Tour of Monnickendam and Hemmeland

Your route starts at atMirror. Monnickendam is a beautiful town for a city walk. You'll see centuries-old buildings with bell, stepped, or pointed gables. You'll also pass the Speeltoren (Play Tower). This historic town hall tower boasts the oldest hand-playable carillon in the Netherlands. Since 1981, the tower has housed a museum. Further on stands the centuries-old Town Hall. The Grote Kerk (Great Church) was built in the Gothic style in the fifteenth century. You'll return via Hemmeland, a peninsula in the Gouwzee near Monnickendam. This recreation area takes its name from Hemlanden, areas of land outside the dikes that flooded during storms. In the 1970s, it was developed as a recreation area. You'll still find some unique natural beauty: orchids bloom in a few damp spots in the summer.