Tourist attractions De Rijp

This traditional market, which is known to date back as far as the 17C, is extremely picturesque. Visitors will find Edam and Gouda presented with care; be able to observe the buyers tasting, comparing and bargaining over the cheese before finalising..

Historically an industrial mill district (with around 600 in operation in 1760). The developments in woodworking brought about by sawmills meant huge leaps forward in shipbuilding. Many mills still remain. Sitting atop huge storerooms, most were invo..

This picturesque square is overlooked by the Museum of Western Friesland and by the public weighstation. It owes its name to the blood which frequently flowed during public executions (Rode Steen = red stone). To the center, you will notice a statue ..

This is the original heart of the town. Among the successive old façades, many are decorated with fine stone carvings, most of which are connected with sailing.

This quay is lined with a fine collection of restored houses. For the most part old merchants' houses, they have façades typical of Hoorn with carved wooden pillars. Some, which have fine stones on their façades, are topped with stepped or bell-shape..

The extraordinary neo-Renaissance brick buildings of this former gasworks (1883) were transformed in the early 1990s into a huge multipurpose cultural centre. Bars, restaurants, a cinema and art galleries now operate from within its walls, and many t..

In this merchant's house (1670) with a gable in the shape of a neck, you can visit the salon d'honneur and a room where costumed figures and old dolls are on show.

This wood sawmill from 1869 is of the Paltrok type: in it is a large workshop which turns with the mill as the sails turn to catch the wind. This mill owes its name to its broad moveable base which is reminiscent of the Pfalzrock, a woman's dress f..

In the 17C, the Zaan region had 55 mills for crushing. These were used to extract dyes from tropical woods.

This modern museum is dedicated to the socio-economic history of the Zaan region. A large natural model of the region is the departure point for a trip across seven "sites" assembling all sorts of objects (boots, carts, signs), each one ill..

This museum dedicated to the history of the Zaan region is in the brick house (18C) of a rich trader and comprises a living room with 19C furniture, a "Prosperous new year room" (a room added on following successful business) and a tiled ch..

Along the path you will see the small De Hadel mill ( wipmolen ). At no.4, the In de Gecroonde Duyvekater (The small crowned loaf) house from the 17C, has a Bakery museum ( Bakkerijmuseum ).

Here the traditional method of making Edam and Gouda is maintained. This farm is a reconstruction of a typical farmhouse from the east of the Zaan region created in 1988.

The old chapel of Holy spirit (late 14C) was converted into a weigh house in 1582. To the east, the chancel has been replaced by a Renaissance building with a finely worked gable and has, since the 19C, been embellished with a painting on volcanic ro..

Cheese presses and various other implements and tools chart the history of cheese and butter making. You will see attractively decorated wooden cheese presses. The documentation on the first floor shows how cheese is still made in farms and dairies, ..

This house has a corbelled wood facade and overlooks the canal. Its gable is garnished with a Spanish cannonball dating from 1573. From the nearby bridge, you have an attractive view over the weigh house.

Many old facades border this square and the canal. The fish market is situated in the south (Vismarkt).

This pedestrian street is the town's main shopping street.

The charming Gothic façade of the town hall boasts a flight of steps flanked by an elegant octagonal tower streaked with white limestone. It adjoins a 17C facade. Inside you can see a lovely collection of porcelain.

In this 17C brewery you'll see how beer was once brewed. There is a special tasting room in the cellar.