Sportpark Julianapark

At the edge of the Binnenstad, where the city meets the Markermeer, Sportpark Julianapark holds its ground against the water and time. Built on land once used for military drills and shooting practice, the complex was formally given its name in 1936 to honour Princess Juliana, though the clubs that fill it have a longer memory. HVV Hollandia, founded in 1898, played its first matches on the pitch before the sea was even fully drained from the surrounding fields. The ground opened on July 30, 1922, and the club has stayed there ever since, surviving while the landscape shifted around it.

The architecture is functional rather than grand. The capacity sits at 4,500, with only 600 seats. The surface remains natural grass, a decision that has caused friction; the club has sought to install artificial turf, but the municipality has held the purse strings tight, citing the club's financial state. While there are talks of moving the team to Sportpark Middelweg to allow the land to be greened again, the players continue to compete at Nieuwewal 2.

The park is not solely a football ground. It hosts the annual 'Hoorn Zingt Hollands' music festival. The clubhouse, however, reflects the neglect that has plagued the site for years. Deferred maintenance has left the facilities in a state that does not match the history of the club that calls it home.