The Dutch town of Hindeloopen is one of the eleven cities in Friesland. The city on the borders of the IJsselmeer possesses a special atmosphere, to which the many wooden bridges over the tiny canals make a substantial contribution. A lot of monuments remind of the glorious times in which Hindeloopen was a prosperous trade city, doing business with Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Russia. The treasures were spent in companion city Amsterdam, where the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC, Dutch East India Company) imported valuable fabrics and items from East India. This caused Hindeloopen to become a centre of interior and print art.
In the alleys you can still see some captain's residences with little golden anchors on the façades, indicating that the shipper had room for more cargo. In the summer, the sailor's wives and their children lived in little houses called likhûzenbehind the large residences. In the former City Hall tourists can now visit the Hidde Nijland Stichting Museum, providing an overview of Hindeloopen's culture and history.