Hoorn

At the beginning of the 14th century Hoorn started out as a settlement for merchants from Denmark and North Germany. It was located where the river Gouw meets the Zuiderzee. In 1356 Hoorn was granted town rights and by then already had a Weigh House. Between 1500 and 1600 Hoorn proved to be the most important harbour on the Zuiderzee.
The VOC (United East Indies Company) history can be seen in the West Friesian Museum (in 1632 the seat of the States Council). In 1616, the explorer Willem Corneliszoon Schouten braved furious storms as he rounded the southernmost tip of South America. He named it Kaap Hoorn (Cape Horn) in honour of his hometown. By walking through the town where many monuments tell you of the rich history of Hoorn.
On the 26th of March 2007, Hoorn celebrated 650 years as a city. In 1357 Hoorn was awarded city rights by the Count of Holland after a lump sum payment of 1500 "schilden" to the Count.