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

Understand

View of the harbour (2004)

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.

Get in

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.
• 1 The Grote Kerk (Graet Serke), Kerkstraat 1, 8713 KG. The protestant church of Hindeloopen, built in 1632 (updated Feb 2019)
• 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.

Do

• 1 Museum Hindeloopen, Dijkweg 1, 8713 KD, ☏ +31 514 521 420, info@museumhindeloopen.nl. M-Sa 11:00-17:00 Su 13:30-17:00. Adult €6, child 6 to 16 €4. (updated Feb 2019)
• 2 Eerste Friese Schaatsmuseum (First Frisian Ice Skating Museum), Kleine Weide 1, 8713 KZ, ☏ +31 514 521 683, info@schaatsmuseum.nl. M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 13:00-17:00. €4. (updated Feb 2019)
• Biking. Enjoy the variety of scenery that Southwest Frisia has to offer. (updated Aug 2016)
• Walking. Fresh air and bird spotting are what make walking around Hindeloopen worthwhile. (updated Aug 2016)
• Sailing. Being surrounded by water, Hindeloopen and surrounding Southwest Frisia make a great place to go sailing. (updated Aug 2016)
• Kiting and Surfing. Hindeloopen is one of the six spots along the Fisian IJsselmeer coast that are great for kiting and surfing. (updated Aug 2016)
• Fishing. Hindeloopen and its surroundings offers several spots for fishing. Only downside: You will need a fishing license, but these are easy to get your hands on. (updated Aug 2016)

Eat

• 1 Argentijns Mexicaans Restaurant "El Paso", Tuinen 32, 8713 KM, ☏ +31 514 521 556. 17:00-22:00. (updated Feb 2019)
• 2 Ame Gijs, Het Oost 8, 8713 JP, ☏ +31 514 523 510. W-Su 11:00-22:00. (updated Feb 2019)
• 3 Cafe Restaurant De Hinde, Het Oost 4, 8713 JP, ☏ +31 514 523 868. F-Tu 11:00-21:00, W Th closed. (updated Feb 2019)
• 4 Restaurant De Drie Harinkjes, Buren 39, 8713 KC, ☏ +31 514 522 222, info@de3harinkjes.nl. M Tu Th F 17:00-22:00, W Sa Su 12:00-22:00. (updated Feb 2019)

Drink

• 1 Cafe De Boekanier, Het Oost 6, 8713 KC, ☏ +31 620 981 503. Su Tu-Th 12:00-00:00, F Sa 12:00-02:00. (updated Feb 2019)

Sleep

Camping

• 1 Camping Hindeloopen, Westerdijk 9, 8713 JA, ☏ +31 514 521 452. (updated Feb 2019)
• 2 Camping Schuilenburg, Schuilenburg 2, 8713 JT, ☏ +31 514 521 260, info@camping-schuilenburg.nl. (updated Feb 2019)
• 3 Camping Séleantsje, 't Séleantsje 2, 8722 HE Molkwerum, ☏ +31 514 681 395, info@camping-seleantsje.nl. (updated Feb 2019)

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.