Volendam

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The fishing village of Volendam illustrates well the typical Dutch image. With the typical green painted Dutch wooden houses and where you will still be able to see some elderly locals dressed up in traditional regional costumes, the visitor can expect to find a predominately inhabited by Dutch village which has become a popular destination for tourists around the world.

While you stroll along the dike with an outstanding view of the Markermeer you will appreciate small sea food restaurants, cafes, souvenirs shops and pubs. Volendam actually owes its origin to the city of Edam. When Edam dug a new and shorter west-east connection from Purmermeer to the Zuiderzee after 1357, the old harbour mouth could be made ‘full’ (“Vol” in Duch) or ‘closed’. The history of Volendam begins here, with the construction of this dam for the closure of Edam’s old harbour. Farmers and especially fishermen took up residence here and this is how Follendam, now Volendam, was created. Despite the fact that the village has only 3 national monuments (in contrast to Edam which counts 176 national monuments) , the village manages to attract millions of tourists every year. Most tourists come to Volendam and combine a visit to this fishing village with visits to Marken, Edam and Broek in Waterland.

When in Volendam, a walk over the dike on the one hand the fishing boats and on the other hand the souvenir shops, bars, restaurants, make Volendam special among all other villages and cities in the Waterland region. When you get off the dike you will find yourself in the maze between the typical historic Volendam houses. There is no clear structure in the roads, which is why it looks like a maze. This maze owes its name to the fact that the buildings were not built according to a fixed street pattern. This pattern can also be found on the Dril, along the Havendijkje and on the Meerzijde and surroundings. This typical heart of Volendam with the unique open harbor of the former Zuiderzee – now called the Markermeer – is definitely worth a visit! Of course, a photo in the famous Volendam costume should not be missing and it is one of the things we suggest you to do in Volendam when you plana visit to this little Dutch fishing village.

PROS AND CONS WHEN VISITING VOLENDAM?

Pros

• Typical restaurants and café from this region: despite being a very touristic place, Volendam still resit to given in for big coffee or lunch chains (think of Starbucks, Coffeecompany, Albert Heijn To Go). At the dike you will have the chance to sit and enjoy a coffee or a meal accompanied with many local who do the same;
• A small but an alive place: not many small places in the Netherlands can have the privilege of combining these two features of being small and still very popular;
• Smoked: certainly nowhere else in the world you will taste a better smoked eel than in Volendam;

Cons

• Small: There are limited things you can see and do in Volendam. Once you appreciate the city, enjoy a coffee and meal in one of their typical restaurants, and perhaps make a nice picture in the traditional regional costumes then you will be ready to go to the next destination;
• Logistics: From Volendam, you can visit other hidden gems in the region of Waterland, but other than that you will have to return to Amsterdam before getting to Zaanse Schans, Keukenhof or any of the other day trips from Amsterdam.