The City of Lewes and the Cape Henlopen State Park have a rich and colorful history. Henry Hudson discovered the swarth of land known as Cape Henlopen in 1609. Twenty-two years later the Dutch selected the Cape as an ideal place for a whaling station.
The Zwaanendael Museum on King’s Highway was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Delaware’s first European colony that was called Zwaanendael (archaic Dutch for “swan valley”) and was located near modern day Lewes. The colony was destroyed by members of the Lenape tribe in 1638. It stands today as a testament to the Dutch influence on Lewes, even though the city is named after a town of the same name in Sussex County, England.
In keeping with that Dutch influence, Lewes officials selected Hoorn in The Netherlands as its sister city and the museum models the former city hall in Hoorn. This picturesque seaside town is about 27 miles north of Amsterdam. Anyone planning travel to The Netherlands should seriously consider at least a day trip to Hoorn which is about a 30-minute train ride away from Amsterdam. Travel by bus takes about 53 minutes.
The historic center of Hoorn is home to more than 300 national monuments, many of which have their origins in the Dutch Golden Age (1600 – 1700). Hoorn is situated on the fringe of Lake Markermeer and has several historic harbors. It is a compact city that is perfect for a city walk. Shops and cafes dot its 17th-century town center, which is anchored by the Roode Steen, the main square. The Hoofdtoren, an impressive 16th-century tower, sits on the edge of the water.
The Westfries Museum is a good place to start a tour of Hoorn although there is a limited time frame – primarily in the Spring – to do so. The museum will be closed during January for the installation of a special Rembrandt exhibition from February 1 – June 1. The museum closes on June 1 for a major renovation that will last for nearly two years. Estimated time for the Rembrandt exhibition is two to three hours.
Two other options are the Museum van de Twintigste Eeuw and the Museumhuis Bonck. Hoorn is an easy walking city and there is a plethora of self-guided tour options and boat rides in and around the town. Juianapark is one of them. It borders the lake and is the site of a popular music festival in April.
Hoorn was once the capital of West Friesland, a region in the Northwest Netherlands in the province of North Holland. In its heyday, it was one pf the main harbors of the Dutch East India Company. During the Dutch Golden Age (1575-1675), it flourished for a while as a trading site, but its allure as a port city dwindled compared to Amsterdam and declined by the end of the 18th century.
Today, it is a popular side-excursion for tourists visiting Amsterdam.
By Mary Jo Tarallo, Resident Journalist
Mary Jo Tarallo spent much of her career in public relations with various non-profits and spent 40 years involved with the ski industry as a journalist, public relations director for a national trade association and as executive director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative. Prior to her ski industry involvement she worked for the Maryland International Center in Baltimore and United Way of Central Maryland. She won a Gold Award for TV programming for a United Way simulcast that starred Oprah Winfrey. She has been cited for her work by numerous organizations. Mary Jo grew up in Baltimore, attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, lived in Washington, DC for 21 years and has been a full time resident of Rehoboth Beach and Milton since May 2019.
