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The Zuiderzee Village
Stroll along the cobbled streets of the Zuiderzee Village and step back in time. More than 140 historic buildings, brought here from villages and towns around the former Zuiderzee, come together to form a vibrant village that transports you back to the early twentieth century. From the Marker harbour to the Harderwijk street, from the church district to the fishing village: you will discover stories of daily life around the Zuiderzee wherever you go.
What’s on?
There’s plenty to experience in the Zuiderzee Village. Find out what’s on during your visit.
Origins of the Zuiderzee Village
The Zuiderzee Village was primarily built between 1968 and 1983, so none of the houses originally stood on this site. Nonetheless, the village feels like a natural whole because the museum staff based the layout of the neighbourhoods on the original arrangements of various Zuiderzee villages and towns. Sometimes a quarter really is a quarter, such as the Harderwijk street, where all the buildings originate from Harderwijk. By contrast, the church precinct is a blend of buildings from Den Oever, Monnickendam and Enkhuizen, modelled on the city map of Hindeloopen. The harbour is a reconstruction of the Marker Buurthaven harbour from 1840, although on a smaller scale.
In the Zuiderzee Village, you experience history with all your senses. You can smell the scent of freshly smoked fish, hear the blacksmith’s hammer striking, and watch craftsmen at work. You’ll meet residents who share their daily lives with you: a rag-and-bone man displaying his wares, a group from Urk telling their stories, or a fisherman guiding you around his boat. The Zuiderzee Village buzzes with activity, as if the Zuiderzee had never disappeared.