After we visited Dordrecht and Kinderdijk, we headed to the next port, the city of Enkhuizen.
Docking in Enkhuisen
We arrived in the port city of Enkhuizen. Located in the Province of North Holland, the city developed into an important fishing and trading village. The name has appeared in various spellings as early as 1283.
During the 17th century, it was at the height of its power as one of the major ports for overseas trade in the East Indies.
From the port, we headed straight to the area for which Enkhuizen is perhaps best known: its living history museum.
Zuiderzee Museum
The Zuiderzee Museum was founded in 1948 and completed in 1983. It is a Dutch museum dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage and maritime history of the Zuiderzee region.
The Zuiderzee Museum offers visitors a glimpse into how people lived and worked in this region from 1880 to about 1930.
For those of us from the United States, it resembles Williamsburg, Virginia, or Conner Prairie in Indiana.
We had an incredible day because it was warm and sunny, and a number of the trees were starting to bloom.
P.S. – Be sure to follow our Instagram page – @MarkAndChucksAdventures for more beautiful images of the Zuiderzee Museum and the rest of our trip!
Travel Tips
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Tickets for adults are €21.00 at the register or €19.50 online.
Tickets for children ages 4-12 are available as well, and children under 4 are free.
Be sure to look for their Family Ticket, which includes 2 adults and 2 children under age 12.
If you have already purchased one of several Amsterdam visitor cards, you may have free access. Check the website for more information.
Accessability
The Zuiserzee Museum offers wheelchair lifts, accessible restrooms, and a wheelchair-accessible route. However, they remind visitors that some authentic streets, alleys, and buildings can be difficult to navigate.
Their website offers considerable information for those who might require a guide dog or have visual, hearing, or sensory challenges.
Sisal
Where there were ships, there were ropes. One of our favorite exhibits was a live demonstration of rope making.
This was of particular interest to us because much of the fiber used to make rope was henequen, made from an agave plant grown here in the Yucatan.
The name sisal comes from a small port town near us in Merida. During the 19th century, Sisal was the primary port for shipping henequen to Europe.
Wandering through Enkhuizen
After leaving the open-air museum, we wandered a bit through the town of Enkhuizen. It blends beautiful old architecture with tree-lined canals and streets, along with modern shops and amenities. Its current population is about 19,000.
Het Coffy Huys
Westerstraat 92
1601 AM Enkhuizen
Netherlands
As luck would have it, our local guide’s family owned Het Coffy-Huys, or The Coffee House.
The shop has a wonderful assortment of teas and coffees as well as chocolates, candies, and gift baskets.
Mark fell in love with their house blend and brought home a half-kilo bag of beans.
Random Weird Stuff
After visiting the town of Enkhuizen, we walked along the waterway. As we made our way back to the ship, we came across a group filming a music video.
It was actually for the singer “Claude,” AKA Claude Kiambe, preparing for his upcoming 2025 Eurovision appearance.
The 21-year-old, born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, moved to the Netherlands with his family at the age of nine.
He finished 12th out of 26 performers at Eurovision.
Kibbeling on the Dock
Tussen Twee Havens
1601 EM Enkhuizen
Netherlands
After wandering around the whole town and having coffee and a snack, we would usually head back to the ship and have lunch on board.
However, in this case, we made it all the way back to the pier with our ship in sight when we ran into our Cruise Director, Activities Host, and the Captain.
They were sitting at a table near some shops eating fried seafood. So, figuring it had to be good, we changed plans.
Enkhuizer Vishal has been serving smoked fish and seafood since 1930.
We both ordered Fried Kibbeling and Fries. Kibbeling consists of bite-sized pieces of white fish, usually cod. They are battered and fried until golden brown. Funny thing though, they actually charge for ketchup packets.
It was an incredible lunch with harbor views—do not skip this if you visit Enkhuizen!
Next up is the day we’ve been waiting for: we visited Keukenhof Gardens.
