was water. Firstly dykes were needed and then windmills to drain the area. The row of windmills along the Noordervaart near Schermerhorn is famous in the whole world. Even now these windmills keep the water in the polder at the right level. A 42-kilometre dyke surrounds De Beemster. It was built in the beginning of the seventeenth century to call a halt to the erosion of land caused by the broad river De Bamestra. The name Jan Adriaanszoon Leeghwater is unbreakably connected to the reclamation. But it were the rich VOC-salesmen that made it possible financially. It didn't take long when beautiful houses and farms were built here. There are still farms, those along the Rijperweg for instance, where proudly is shown how life was in past centuries.   Those farms together with the dyke form the characteristics of the Beemster-polder. The polder with its straight lanes according to the Renaissance-style and geographic classification is happily still the same as it was. Because of this De Beemster is brought forward for the list of Worldmonument from UNESCO.   Not only is De Beemster a very important agricultural area with beautiful bulbfield, but it also has a cultural past. The home of the known writer Betje Wolff is found untouched in the Middenbeemster. Here you can find a museum with a few style-rooms the workroom of the eighteenth century writer.

Den Helder The poor coastal-livers used to be know for their plundering of stranded ships. But since last century they have built up a new reputation as "blue knights"; the life-saviours who, with their boats, defied nature's force. The Reddingmuseum shows the growth of a Life-saving organisation.   Fort Kijkduin The most exciting fort of Holland The French emperor Napoleon gave after visiting the Huisduinen the charge to build fort Kijkduin. Why he did it and what happened to this place after Napoleon visited it, you'll find out in Fort Kijkduin. Besides guided tours, Whaleworld en the Northsea-aquarium there's al lot to experience in one of the nicest areas along the Northsea-coast. Secret underground passages In Fort Kijkduin you'll find the history concerning the "Essay of Den Helder", and especially Fort Kijkduin. In former times 700 soldiers were based in the fort. During a guided tour you'll get all the answers on Your questions en you'll be guided through the underground passages of the fort. The Northsea In the Northsea-aquarium you can walk between the fishes. In ten or more basins, with in total almost 500.000 litres of seawater, you can discover how many different sorts of animals live in this sea. From jellyfish to herring, from shrimp to crab.

De Rijp

"The best village of Holland", that's what Jan Adriaanszoon Leeghwater called his village. Who enters De Rijp via the Beemsterbrug, gets the feeling you're going back in history. Nicely restored houses, often inhabited by brokers, welcomes you in "Het Raadhuis", dated 1630, which provides the view on the Kleine Dam. It's designed by Leeghwater. In the village about a hundred monuments can be found. In museum "Het Houten Huis" various nostalgic things can be seen. Under the town hall is De Waag, with the original Jan van der Heyden fire-spout, one of three the village ever owned. The Grote Kerk along the Grote Dam is famouse because of its 23 fire-painted windows, dated 1656 and 1657. In the summer the church is open to public and guide can inform you extensively. Also a visit to the gallery and garden of Nic Jonk is worth a visit.

De Schermer

In polder "De Schermer" you can sea a typical Dutch polder. A polder is reclamation. Where there used to be water, now there is land. In the surroundings of Alkmaar since the sixteenth century polders where drained. Often this was done with windmills, like in the Schermer. The Museum-mill in the Schermer how that went and is opened to public from 10 till 5pm until October.

Edam

In Edam the tradingpast lives on. The former harbourtown owes a lot to shipbuilding. Later the Edam cheese got evolved. On yearly base eighty million kilo of Edam cheese is made. At the cheesemarket of Alkmaar and Edam some of it is sold. During your visit to Edam the Cheesescales dated 1778 en the cheesemarket (in July and august) can't be missed. The town is one of the best-kept old town along the former Zuiderzee. A tower called the Speeltoren dominates the silhouette of this beautiful town. The bells in this tower, dated 1561, are one of the oldest in North-Holland. Edam's rich past started when farmers and fishermen set their camps in the twelfth century. When Edam was given town-rights in 1357 and dig a harbour a period of flowering started. Which didn't only give Edam a nice townview but also worldfame. The Damsquare is the flowering monumental centre of Edam. The entrance of the beautiful townhall is built in the style of Louis XIV. The Dam's a lock dated 1569. A visit to the Edammuseum along the Damsquare is also worth the visit. This sixteenth century tradesmanhouse with original division and floating basement gives a good view on how rich people in former centuries lived in such a house. The Large or St. Nicolaaschurch is the proud of Edam. This hall-church was built in the fifteenth century. The steeple is dated later. In the church you'll find a wonderful collection of steelglass windows from the seventeenth century.

Enkhuizen

When you walk through the century-old centre of Enkhuizen it seems like the Golden Century is still living on. The beautiful West-Friesland is undeniably connected with its rich past. One day the towns along the shores of the Zuiderzee were the proud and mighty trading centres of the VOC (Unified East-India Company). Nowadays history and pleasure meet in harmony. Old-fashioned rest and space you'll still find in the countryside of West-Friesland. With its rustic farms and windmills, outstretched land and orchards and the Omring dyke. West-Friesland in North-Holland heart and soul and you can feel that on every square metre.

