It was not until the completion of the Afsluitdijk (Enclosure Dam) in 1932 that the open link with the North Sea disappeared and the Zuiderzee was divided into two - the IJssellake and the Wadden Sea. In past times, people that lived around the Zuiderzee heavily depended on the sea. Fishing was the main source of income and in the 17th Century, the East Indian Shipping Company brought wealth and prosperity to the area. The enclosure of the Zuiderzee brought irreversible change to a culture of traditional costumes and centuries-old crafts and to the life of the fishermen in their daily struggle with the elements.

A glimpse of this can be seen at the Zuiderzee museum. In the indoor museum you can explore exhibitions about the life of fishermen and skippers from the Zuiderzee region and the reclamation of large tracts of land by famous Dutch hydraulic engineers. Other exhibitions deal with trade and transport with the hinterland as well as the history of the VOC and the whaling industry. Numerous paintings, ship models, clothing and historic film footage help to carry you back through seven centuries of Zuiderzee history.

In the open-air museum the focus is on the period 1880-1932. This section of the museum evokes the atmosphere of an old Zuiderzee town.

Only by water

The Zuiderzeemuseum in Enkhuizen can only be reached by water. A ferry will take you to the open-air museum every 15 minutes.