Oostereiland, Artificial island in Binnenstad, Hoorn, Netherlands.
Oostereiland is an artificial island in Hoorn, North Holland, bounded by wooden quays and stone fortifications along its waterfront edges. The island holds a group of restored historical buildings now used as a cinema, hotel, offices, and apartments.
The island was built between 1662 and 1668 to serve the Dutch East India Company and the Admiralty of Noorderkwartier as a storage and administrative base. In the 19th century it became a prison, and it remained largely unused for much of the 20th century before being restored.
For most of its history, the island was closed to the public and served only specific institutional functions. Today visitors can walk freely along the wooden quays and look at the old warehouse facades up close.
The island is within walking distance of Hoorn city center and can be visited year-round. Daytime visits are best for seeing the quays and building facades clearly, especially along the waterfront side.
The former prison building still has cells that visitors can enter, giving a direct sense of what confinement looked like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Just outside, historic vessels are moored alongside the quay, making the shift from the island's institutional past to its current open life very visible.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
