Old Holland highlights

Here’s I amsterdam's selection of highlights of things to do and places to stay, eat and drink in Old Holland, including restaurants, hotels, excursions and attractions.

Old Holland – tips and highlights

With its countless windmills, churches and old-fashioned farmhouses, stepping out into Old Holland can feel like being in a Golden Age painting. Traditional towns hark back to times of craftsmanship, showcasing the traditional skills the region was famous for: shipbuilding, fishing and cheese making. Discover the best places to see, the most exciting things to do and see I amsterdam’s tips for accommodation, food and drink in Old Holland!

Old Holland highlights:

Volendam-Marken Express

The Volendam-Marken Express is a fleet of ferries that carry passengers to and from the picturesque peninsula of Marken. Ferries d...

Cheese Factory Volendam

Volendam is a village of fishermen, music and cheese. The Cheese Factory is one of the newest attractions in the centre of Volenda...

Windmills at the Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans is an open-air museum that’s fun for all ages. Open year round, Zaans Schans is a free outdoor park with a colle...

Kaasboerderij de Jacobs Hoeve

The Jacobs Hoeve is an authentic Dutch cheese farm situated near Volendam (only 20 minutes north of Amsterdam by road). The farm i...

Kaasboerderij Simonehoeve - cheese farm

For an old-time Dutch experience visit De Simonehoeve, a traditional cheese farm and clog maker in the town of Volendam. The Klomp...

Alida Hoeve cheese farm & De Vriendschap

The Alida Hoeve cheese farm and De Vriendschap wooden shoe factory are located in Volendam, just 20 minutes north of Amsterdam by ...

Catharina Hoeve cheese farm

The Catharina Hoeve is an authentic 17th-century cheese farm, situated at the Zaanse Schans, close to Amsterdam. The Zaanse Schans...

Museum Zaanse Tijd (Zaan Time Museum)

Timekeeping is at the heart of science and technology, and this museum pays homage to it with its unique focus on the craft of the...

Molenmuseum

The Windmill Museum is situated in a stately building on the edge of the Koger Park and gives the visitor a complete picture of th...

Volendams Museum

The Volendams Museum, located in the town of Volendam, is definitely one of the Netherlands' most unconventional museums. Visitors...

Zaans Museum & Verkade Pavilion

The Zaans Museum tells the story of daily life in the Zaan region over the centuries. The Zaan was one of the oldest industrial ar...

Zaanse Schans

With its traditional houses, windmills, warehouses and workshops, the historic village of Zaanse Schans offers a preserved glimpse...

Hollands Kaasmuseum

Overlooking the world famous square Waagplein in Alkmaar, the Hollands Kaasmuseum has been the go-to spot for cheese ever since 19...

Where to eat and drink:

De Kraai

Feast on traditional Dutch pancakes in the heart of the beautiful Zaanse Schans. The beautifully rustic restaurant has a cosy inte...

De Hoop Op d'Swarte Walvis

A riverside restaurant with an extraordinary history. De Hoop Op D’Swarte Walvis (hope for the black whale) was named after a 19th...

Café-Restaurant Land en Zeezicht

Enjoy lunch or dinner with a view at this harbour-side restaurant, which is also very family-friendly.

Restaurant van den Hogen

This picturesque restaurant is located in the heart of Volendam. Its great view out over the harbour and the IJsselmeer makes for ...

Havenrestaurant De Lunch

Occupying a prime position on the impossibly pretty Volendam harbour, this traditional waterside restaurant is always a popular ch...

De Verkeerde Wereld

This petit restaurant has been built upon and named after a specific area on Marken called "The Wrong World" (a former swamp).De V...

Taverne De Visscher

Located in the picturesque harbour on the former island of Marken, Taverne Visscher (fisherman’s tavern) is a traditional restaura...

Where to sleep:

Inntel Hotels Amsterdam - Zaandam

Zaandam's history has been translated in a modern way throughout the hotel.

Van der Valk Hotel Volendam

Surrounded by meadows, seduced by the nearby IJsselmeer yet only a fifteen minute drive from Amsterdam, show business and leisure ...

Hotel Old Dutch

Hotel Old Dutch is a new three star hotel, situated on the harbour of the small fishing community of Volendam, about half an hour ...

Hampshire Golfhotel - Waterland

The Hampshire Golfhotel - Waterland is situated in the midst of the northern Holland landscape. This modern, excellent built hotel...

Suitehotel | Restaurant Posthoorn

Suitehotel | Restaurant Posthoorn: Dine in style ... Wake up in a fairytale The Posthoorn cannot be categorized, but excels at of...

Best Western Zaan Inn Hotel

The modern Zaan Inn Hotel is perfectly situated next to NS StationZaandam. From here you're within easy reach of the centre of Ams...

B & B ’t Zaanse Koopmanshuis Anno 1694

The monumental 'Zaans' merchant house is ideally situated for everyone who wants to visit Amsterdam or wants to explore this uniqu...

B&B Heerlijck Slaapen op de Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans is situated in the quiet area of the province Noord-Holland. The green polders, the windmills and the water of t...

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Old Holland

With its countless windmills, churches and old-fashioned farmhouses, stepping out into Old Holland can feel like being in a Golden Age painting.
Historic harbours

Just a short trip north of Amsterdam, these picturesque harbour towns deserve a visit.

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UNESCO World Heritage polder land

Cycle through an oasis of scenic polders, waterways, dikes, restored mills and charming, traditional farmhouses.

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World famous windmills

An instantly-recognisable symbol of Dutchness.

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Take a 360-degree tour of the Amsterdam Area's Old Holland region

Explore amazing sights and places of the Amsterdam Area's Old Holland region with I amsterdam's 360-degree video, including the historic town of Edam.

How to get to Old Holland:

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