Huizen Netherlands North Holland
Netherlands

3 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Riviera Travel (1 Cruises)

Tauck Cruises (2 Cruises)

Port of Huizen, Netherlands | Cruise Port Guide

Varnished wooden masts sway gently in the old harbour basin, and the smell of tar still lingers around the shipyard. Botters, those flat-bottomed fishing sailboats from the former Zuiderzee, are the first image Huizen offers the traveller. This small town sits on the Gooimeer, a body of water southeast of Amsterdam, and welcomes river cruise boats exploring the former coasts of the Dutch inland sea.

The Memory of a Vanished Sea

Picture the scene as it was in the late 19th century: more than 280 botters moored in this very basin, and an entire village living off eel and herring. Then came the Afsluitdijk, the great closure dike completed in 1932. The saltwater turned fresh, the sea fish disappeared, and the fishing trade died out. The town could have simply forgotten; instead, it chose to preserve. At the Botterwerf, the shipyard on the Oude Haven, shipwrights and volunteers still repair the oak hulls, forge included, and a few restored botters can be hired with crew for an outing on the lake. Some one- or two-hour trips go out under full sail, just as the whole fleet once did at dawn.

Around the Old Harbour

The walk around the Oude Haven requires no effort at all. You watch the woodworking, step inside the forge, then take a seat at one of the waterside terraces. The neighbouring nautical quarter was built in the style of the old Zuiderzee villages, dark brick and neat gables, and its cafés open straight onto the docks. Together, it all forms a human-scale waterfront where the line between heritage and everyday life disappears: locals walk their dogs here between the century-old sailboats.

Old Lanes and a Museum

Heading inland, the lanes lead to the old heart of the town, around the Oude Kerk, the Gothic church whose tower guides the way. The Huizer Museum traces the life of the fishing village: traditional costumes, headdresses, reconstructed interiors, and stories of the Zuiderzee's transformation. The visit sheds light on what the quays alone don't tell you, particularly how each family lived by the rhythm of the tides before the great dike was built. The visit takes only an hour and pairs well with a walk along the docks; excursions offered to passengers often combine the museum with a forge workshop or a botter outing.

Nature at the City's Doorstep

Huizen also serves as the gateway to the Gooi, a region of heathland, woods, and leafy villas between Amsterdam and Utrecht. The trails of the Naarderbos and the shores of the Gooimeer are ideal for cycling and walking; on a fine day, white sails dot the lake all the way to the horizon. History enthusiasts can reach Naarden within a few kilometres, a star-shaped fortified town whose bastions rank among the best preserved in Europe, a popular excursion destination from the dock.

Points of Reference

  • Oude Haven, Botterwerf, and the forge: a short distance from the docking berths.
  • Huizer Museum and the old town centre: reachable on foot through the inner lanes.
  • Crewed botter outings on the Gooimeer, depending on the season.
  • Naarden and its star-shaped fortifications, a few kilometres away.

What the Water Has to Say

On the way back to the boat, one last look at the harbour basin is a must. The botters no longer catch herring; they catch the evening light instead, and that's already quite something. Huizen shows that a village can lose its original purpose, fishing, without losing its soul, as long as it takes care of what remains. Travellers leave with that quiet lesson in mind, and the hope of one day seeing those brown sails billowing in the wind out on the Gooimeer.

Frequently Asked Questions

On the Gooimeer, a stretch of water southeast of Amsterdam. Ships moor near the Oude Haven, the old basin where the botters ride at their lines — the flat-bottomed fishing sailboats of the former Zuiderzee.
A flat-bottomed fishing sailboat of the old inland sea. In the late nineteenth century more than 280 botters were moored in this same basin and an entire village lived on eel and herring. A few restored ones can now be chartered with crew.
Because of the Afsluitdijk, the great closure dyke completed in 1932. The salt water turned fresh, the sea fish vanished and the fishery died. The town could have forgotten; it chose instead to maintain what remained.
The old harbour's boatyard, where shipwrights and volunteers still repair oak hulls, forge included. You watch the woodwork, push open the forge door, then settle at a waterside terrace.
Yes, seasonally. One- or two-hour outings run under sail on the Gooimeer with a crew, as in the days when the whole fleet left at dawn. It is the signature activity of this call.
Life in the fishing village: traditional costumes and caps, reconstructed interiors and the story of the Zuiderzee's transformation. It takes about an hour and explains what the quays alone cannot — above all how each family lived by the tides.
Yes, just a few kilometres away. This star-shaped fortified town has some of the best-preserved bastions in Europe, and it is a frequent excursion from the Huizen quay.
Yes. Huizen is the gateway to Het Gooi, a region of heath, woodland and leafy villas between Amsterdam and Utrecht. The Naarderbos trails and the Gooimeer shoreline suit both cycling and walking.
Two to three hours covers the old basin, the forge and the museum. The rest of the call goes to a botter sail, a bike ride in Het Gooi or an excursion to Naarden. This is not a call with a crowded programme.
No, and it is better to know it. This is a village that lost its original purpose — fishing — and chose to keep its memory alive rather than reinvent itself as an attraction. The appeal lies in that authenticity, not in a list of sights.