Holiday apartment in Avenhorn: Hiking, Water and History

Avenhorn combines village paths, polder landscapes and traces of the past. It also features buildings and landmarks with a history of their own: the church of “De Groene Toren”, the boundary marker between Avenhorn and Ursem, and the former agricultural and horticultural auction site with its surviving quay.

Choose a holiday apartment or holiday home based on your holiday interests

When searching for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Avenhorn, you can first define the focus of your holiday: connected village centres, village parks, open polders with many meadow birds during the breeding season, and historic architectural and boundary traces all represent different experiences. The location of a holiday apartment or holiday home can therefore be chosen according to your preferred mix of village paths, nature observation and history, without assuming any particular features of the individual accommodation.

Paths through village centres, village greenery and polder landscapes

The blue, 6.8-kilometre route runs through the village centres of Avenhorn and De Goorn. It therefore connects two village centres along one continuous route. The “Ommetje Avenhorn” has a different focus: the circular walk passes through the village’s parks and green spaces. The Uilenhoekroute connects the Mijzenpolder with the northern tip of the Beemster.

Mijzenpolder and meadow birds

The Mijzenpolder is an untouched peat meadow polder between the Westfriese Omringdijk and the Beemster and Schermer polders. A hiking route runs through the Mijzenpolder, and there are many meadow birds there during the breeding season. For nature observation, this area combines open meadows with a clear seasonal connection: during the breeding season, the many meadow birds are the specific natural feature of this landscape.

De Groene Toren and the history of the village

The church of “De Groene Toren” was built in 1642; its tower was rebuilt in 1914. The church building and the later rebuilding of the tower therefore belong to different construction phases. At the same time, the church appears to stand on a terp. A terp is a raised settlement site. The term therefore refers to the elevated location of the historic church site. Around the built-up area, the thick layer of peat was removed and used as fuel; as a result, the surrounding terrain subsided. Peat extraction around the church thus altered the terrain and shaped the historic site.

A boundary marker between Avenhorn and Ursem marks the former boundary of the legal jurisdiction of the city of Hoorn. At the time, the former agricultural and horticultural auction site in Avenhorn could be reached by boat. Only the quay remains of it. Thus, the boundary marker represents the former legal boundary, while the quay represents the site’s historic use, with both standing as further traces of the past.

The connection with the water at Oost-Mijzen

A boat ramp at Oost-Mijzen lies immediately outside the built-up area of Avenhorn and is located near Oost-Mijzen 4B, Avenhorn. Oost-Mijzen therefore forms a specific waterside point outside the built-up area. In addition to the hiking routes through village centres and polders, the auction’s former accessibility by boat is also part of the village’s connection with the water.

For further travel planning, you can also discover Oudendijk, Obdam, Berkhout, Spierdijk, Ursem, Zuidermeer, Hensbroek and Scharwoude.

To the higher-level travel overview: Koggenland.