Volendam

Volendam is a popular tourist destination known for its lively atmosphere, colorful wooden houses and traditional Volendam costumes. Tourists usually walk via the Volendam dike to the port of Volendam and back. The harbor is seen as a central point and is full of fishing boats. Along the Volendam dike you will find all kinds of tourist entertainment. From photos in traditional costumes to the Nutella store. You also cannot avoid one of the many (fish) restaurants in the city. Volendam is also home to several museums, such as the Volendam Museum.

What about Volendam?

Short introduction

Volendam Village
Volendam village

We would like to introduce our village to you as proud residents. Our authentic Dutch village is located in the western part of the Netherlands, in the region called Waterland. It is only an 18-minute drive by car from Amsterdam to Volendam. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. Our village is visited annually by at least 1 million visitors from all over the world.

Volendam village

The part of our village that most (foreign) tourists will see when they come to visit our village for a day is called Volendam village. The Volendam dike is seen as the central point of Vollendam village with the Volendam harbor on the one hand and the first houses that were built behind the dike on the other. The houses located directly behind the dike are popularly called the maze.

Het doolhof

The oldest part of the center of Volendam is called the maze (doolhof). The maze gets its name from the fact that the buildings are not built according to a fixed street pattern. It was these narrow streets and original houses that had a strong influence on the imagination of the painters and artists who visited Volendam since 1880. For them, time seemed to have no impact on this fishing village. This feeling can still be experienced today when you walk through the maze. Almost every day, thousands of tourists wander through this literal maze of houses.

The Dike of Volendam

This dike is the beginning of the origins of our village. The dike was necessary because of the constant threat of flooding. Behind the (safe) dike, farmers and fishermen soon settled in the area that we now refer to as a maze. Nowadays the dike is the tourist center of our village.

Tulpenveld Volendam

Visit tulip field

In the 2023 tulip season, a tulip field will be on display in Volendam for the first time in history. A tulip farmer from Venhuizen planted 300,000 tulip bulbs around the old Kathammer mill in November 2022. These will be released around the 2nd week of April 2023. The tulips that have yet to emerge will form a tulip picking garden.

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On the photo in traditional costume

In Volendam people no longer wear traditional costumes since the 1980s. Yet Volendam is known for its traditional costumes. Nowadays, tourists can have themselves photographed on the dike of Volendam in Volendam traditional costume. You can find several shops on the dike of Volendam where you can have your picture taken in these traditional costumes.

Vuurtoren Marken

Boattrip to Marken

From the harbor you can take a boat trip to the Marken peninsula. Marken is a charming island village that can be reached after a short boat trip of fifteen minutes. Visitors can take a tour of the island, visit the lighthouse and learn about the island's rich history. From the boat you can photograph Volendam's skyline perfectly.

Henri Willig kaas

Cheese and clog factory

Here you can visit a traditional cheese factory or clog factory. Here you can see how these traditional Dutch products are made.

De dijk van Volendam

Museum visit

Volendam has several museums, which provide insight into the history, culture and economy of the city. Examples of this are the Volendam Museum and the Edam Cheese Museum

Fietsen bij Volendam

bicycle tour

Volendam is an ideal place to explore by bicycle. There are quite a few bicycle rental companies. You can take a bike ride through the surrounding countryside.

How do I get to Volendam?

With your own car

If you want to come to Volendam by car, keep the following in mind:

  • Navigate with Google to the nearest parking lot in our village
  • You can park your car here and continue on foot
  • Parking is free almost everywhere
By public transport

Bus line 316 takes you from Amsterdam central station to Volendam in 28 minutes. Bus 316 drops you off within walking distance of the center of Volendam.

By boat

Perhaps this is the most adventurous way to travel to Volendam. There are boat trips from various places in Amsterdam that take you to Volendam.

With a tour

In an organized context you can travel from Amsterdam to Volendam with a tour bus. This is often done in combination with a visit to the Zaanse Schans and Giethoorn.

