Visit Alkmaar for the first time and you will never forget her. A city with a beautiful and visible past. Wandering along the monuments, canals, shops, museums and terraces you will be surprised at the beauty of the old center. Known for the cheese market, which takes place twice a week during the season.

Wandering through the small streets you come across the most surprising things, but even with a boat you can roam the canals through the city and you get a completely different view of Alkmaar. The city is bustling with activities. Agricultural day and rag market, Kaeskoppenstad, Summer on the square (Free music performances), Saturday market, too much to mention.

Not only during the day but also in the evening hours you can enjoy yourself. In addition to countless restaurants, cafés and terraces, Alkmaar also has a beautiful cinema (7 halls) and a film house, De Vest theater, and De Victorie pop venue. For the exact information you can visit the website of Alkmaar Prachtstad.

Whoever enters the mystical village of Bergen immediately understands why this was originally an artist's village. The filtered light that falls through the trees, the leafy avenues and the unique location between forest and dune - the inspiration comes naturally.

The village has many activities. Firstly, the Ten Days of Art, where many national artists organize free exhibitions and workshops. Furthermore, there are night markets every week throughout the summer. Jazz and Sail with music performances throughout the village, free and paid. It is a lively village, seeing and being seen is the motto. And only three kilometers away from the seaside resort of Bergen aan Zee, where you can relax on the beach!

The Tourist Office Heart of Noord Holland has already collected all the tips for Bergen for you.

Schagen is located on an old mound, along the west side of the Dike surrounding West- Friesland. You can feel the friendly atmosphere when you walk through the narrow shopping streets or sit down at one of the terraces around the pleasant market square, opposite the Grote Kerk. Around the church you imagine yourself every Thursday morning in the Schagen of long ago.

During the Westfrisian Market (from the end of June to the beginning of September) you will find yourself in Schagen in days gone by. Marvel at the colorful parade of historic vehicles and Schagenese in typical West Frisian clothing and view the old crafts that are displayed.

Is the weather against? Then the Makado shopping center is just around the corner. It is also always dry at the Vreeburg Farm and Carriage Museum or the Schagen Car Museum. A must for the enthusiast.

Holland Boven Amsterdam helps you discover Schagen.

When you enter Hoorn, one thing is immediately noticeable: the city is beautiful, atmospheric and versatile. You can still see the history of this powerful VOC city on every street corner. The warehouses, harbors and distinguished houses, everything really exudes the prosperity of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Hoorn struck Amsterdam and maintained trade relations with Asia. Visit the Westfrisian museum and get acquainted with the fascinating history of the capital of West-Friesland.

The modern Hoorn is also a feast for the eyes. From luxury terraces, trendy fashion stores to cultural meeting places. Take for example the museum of the Twentieth Century. Here you can see the changes in our lives over the past century. It is a celebration of recognition. All this is present in this port city on the Hoornse Hop, more information can be found on the website of Holland Boven Amsterdam.

A fun activity to undertake is a ride with the Hoorn-Medemblik Steam Tram where you make a wonderful ride through the West Frisian landscape.

Among the highest and widest dunes in the country is the friendly village of Schoorl. This coastal town may have the most beautiful dune area in North Holland, but it has always remained modest. Unlike the other coastal towns, Schoorl has never received any pretensions: you simply go to the beach by bike.

In the last century, unmarried youth from the wider area met here on the Saturday before Pentecost to find a partner on the so called Girlsmarket. This happened in the center of the village - on the more than fifty meter high climbing dune - where the children now enjoy rolling down. The same cafe has been here for over a century. And the trees? They have seen it all happen for centuries and have become just as beautifully old.

Discover more Schoorl on the website of VVV Hart van Noord Holland.

Not afraid of a bit of climbing and descending? Then visit the Schoorlse Duinen, the widest and highest dune area in the Netherlands, in the top of North Holland. A great area with beautiful dunes and plenty of space to get a breath of fresh air.

A century ago it was one big sandbox here, inaccessible and mysterious. During the recession, the 1920s, forests were planted and paths were built. This made the area more accessible and the landscape took on a friendlier and more varied appearance.

Now dozens of bird species breed, the most beautiful mushrooms grow and the sunlight plays with thousands of tree leaves. The more than 60 kilometers of hiking trails take you to the drifting dunes, old forests or the beach where the sea shows a different panorama in every season.

For more information we refer you to North Holland Dunes and Forests.

The North Sea beach is less than ten kilometers away. A place for relaxation and meeting, for rest but also for recreation in a variety of forms. The sea is dynamic, always moving and never bored.

The road to it is already worth it. The route runs through woods and dunes. When you decide to take the bike you will find the quietest beaches and you will pass the most beautiful places in the dune area. Take the gamble and be surprised.

Want to know what the North Holland coast has to offer? Look on the page North Holland Beaches of Holland Boven Amsterdam.

The Vlotbrug is located on the West-Frisian Surrounding dike. This is a dike that has been protecting West Friesland from the water since the eleventh century. A cycle route of no less than 143 km runs along this dike. This can be completed in approximately 10 hours.

There are many museums along the route, from a Cheese Museum to a Steam Engine Museum. Part of the road runs along the IJsselmeer and Markermeer, and another part passes through different towns and villages.

The dike is very popular with people who want to see the entire region, because you pass all the important places. You will be guided past places such as Hoorn, Alkmaar, Schagen and Medemblik. It is wise to read in advance so that you can already plan where you will pause en route and what you want to view.