Unique is outdoormusem Zuiderzeemusuem, a village where it seems like time had stood still for centuries.

Children can see fairytales a Snow-white and the Sleeping Beauty come to life in Enkhuizen's Sprookjeswonderland.
te Enkhuizen.

Hoorn

Hoorn is West-Friesland's largest town and is situated along the Ijsselmeer-coast, named the Hoornse Hop. Hoorn's harbour is the second-largest Ijselmeer-harbour of Holland. When you walk through the century-old centre of Hoorn it seems like the Golden Century is still living on. . The beautiful town Hoorn is undeniably connected with its rich past. One day the towns along the shores of the Zuiderzee were the proud and mighty trading centres of the VOC (Unified East-India Company). Nowadays history and pleasure meet in harmony. Old-fashioned rest and space you'll still find in the countryside of West-Friesland. With its rustic farms and windmills, outstretched land and orchards and the Omring dyke. West-Friesland in North-Holland heart and soul and you can feel that on every square metre. If you want to visit a museum you'll have to go to the Westfries Museum. Hoorn's rich past is not to be found better than in this museum.

Steamlovers can't miss the steamengine train from Hoorn to Medemblik. Including a visit to the Dutch Steamengine-museum in Medemblik.

Marken

Medemblik

Medemblik is West-Friesland's smallest and oldest town. When you walk through Medemblik's century-old centre you can still see the culture and appearance of the Golden Century. The still excisting castle Radboud was built in 1288 by its ruler. This to keep the people of West-Friesland in lane. Fortunately the castle can still be visited. The beautiful West-Friesland is undeniably connected with its rich past. The small monumental town-centre is a gem in architecture. One day the towns along the shores of the Zuiderzee were the proud and mighty trading centres of the VOC (Unified East-India Company). Nowadays history and pleasure meet in harmony.

OOld-fashioned rest and space you'll still find in the countryside of West-Friesland. With its rustic farms and windmills, outstretched land and orchards and the Omring dyke. West-Friesland in North-Holland heart and soul and you can feel that on every square metre. Steamlovers can't miss the steamengine train from Hoorn to Medemblik. Including a visit to the Dutch Steamengine-museum in Medemblik.

Sailinlovers can look forward to sailingcontests in Medemblik, where even world-championships are held. And even keen fishermen can come to their relieve in this watery province. You can enjoy silence in one of many fishing-ponds.

Monnickendam

This old town along the Gouwzee is now part of the municipality Waterland. Waterland was once a swamp along the shores of the Zuiderzee. Around the year 1000 they started to enclave Waterland. In the seventeenth century this region came to flourish because of its harbour. This harbour is now used for pleasure-boats. The town has many monuments from the seventeenth and eighteenth century, like the town-hall en the Waegh, and also sixteenth century buildings like the Speeltoren. The St. Nicolaas church is even built in the fifteenth century. Broek in Waterland is part of the same municipality. Here picturesque wood-houses are painted broeker-grey. When there's ice Waterland attracts many skatinglovers.

Volendam

This old fisher's village along the Ijsselmeer is famous around the world. Volendam is after Amsterdam the most important tourist point in this region. The traditional clothes are a main attraction and many tourists get their pictures taken wearing an original costume. Of course the village itself is an attraction. In the old Maze, the old town of Volendam with its fisherman houses and narrow canals, it's nice "to get lost". On Monday it's still washing day. Then the narrow streets are spanned with ropes on which the clean laundry is hanged. But for the most Volendam is associated for its eel. Freshly caught, baked, smoked, it's sold here in different kinds and sorts. From the 250 fishingboats about twenty are still use for catching fish. For watersportslovers Volendam is a great place for surfing. That can be done on Slobbeland. In the summermonths the harbour is visited by pleasure-boats. The Marken-Express brings visitors to the former island Marken.

Zaanse Schanse

The architect Jb Schipper from Zaandam did the design and division of the Zaanse Schans. Diederick van Sonoy gave the name of this friendly neighbourhood. This governor of William Orange laid his patriot here fight the Spanish troops from Alva in 1574. The Zaanse Schans gives, with its traditional Zanish houses, windmills and warehouses, an impression of how the Zaan region looked like in the seventeenth and the eighteenth century. The Zaan region was one of the first industry regions in the world. Hundreds of windmills were use for the production linseed oil, paint, mustard, paper and the cutting of wood.

Tsar Peter the Great made the Zaan region his temporary workingplace to see how the Zaankanters built ships. Napoleon Bonaparte used to call de Zaan region the most beautiful region he had ever seen. The Zaanse Schans isn't an outdoor museum, but a living and working neighbourhood made around the sixties and the seventies. Almost all the authentic buildings were moved to this place. You can find Zanish museums like the grocer museum from Albert Heijn, bakery museum In De Gecroonde Duyvekater, museum The Noorderhuis and the museum of Dutch timepieces. Also typical Old-Dutch crafts can be found like a clog maker, cheese maker, a crafts centre, a Shipyard and a tinnery. Five working windmills show you how people used to live of the wind. Here they make oil, mustard and painting pigment.