THE NETHERLANDS - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 412

Notes: After disembarking from the train, bear left approaching the railway station.
As you round the station, you will see the VVV tourist office. The route is well
marked; just follow the signs.
This day excursion from Amsterdam was made possible by the opening of the
Zuider Zee Open Air Museum in Enkhuizen, east of Hoorn. Purchase museum
tickets at the museum's ticket office. Admission: adults, €14.50; children age 4 to
12, €8.70; children younger than age 4 are admitted free. Hours: April-October:
1000-1700 daily. Visit www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl . The indoor portion, known as
the BinnenMuseum, is open throughout the year (except December 25 and Janu-
ary 1). Reduced entrance fees when the outdoor museum is closed. A visit to the
Zuider Zee Museum begins with a 15-minute boat ride. After stopping at the VVV
tourist office, walk along the right side of the boatyard in front of the rail station to
its far end and board the launch at the pier. The boats leave every 15 minutes.
The museum was opened formally by Queen Beatrix on May 6, 1983, after 18
years of construction. It consists of 135 houses and workshops to depict the Zuider
Zee culture before it was closed off from the North Sea in 1932 by the Afsluitdijk
barrier dam. You will see a foundry, a steam laundry, a sail loft, and a smokehouse,
to name but a few items. There are a fishing village on the quay and a town center
complete with a church and a general store, where postcards, wooden shoes, and
other souvenirs are for sale.
Snacks and various Dutch food specialties are also available, as are tours led
by English-speaking guides. Check at the museum office for information. You will
pass it just after the foundry.
Enkhuizen has succeeded in preserving its 17th-century character. The old cen-
ter of the city contains a picturesque fisherman's quarter and a corresponding es-
sential (a farmer's corner) from those days. Within the old seawall, which was con-
structed to protect the city from storms on the Zuider Zee, you will find a shopping
center as well as sidewalk cafes and restaurants.
The last two Thursdays of July and the first two of August are the celebrations
of Zuiderzeedag. Each Thursday brings a different theme, with old Dutch dancing
groups, games for children, many types of music, a special market, contests, and
much more.
Ever wonder how artisans build those beautifully detailed ship models inside
glass bottles? A visit to the Bottle Ship Museum will reveal the secrets of this an-
cient sailors' handicraft. The world's largest collection of ships-in-a-bottle is housed
in an early 17th-century building—the “Spuihuisje”—within easy walking distance
of the Zuider Zee Museum. More than 500 models are contained in bottles ranging