The Wooden Head

Het Houten Hoofd / The Wooden Head, a wooden pier

The Wooden Head is a wooden jetty behind the Main Tower. This jetty was built around 1464 as a jetty for the larger sea-going vessels. The long part towards the hole of the harbor could also be used to pull the sea ships out of the harbor. The jetty is now at the foot of the Main Tower, which was named after the Wooden Head when it was built in 1532. There has also been a gate between the tower and the jetty for some time. This gate was used to keep people out of town.

During the Second World War, the Wooden Head was severely damaged. During the Hunger Winter, people ran out of fuel, so they robbed the wooden boards. The Wooden Head was not restored until the 1950s, so that the jetty could not be used for more than 10 years. Nowadays, only old ships are allowed to moor at the Houten Hoof. These are almost all ships of the brown fleet. Modern ships are only allowed to dock in ports.

Beautiful historic Hoorn to visit