By bike

In recent years, more and more visitors seem to be coming to our village by bicycle. This is related to the increased use of electric bicycles. This allows greater distances to be bridged. You can park your bicycle in several places in our village.

Cycling 

Biking in Volendam

Biking in Volendam

Jump on your bike and ride a beautiful cycle route through beautiful authentic North Holland villages.

Edam

Charming Edam is also located on the Markermeer. Here you will find historic houses and a cheese market in the summer, where you can of course taste real Edam cheese. If you cycle out of Edam, you will arrive directly in Volendam. The inhabitants of this village differ from the rest of the Netherlands in their customs and habits, which puts Volendam on the tourist map. After getting off the bus, stroll through the harbor and the beautiful streets. Immerse yourself completely in Voigtlanders and take photos in typical outfits, or step aboard for a trip to Marken.

Monnickendam

Via Monnickendam you cycle through the Purmerbos to the small village of Axwijk. Where you used to have to pay tolls to the residents, you now cycle through it without realizing it.

Beemster

Via the Beemster, you know; of cheese, you reach Scharwoude in West Friesland. This village was once located on the Zuiderzee and experienced periods of flooding. Today the village mainly benefits from water and offers beautiful scenery.

Pure enjoyment

The best way to recover from your journey of discovery in the Netherlands is to stop at one of the stops along the way. Enjoy the ride and enjoy the food!

Walking and hiking

Walking in Volendam

Harbour of Volendam

With kilometers of hiking trails you can enjoy walking in Volendam through the greenery, along waters and over bridges. You can download a very nice walking route in the area via routenetwerkplanner.nl. Edam can also be used as a starting point, but of course also as an intermediate point. From Volendam you can also take the boat to the island of Marken. You can also enjoy walking here.

  • The Dike & Doolhof Route (purple) is a walking tour through Oud-Volendam. Via the Doolhof you walk over and behind the old Zuiderzeedijk. You walk back via Noordeinde and the Harbour.
  • The Eel Route (red) is a challenging walk over the largely unpaved Hooge and Lage Dijkrond straight through the old peat and cheese polder Katwoude. This route passes the De Kathammer mill and the adjacent Heitje van Katham. When the Purmer Ee is dammed (1401), you can also take the return trip to the old Zuiderzee town of Monnickendam. Dogs are prohibited here.

 Overnight in Volendam

Spend the night in our village

There are several hotels, holiday parks, campsites, camper pitches and B&B options in our village where you can spend the night. There are also plenty of options to stay overnight in the Volendam region. We could of course put this entire list here, but we won't.

 F.C Volendam

FC Volendam is a professional football club from the fishing village of the same name. The club was founded in 1977 and currently plays in the Eredivisie, the highest level of Dutch football. The team has a strong fan base (mainly local). Their home games are played in the Kras Stadium, which has a capacity of 6,984 spectators.

self-trained players

FC Volendam is known for developing young talent and many of its players have grown to top teams at home and abroad. Some notable Volendam-born players who started their career at FC Volendam are:

  • Keje Molenaar
  • Arnold Mühren
  • Gerrie Mühren
  • Wim Jonk
  • Tom Sier
  • Pier Tol
  • Dick Tol
  • Jack Tuyp
Up and down

The club had their best time in the top division of Dutch football (Eredivisie) between 1999-2001. After relegation in 2001, they had a few more promotions. Promotion was followed by relegation the following year. The other orange team was promoted for the last time during the season.

Youth training

In addition to the football team, FC Volendam also has a successful youth academy, which has produced many talented players over the years. The academy is known for its focus on technical skills development, and many of its graduates have gone on to professional football.

Support local community

In recent years the club has had some financial difficulties, but the support of the local community and fans has allowed it to continue to operate and compete. The club wants to promote and develop talent from the region and work hard to permanently climb back to the top tier, the Eredivisie.

Places around

Amsterdam

Broek in Waterland

Edam

Marken

Middelie

Middenbeemster

Monnickendam

Purmerend

Zaanse schans

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