Hindeloopen is an old city on the North of the Netherlands on the IJsselmeer. It lies within the municipality of Nijefurd. It is famous because of the Hindeloopen art and hindeloopen costume.
Hindeloopen is one of the eleven cities of Friesland.
Hindeloopen received city rights in 1225 and in 1368 it became a member of the Hanseatic League. Since the 12th and 13th century, shippers of Hindeloopen undertook journeys to the North and Baltic Sea Coasts. The strong overseas connections with foreign countries and infrequent contact with the hinterland were probably the reasons for the developing of the Hindeloopen language; a mixture of West Frisian, English, Danish, and Norwegian.
The shipping trade brought the population of Hindeloopen a great prosperity. The 17th and 18th century were especially golden times. At that time, the people of Hindeloopen spent a lot of money in Amsterdam on precious fabrics and objects, which were supplied through the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The rich town developed in those days her own costume and a completely individual style with colorful painted walls and furniture.