Smalltown Harbours
Edam, Volendam, Marken and Monnickendam were once about two things: fishing and trading. Hardly a surprise, since the villages lay right at the edge of the Zuiderzee, the area was later impoldered and now it is called the IJsselmeer. Fortunately the authentic character of each town has been preserved, including their lively harbours, which now have full terraces, cosy eateries and Dutch herring carts. And with a bit of luck you’ll bump into a resident wearing the traditional costume. In short, these Old Dutch fishing villages are Dutch folklore through and through.
Edam
Edam is a town where shipbuilding and the timber and cheese trades flourished; Edam cheese is now world-famous. Until 1922, farmers from the surrounding area sailed by boat to Edam’s cheese market, where their cheese was weighed and sold. You can see how this was done every Wednesday during the summer months of July and August. On these days the cheese market is revived, complete with cheese carriers, inspectors, farmers and traders. Curious as to how the merchants lived four centuries ago? The Edam Museum is a beautiful merchant’s house from 1540 with crow-stepped gable, the interior having been furnished according to the ‘latest’ in 17th-century fashion.
Volendam
A quick visit to Volendam will start with a walk across De Dijk (‘The Dike’) – a lively shopping and residential street right at the edge of the IJsselmeer. Here there is also the Volendam Museum, where displays include the Volendam traditional costume as well as paintings and drawings from the many artists that visited Volendam in the 19th century. Hotel Spaander opened in 1881 specially for these artists. It became a meeting place for painters from all over Europe. The over 1,400 works in the hotel attest to this heyday. A place to spend the night that has a story to tell.
Marken
From Volendam you can have a wonderful boat tour to Marken, which has been a peninsula in the Markermeer for 50 years now. Marken is well-known for its wooden houses on stilts and its typical traditional costume, and it still has the charm and the character of an island.
Monnickendam
In the centre of nearby Monnickendam there are dozens of monumental buildings, such as the Sint Nicolaaskerk and the Speeltoren (‘Belfry’), which has a carillon that is among the oldest in the Netherlands. In the 16th century – a golden age – the shipyards and smokehouses came to settle in Monnickendam and never left. Walking through the cute little streets and past the beautiful harbour, you’ll be pursued by the scent of smoked IJsselmeer eel.
Tourist Information
VVV Edam
Damplein 1
tel: (+31) (0)299-315125
www.vvv-edam.nl
VVV Volendam
Zeestraat 37
tel: (+31) (0)299-363747
www.vvv-volendam.nl
VVV Agency Marken
Havenbuurt 19c
tel: (+31) (0)20-2018800
www.vvv-waterland.nl
Take a boat from one place to the next. It’s a wonderful sight to see the wooden fishermen’s houses standing along the water line.
- Tell a friend