Warf the Hellege and Botter Museum
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Warf the Hellege
Look into the forecastle of a botter, a typical wooden fishing boat, and see how the fisherman and his mate lived on board. Get acquainted with the old fishing methods, grab the caulking hammer and hear the stories about the workhorses of the Zuiderzee, the botters, the fishermen and their families. Why did every Zuiderzeeport have its own fisherman's jersey? Was fishing also done in winter? You are going to discover it all. Also take a look at the shipyard and see how the EB25 is being restored and how volunteers carry out the maintenance of the botters. The enthusiastic guides are happy to tell you all about it. You can smell the wood!
Botter Museum
In the Botterfoundation…
Warf the Hellege
Look into the forecastle of a botter, a typical wooden fishing boat, and see how the fisherman and his mate lived on board. Get acquainted with the old fishing methods, grab the caulking hammer and hear the stories about the workhorses of the Zuiderzee, the botters, the fishermen and their families. Why did every Zuiderzeeport have its own fisherman's jersey? Was fishing also done in winter? You are going to discover it all. Also take a look at the shipyard and see how the EB25 is being restored and how volunteers carry out the maintenance of the botters. The enthusiastic guides are happy to tell you all about it. You can smell the wood!
Botter Museum
In the Botterfoundation museum, which was opened by Princess Margriet in 2010, you will be introduced to the old fishing and restoration techniques. An expert guide will take you back to the past and tell you about the history of the foundation, fishing and current activities on the vessels. The fishing techniques are illustrated and explained using various miniature botters. The sailmaker will explain how the sails were made and the miniature builder explains how the techniques are applied on a large-scale botter.
By seeing, smelling and hearing, you get a clear picture of what it used to be like. A walking route takes you through the building and gives you a clear picture of what it takes to keep the historic ships in operation.
After seeing the theory of fishing and sailing, it is nice to put what you have learned into practice and make a beautiful sailing trip with a botter.
Opening times
- For current opening hours, group arrangements and botter tours, visit the website.
