Hoorn, Maritime trading port in North Holland, Netherlands.
Hoorn is a town on the shore of the Markermeer in North Holland that has kept its past as a trading harbor visible in its streets and squares. Houses with stepped gables stand beside canals where ships once arrived from distant parts of the world, and the central market square still carries the feel of a time when merchants and captains gathered here.
In the seventeenth century, the town became a major base for the East India Company, which sent ships to Asia and back from here. The wealth from sea trade brought merchants who built large houses and gave the town a character that remains recognizable today.
The harbor area preserves the memory of seafaring families who once lived here, with narrow lanes leading to warehouses where goods from distant lands were stored. Local markets and cafés occupy the ground floors of buildings that once belonged to traders, and visitors can see how commerce shaped daily life in this part of the Netherlands.
The train station connects the town to Amsterdam and other places in the region, with trains running regularly throughout the day. In the harbor area there are piers for boats that go out on the Markermeer, and walks along the water are possible in any weather.
The name Cape Horn at the southern end of South America comes from this town, as the navigator Willem Schouten was from here and named the headland after his home. This link between a small Dutch harbor town and one of the most dangerous points of sailing around the world remains a surprise for many visitors.
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