Hoorn — Tasman’s Lost Journal Secrets

Your journey begins on Roode Steen, the historic central square of Hoorn. Since the 17th century, this place has been the heart of the city's public life, witnessing the town hall built in 1403, then rebuilt in 1615 after a fire. It was here, according to legend, that in 1573, Count Waldeck, the Spanish governor, was executed during the Dutch Revolt, a significant event of the Eighty Years' War. The 17th-century gabled buildings surrounding it immediately immerse you in the atmosphere of an era when Hoorn was an indispensable maritime power.

Continue towards the Grote Kerk Hoorn, an imposing Protestant church built between 1420 and 1530 in the Late Gothic style. With its 60-meter length and 80-meter-high bell tower, it dominates the Hoorn skyline. Since the Reformation in 1572, it has served as a continuous place of worship, housing a historic organ from 1615 by Jan van Covelens. In these places, imagine VOC sailors, like Willem Cornelisz Schouten, coming to pray before their long voyages to unknown horizons, and reflect on the importance of faith in the exploration of the world.

Your investigation then leads you to the Westfries Museum, founded in 1880 in the former headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), a building erected in 1632. This building served as the seat of West Friesland until 1798 before being restored as a museum in 1881. Its collections include portraits of prominent VOC members and artifacts from 17th-century maritime trade, offering valuable insight into the organization that funded Abel Tasman's expeditions. It is here that clues to his journal might take shape, among the relics of this prosperous period in Noord-Holland.

Your route guides you to De Waag, a 17th-century weigh house, built in 1604 and restored in 1696. It was used to weigh commercial goods until 1811, reflecting Hoorn's economic dynamism. Adjacent, the 1572 watchtower, with its 32-bell carillon, once overlooked port activity. Not far, the Hoofdtoren, a watchtower built between 1537 and 1545 and 30 meters high, was fortified during the Eighty Years' War. A star map painted inside in 1750 could have been used by navigators like Abel Tasman, perfecting their celestial knowledge before setting sail from the Oude Haven.

Finally, you arrive at the Oude Haven, the historic 17th-century port, approximately 500 meters long and lined with gabled houses from the Golden Age. This was the hub for VOC departures to Indonesia, and the direct link to Abel Tasman, who departed from Hoorn in 1642 for his Pacific explorations. Gazing at the waters, you understand Hoorn's vital role in maritime world heritage and why this Noord-Holland city is a UNESCO candidate. Discovering Tasman's journal here, at the heart of his starting point, would be key to understanding the ultimate secrets of his voyages and the extent of his discoveries for the entire world.