Information panel | Hoornsche-Poort | Hoornselaan
The Hoornsche Poort (Hoorn Gate) was the oldest of the city gates that were built around Purmerend after obtaining city status in 1410.
The name already gives it away; the Hoornsche Poort guarded the north of the city on the way to and from Hoorn. Anyone who wanted to enter Purmerend from the footpath over the Overweerse Polderdijk had to pay gate or market fees. This was a lucrative source of income for the city. Before the reclamation of the Beemster and Purmer, travelers between Hoorn and Amsterdam could not bypass Purmerend by land.
During a period of peace after French rule, gates and defenses were quickly seen as redundant. No maintenance was done and many gates fell into disrepair. The Hoornsche gate was demolished in 1838. On the spot where this gate once stood, you can now walk along the Where and see the beautiful harbor of Purmerend.
