Feedback and photos from Darryl & Tracey Joubert, who cruised with friends in Holland in late September on a Locaboat Holidays Penichette
Weesp, our first overnight stop was great, a lovely town with several little restaurants and a good street market selling fresh produce, cheeses and fresh herrings. A few km before entering Weesp is the old Fort Uitermeer which had been blown up in World War 2 and has now been restored and open to visitors. We cruised on to Amsterdam where one is able to cruise along many of the canals sight seeing from your barge. You do cruise in a very busy shipping lane so have to be vigilant, all commercial shipping has the right of way. Mooring is possible in the Yacht club on the main canal “Sixhaven” at a cost of 18 euro per night. From here you take a short walk to the river ferry which takes you to the central train station.
They started in Loosdrecht, and rated it highly as a cruising area. They chose to the do the Northern route cruising through Weesp, Amsterdam, Broek in Waterland, Monnickendam, Edam, Purmerend, Alkmaar, Zaanstad and Zaandam.
They reported another lovely overnight stop was Broek in Waterland one of the prettiest villages in Holland, with 18th century wooden houses set round a large pond. It still has two cheese-makers and a clog-maker. The local church in Broek was rebuilt in 1628 and extensively renovated in 1989. It features a special sermon chair made of ebony and rosewood as well as a church organ from 1832.
Another highlight was Monnickendam where over 74 buildings are national historical sites. The Joubert party moored right outside the main Harbor Master jetty and strolled around the town and enjoyed a great pub restaurant. To visit the town of Edam. Darryl’s party chose to moor on the banks under the trees just outside of the two town bridges and cycle into town as it would have cost 11 euros to open the bridges to get into town and another 11 euros the following day to exit. Advice from locals was necessary to help make a choice from the many restaurants in town. The bustling town of Alkmaar was a recommended stop with good shopping and several restaurants.
A highlight was the variety of windmills along the waterways particularly in the area of Zaanseschans near Zaanstad. Great morning viewing different windmills, and what they were used for. The first sawmills were built here in the 16th century and promoted the development of the woodworking and shipbuilding industries, that lead to the Dutch being one of the largest Navigators in its day and why Amsterdam was such a big and busy port. At the beginning of the 18th century there were about 500 windmills in the Zaanstreek area. Half of them ground grain, and also mustard, oil-seeds, cocoa, spices and tobacco; the others were sawmills. Another interesting feature on these waterways was the amazing water homes and beautifully kept gardens of the homes on the river banks. The warmth and hospitality of the Dutch people and the timeless Dutch countryside made this area very attractive to cruise.
