Enkhuizen Harbor and Jetty

Enkhuizen sits on the former Zuiderzee, in the north-west of the Netherlands, and until the seventeenth century it was one of the busiest ports in the country. Its fortune was built on the herring fishery and on trade, and in 1602 it became the home of one of the six chambers of the Dutch East India Company, which brought ships, merchants and wealth. At its height the town was among the richest in the Dutch Republic, and the harbour was the reason. Over time the approaches silted up, trade moved to deeper ports and the town declined, which is the reason that so much of its old centre has been preserved.

The harbour area is the best place to feel that past. The old inner harbours are lined with brick warehouses, merchants' houses and cranes, and the quays have been kept as part of a historic townscape. The Compagnieshaven, the Company Harbour, is named after the East India Company, and traditional sailing ships and small craft moor along the quays. Towers stand guard over the entrance. The Drommedaris, a sturdy sixteenth-century gate tower, watches over the harbour mouth, and the Pekelharingstoren, the Salted Herring Tower, recalls the fishery on which the town depended. A jetty extends into the water, giving a view of the harbour, the town's skyline of towers and spires, and the wide open water of the lake beyond.

Walking along the jetty and the quays is a pleasant way to spend an hour. The air is full of the smell of water and the cries of gulls, and boats come and go. Boat tours leave from the harbour and take visitors around the old town's canals and the shoreline, giving a different view of the buildings. A seasonal ferry has linked Enkhuizen with Stavoren across the lake, and its timetable should be checked before planning a crossing. A market brings local produce and goods to the waterfront at set times, and cafes and restaurants serve fresh fish and local specialities.

The harbour is close to the town's best-known attraction, the Zuiderzee Museum, which has an open-air section of reconstructed historic buildings from the villages around the old sea and an indoor section about fishing and shipping, and which together explain the life of the Zuiderzee communities. The Drommedaris itself hosts events. The old churches, the town hall and the streets of the centre are all within a short walk.

The harbour suits families, photographers and anyone interested in maritime history. It is free and open at all times, and it is especially atmospheric in the evening light. Enkhuizen has a railway station with direct trains from Amsterdam.