route 1: wonderful waterland
A 6-hour route that takes you from quaint villages to a former island. Broek in Waterland looks like a postcard, but it’s real! This picturesque village is just ±20 minutes from Amsterdam Central Station. No wonder so many famous rich 17th & 18th century merchants and seafarers built their home there. Marken was an island in the middle of what used to be called ‘the Zuider Zee’ (nowadays: IJsselmeer) until 1957. Today it is connected to the mainland by a dike – with its little wooden houses snuggled together on the former island. Monnickendam is ideal for exploring on your own – with cute cafes, historic sites and nice shops.
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It’s easy to travel to Amsterdam Country side for only €12,50 a day. Get 10% discount if you buy here online. The tickets are available for download immediately after payment.
buy your tickets local
If you coming from the city center, walk all the way through the station past track 14/15 into the hallway at the rear side. There you find at the bottom of the escalator the Public Transport Ticket shop.
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Broek in Waterland
This picturesque village lies just 20 minutes from from Amsterdam Central Station. No wonder so many famous rich 17th & 18th century merchants and seafarers built their homes there. Each home is a living historical landmark. Wander the tiny streets and canals, and don’t worry if you find yourself staring at the beautiful sites – the locals are proud of their charming and peaceful village. The name of the village translates literally into “trousers in the land of water”. Keep an eye out for the wooden houses, and explore the tiny canals behind the 14th century Saint Nicholas church.
RENT AN ELECTRIC BOAT
Glide silently across the waters of Waterland! 2-5 people incl. instructions & routes. Drs. van Disweg 4, T: +31 (0)6 37525640, www.fluisterbootvaren.nl
HOW TO GET THERE
Head to the rear of Amsterdam Central Station and up the stairs to the red EBS bus 312, 314, 315 or 316. Buses depart 2x per hour, and the ride takes 15 minutes. Get off at the stop Dorp at Broek in Waterland.
The old village is just across the street.
312, 314, 315 or 316 to Dorp (Broek in Waterland).
Marken
Picturesque Marken was an island in the middle of the Zuyder Zee until 1957. Today it is connected to the mainland by a dike, and its little wooden houses are snuggled together on the former island.
It’s like walking through an open-air museum! So don’t be shy about exploring the village streets and alleyways, where the houses were built on hills to protect them from the waterfloods. You’ll find special cafes on the harbor. And if you’re lucky, you may spot someone in traditional costume.
CLOQEXPERIENCE
Visit the woodenshopfactory with ?a traditional clog maker!. Kets 52. ?T: +31 299 601 250?www.theclogexperience.com
HOW TO GET THERE
From bus stop Dorp in Broek in Waterland, take bus 315 headed towards Marken. After about 20 minutes, you’ll reach bus stop Kerkbuurt-Centrum. Buses depart 2x per hour. Cross the little bridge to reach the old heart of the village.
315 to Kerkbuurt-Centrum
Monnickendam
Dating back to the middle ages, Monnickendam was once one of the most important ports in Holland. With a prime location on the sea, ships from Monnickendam were especially famous for the Baltic trade, and made it a wealthy city. Not only that, but they were also famous for producing excellent cheeses and smoked fish. Today most of the city is a protected heritage site. Thanks to its compact size, Monnickendam is ideal to explore on your own – with cute cafes, historical sites and nice shops. Make sure you visit the old weighing house, de Waegh, where merchants used to weigh their products (and where, later, witches were weighed…).
THE HISTORICAL SMOKE OF MONNICKENDAM
A fishing boot from Volendam moors alongside the fish market in Monnickendam. Inside, the fish traders are ready to bid for herring, mackerel and smelt. The trader who makes the highest bid takes home the catch to his smokery. He invites you to come and see how he smokes the fish. Others have less sophisticated equipment and simply smoke the fish outside in smoke barrels. Would you like to try some? Help yourself!
The Monnickendam Fish Days give a glimpse of the Monnickendam of times gone by. Our guides are happy to take you on a tour through our picturesque town that at one time had as many as 30 smokeries. They can tell you all about them. The Marken Express has a fixed timetable and can take you over the Gouwzee to Marken, where local guides are ready to meet you and give you a tour of this beautiful former island.
On Fish Days there are also basket weavers, clog makers and people mending nets working on the quayside. At the end of the afternoon, local actors, who have had a few drinks, ensure there is plenty of entertainment. There is also a street market selling local produce. Fishermen’s choirs sing songs about the old days and children play traditional Dutch games. In short, a unique experience – a trip back in time to the Monnickendam of 100 years ago! http://www.monnickendammervisdagen.nl/en/
WATERLAND’S SPEELTOREN MUSEUM
Learn more about the Waterland region. This museum is dedicated to the origins and rich history of this unique landscape. Noordeinde 2-4,
T: +31 (0)299 652203, www.despeeltoren.nl
HOW TO GET THERE
Leaving Marken from bus stop Kerkbuurt, take bus 311 headed towards Monnickendam. After about 13 minutes, you will arrive at your next bus stop, Nieuwpoortslaan. It’s just a short and lovely walk from here to the heart of the city.
311 to Nieuwpoortslaan (Monnickendam).
To return to Amsterdam Central Station, take bus 315 from station Nieuwpoortslaan (Monnickendam).
Trip tips
The routes below are suggestions for 6, 7 or 8 hour tours. The LocalBus tickets is valid for all three routes and it is possible to create custom combinations of stops yourself.
ROUTE 1: WONDERFUL WATERLAND
A 6-hour route that takes you from quaint villages to a former island.
Broek in Waterland looks like a postcard, but it’s real! This picturesque village is just ±20 minutes from Amsterdam Central Station. No wonder so many famous rich 17th & 18th century merchants and seafarers built their home there.
Marken was an island in the middle of the Zuyder Zee until 1957. Today it is connected to the mainland by a dike – with its little wooden houses snuggled together on the former island.
Monnickendam is ideal for exploring on your own – with cute cafes, historic sites and nice shops.
Route 2: Heading to Amsterdam Waterland
A 7-hour route to heart of the lowlands – for a true taste of Holland, without the tourist crowds. Including a visit to 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Just outside Amsterdam you’ll find the lovely Graft-De Rijp. Actually, they are 2 small villages joined together as a municipality. In the 17th century, when de Rijp was still connected to the Zuyder Zee, it was famous for hemp (for rope making) fishing and whale hunting.
Middenbeemster is one of the towns that make up the municipality of De Beemster. The area is also part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam – a ring of 42 forts built in the 19th century to protect the city of Amsterdam.
Purmerend is a great combination of modern and traditional Holland.
Route 3: Small town harbours
This 8 hours route leaves from Amsterdam Central Station and heads towards places that used to be important harbors… until the sea was filled in to create new land.
Marken is a village that used to be an island, where houses were built on hills to protect them from the water. You’ll find quaint cafes on the harbor.
Bustling with visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the world-famous port – Volendam may be somewhat touristy, but it’s certainly worth a visit.
Back in 1357, Edam was awarded the right to be a city – and to create a toll-free harbor. That was the beginning of an amazing era of trade, which brought merchants and ship builders to these shores. And turned this small city into one of the region’s most important harbors.
ticket-office
For travel information you can call 0900 – 9292. For tickets and personal advice you can go to the Public Transport Ticket shop.
Opening hours Ticket Office EBS
We are open 7 days a week: from Monday to Friday from 9.00 am tot 6.00 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.