Journey back in time

Medemblik old steam train

By steam tram from Hoorn to Medemblik

It was a very hot day in July and we decided to go to the station in Hoorn by bike. We wanted to board the steam tram at 10.30 and then we would have time to visit the museum and the workshop at the station. But we started with a flat tire and although it was repaired quickly we didn’t have much time left at the station before departure. At 10.30 our bikes were loaded and the engine whistled for departure.

Sitting in the wooden carriage we enjoyed the view. It was very nice to see all the familiar places. We usually don’t see our environment from this point of view. Soon we stopped at the station in Wognum where help was needed to load some freight. Our sons worked hard and the temperature raised. I decided to treat them to an ice cream from the kiosk.

The rest of the trip we were on the balcony of the wagon where we were joined by an employee. The employees on the tram are all enthusiastic volunteers who can tell you the best stories about the environment and history. We have been living along the railway line halfway through Hoorn and Medemblik all our lives, but there appears to be so much that we didn’t know. We have learned a lot this journey!

After arrival in Medemblik, we continued our way by bike along the IJsselmeer and the harbor to the castle.

Castle Radboud

In the Castle ‘Kasteel Radboud’ our youngest wanted to do the treasure hunt. The others thought themselves too big for this. In the end we were all together fanatically puzzling to answer the questions and complete the assignments while the audio tour led us through the castle. It was a fun and educational way to explore the castle and we were rewarded with the code to open the treasury!

The Beach

From the castle it took us less than 5 minutes by bike to the beach. Our actual destination was on the other side of the road, the Steam Engine Museum. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year so we decided to go to the beach for a swim. We will definitely visit the Steam Engine Museum soon!

On the beach we enjoyed a picnic and swam to cool off for the return trip. We all had a wonderful day with surprising new impressions of our own beautiful westfriesland.