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 two UNESCO World Heritage sites!
Graft-De Rijp
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 Zuiderzee, it was famous for hemp (used for rope making), fishing and whale hunting.
Middenbeemster and Purmerend
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 wonderful fusion of both modern and traditional Holland.
buy your ticket with 10% discount
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.
Day tickets Adult
Day tickets Kids
Select a tab to see more about this stop along the route
Graft – De Rijp
Purmerend is a great combination of modern and traditional Holland. Originally a small fishing village, the city has maintained many of its charming historical monuments. The centuries-old Koemarkt, or Cattle Market, is one of the highlights. Today it’s a traffic-free square, lined with bustling cafés and restaurants. With so much to see and do, you’ll end up spending more time than you’d expected in Purmerend. Visit the 19th-century Saint Nicholas Church for a sense of history, wander through the museum, and then head out for a bit of shopping and a drink. Purmerend will charm you before you know it.
THE PURMERENDS MUSEUM
The Purmerends Museum is housed in the former town hall on the Kaasmarkt and has a varied collection relating to the town and the region.
T: +31(0)299472718, www.purmerendsmuseum.nl
HOW TO GET THERE
Leaving Middenbeemster, go to bus stop De Buurt and take bus 306 headed towards Amsterdam Central Station. Get out in Purmerend at bus stop Martin Luther Kingweg. Then take bus 301 headed towards Amsterdam Central Station. But you’ll get out at bus stop Gedempte Singelgracht in Purmerend.
306 to Martin Luther Kingweg (Purmerend), then bus 301 to Gedempte Singelgracht (Purmerend).
Middenbeemster
During the 17th century, when the Amsterdam elite wanted to escape the city, they headed out to the region known as De Beemster. Here, they built smaller versions of their luxurious canal houses. You’ll find impressive farmhouses, historical churches and an old fort transformed into a glamorous (and affordable) wellness center! Middenbeemster is one of the towns that make up the municipality of De Beemster. This area is also part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, a ring of 42 forts built in the 19th century to protect the city of Amsterdam. Not only is De Beemster a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the defence line has earned this title as well. The unique museums of these UNESCO World Heritages sites are absolutely worth a visit!
RENT A BIKE AND EXPLORE!
Biking is one of the best ways to explore De Beemster on your own. Maps detailing some wonderful bike tours can be obtained from VVV offices like the one at Middenweg 185.
T: +31 (0)299 621826, www.bezoekerscentrumbeemster.nl
HOW TO GET THERE
The trip takes ±20 minutes, and you need to change buses once. From De Rijp bus stop Wollandje, take bus 301 (to Amsterdam Central Station), which departs 2x per hour. Get off at Purmerend at bus stop Martin Luther Kingweg. Then take bus 306 to Middenbeemster and exit at bus stop De Buurt.
301 to Martin Luther Kingweg (Purmerend) then bus 306 to De Buurt (Middenbeemster).
Purmerend
Purmerend is a great combination of modern and traditional Holland. Originally a small fishing village, the city has maintained many of its charming historical monuments. The centuries-old Koemarkt, or Cattle Market, is one of the highlights. Today it’s a traffic-free square, lined with bustling cafés and restaurants. With so much to see and do, you’ll end up spending more time than you’d expected in Purmerend. Visit the 19th-century Saint Nicholas Church for a sense of history, wander through the museum, and then head out for a bit of shopping and a drink. Purmerend will charm you before you know it.
THE PURMERENDS MUSEUM
The Purmerends Museum is housed in the former town hall on the Kaasmarkt and has a varied collection relating to the town and the region.
T: +31(0)299472718, www.purmerendsmuseum.nl
HOW TO GET THERE
Leaving Middenbeemster, go to bus stop De Buurt and take bus 306 headed towards Amsterdam Central Station. Get out in Purmerend at bus stop Martin Luther Kingweg. Then take bus 301 headed towards Amsterdam Central Station. But you’ll get out at bus stop Gedempte Singelgracht in Purmerend.
306 to Martin Luther Kingweg (Purmerend), then bus 301 to Gedempte Singelgracht (Purmerend).
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.