This stage is the shortest of the North Holland Trail. From Wieringerwaard—a typical North Holland village with a white church, monumental farmhouses, and a 50-meter-high old water tower—it is only 10 kilometers to Kolhorn, an old fishing village that used to lie on the Zuiderzee. Here, you are constantly on the border between old and new land.
West Frisian Ring Dike
The Waarddijk meets the Westfriese Omringdijk, a 126-kilometer-long dike that connects various short dikes and was originally intended as a sea defense for the Zuiderzee. It only lost its function with the construction of the Afsluitdijk, but the Westfriese Omringdijk is still maintained as a sea defense.
Fishing village Kolhorn
The final destination is Kolhorn, a typical North Holland village. Kolhorn is an old fishing village that, before land reclamation, lay right on the Zuiderzee. Remnants, such as the black boeten (barns where peat was stored), are still clearly visible here, which is why the village landscape is largely protected. The boeten have been restored here and along the Westfriese Omringdijk and converted into museums. In the De Turfschuur museum, you will learn a lot about the battle against the water in North Holland, which lies below sea level. To round off, you can enjoy a delicious lunch on the terrace of Bistro de Eilanderij, or have coffee with apple pie or a beer and bitterballen. Do you want a more substantial meal? Restaurant het Anker is located nearby.
