Volendam: A Sunny Day Out Exploring the Quaint Charms of a Dutch Fishing Village
Updated: May 12
It was a Saturday and the sun was out. It was the so called perfect warm day in Netherlands to step out and one that should not be missed, lest the weather decides to take a U turn. So now the big question was where? My mother in law was visiting us at that time and I asked her to make a choice. Little did I know that she was already ready with an answer - Volendam she said. I closed my eyes and the scenery sketched out beautifully in my head. A very sun kissed me strolling around in little cobblestones streets that open up to blue waters with sails and shops docked in them. When I opened my eyes, I knew we were surely putting her plan to action. Indeed, it was Volendam.
A small sailing town in the north of Holland, close to Amsterdam, Volendam is the perfect place for a relaxing getaway. One can completely immerse oneself in the Dutch traditions and culture in this fishing village. Its' streets are filled with stores where tourists and locals are busy getting dressed in traditional costumes. The waterfront is lined with its colourful wooden houses and the bustling harbour has yachts and boats docked by its bay and the Main Street Haven sports a multitude of restaurants and eateries popular for their Dutch cuisine. Let's get a glimpse into Netherland's rich maritime heritage - Volendam.
Agenda: A sunny day out in the Dutch fishing village Volendam
How to get to Volendam
This fisherman’s haven is an hour’s drive from The Hague and 20 minutes from Amsterdam. We parked our car in the parking lot next to the market (opposite the Volendam museum). You can park your vehicle here for a maximum of 1.5 hours.
There is also a parking garage Parkeergarage Havenhof located in Winkelcentrum Havenhof where the parking rate is € 0.50 for the 1st half hour, then € 1.00/30 min. The maximum daily rate is € 30.00/day.
The Parking Center Volendam is another parking garage which is located on Boegstraat 2a, 1131 ZB Volendam and the first hour of parking costs only 1 euro and the daily rate is a maximum of 9 euros.
If travelling by bus, take Bus 316 operated by EBS (Egale Bus Services) or Bus 316 operated by Connexxion from Amsterdam Centraal Station. There is a bus every hour and the journey takes approximately 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic.
Museum Volendam
If time permits, I would recommend that you visit the museum Volendam. The museum highlights the history and cultural significance of this sailing town. It displays exhibits of the fishing techniques in the harbour of this town, mannequins in traditional Dutch costumes which you can also wear and get photographed, and the recreated scenes of the routine lives of local people of this town back in the day.
Address: Volendam Museum, Zeestraat 41, 1131 ZD Volendam, Netherlands
Opening timings: Every day including weekends 10 AM to 5 PM
Saturday market
Once you get out of the parking lot, you get into directly the square which is basically taken over by the market stalls on a Saturday. I was even more impressed with my choice of getaway because Saturdays generally tend to be the market day in Volendam. Farmers and vendors come out in numbers to sell their fresh produce, be it cheese 🧀, flowers 💐, fish 🐠, apparel, household goods etc.
We walked by all the stalls in the market and bought oud kaas (old cheese) from a kind man at one of the numerous cheese stalls.
Opening times: 10 am to 5 pm on every Saturday
Restaurants and Cafes
From here, you can walk along Zeestraat and stop by Romy's Kitchen for a sumptuous meal, coffee or a drink. Once you take the turn towards Haven, you will encounter a plethora of restaurants and cafes where one can splurge in local delicacies of the region, cocktails, or freshly brewed coffee with cake.
Few of the restaurants that offer a delectable menu of lunch and dinner dishes are Restaurant Cafe de Dijk, Restaurant Cafe van den Hogen, Café Restaurant De Groene, and for cocktails and summer drinks you can hit up Bar de Molen or &Drinkz Volendam.
My advice would be to reserve a table in advance if you want to bask in the sun on the deck close to the water or else during the busy season, it will be very difficult to find a nice table even outdoors of the restaurant.
Try Stroopwafels at Woltje's Backerij
Have you ever eaten the two thin crisp waffle cookies filled with a delightful warm, gooey caramel syrup (stroop)? Yes, the Dutch special cookies called stroopwaffles, and they are very popular in Volendam. At Woltje's Backerij, they are made from a traditional stroopwaffel iron press, thus ensuring authenticity.
Address: Haven 98, 1131 EV Volendam, Netherlands
Opening times: Everyday from 10:30 AM to 5 PM
Poffertjes at Hollandse Poffertjes
The other very popular delicacy of Netherlands are the pancakes and poffertjes. Unlike the fluffy American pancakes, the Dutch pancakes are larger and thinner and come in savoury flavours too. At Hollandse Poffertjes, you get a variety of sweet and savoury pancakes with the common toppings being powdered sugar, syrup, apples, cheese, or bacon. They also dish out poffertjes, which are small little bite-sized pancakes commonly eaten with butter or powdered sugar.
Address: Haven 96, 1132 EV Volendam, Netherlands
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM
Sundays are closed.
Fish & Chips Volendam
Further ahead on the Haven is the fish & chips restaurant, where you can enjoy a delicious lekkerbek and frites (fish and chips) meal, kibbeling, fresh herring, smoked eel and many more delicacies from this fishing harbour. Priced per person between €10 to €20, this restaurant is an ideal place for tourists wanting to try out local Dutch sea food.
Address: Haven 22, 1131 ER Volendam, Netherlands
Play dress up in traditional Dutch attire
There are various studios and shops in Volendam that showcase a picture opportunity for tourists where one can choose to dress up from an ensemble of garments, jewellery, and accessories rooted in the Dutch history. Normally the tourists dress up in the Dutch national costume which is represented by a striped skirt and jacket with a black apron for women, sailor pants, jacket and a hat for men, 'hul' (the ladies' lace cap or bonnet), 'klompen' (wooden shoes), and the 'kraplap' (a stiff starched cloth like a shawl worn over the shoulders).
To get your photos clicked in the traditional Dutch costumes for keepsake, visit Experience Volendam in Haven 154, 1131 EW Volendam. The prices for costume rental and photos experience is generally €18 to €20.
Website: https://www.experiencevolendam.nl
Fotograaf Zwarthoed in Haven 12, 1131 ER Volendam is also popular for their services in Foto's in Kostuum.
Website: https://www.fotozwarthoed.com
Another photo studio in the vicinity is Foto De Boer in Haven 82, 1131 ET Volendam, Netherlands.
Website: https://www.fotoinvolendamkostuum.nl
Visit the Cheese Factory
If you continue walking along Haven, you will finally reach the Cheese Factory. If you haven't already visited the cheese experience at Zaanse Schaans or the one at Gouda, then it'd be the right place and time to explore the cheese factory in Volendam. They will showcase the traditional Dutch cheese production techniques, they will educate you on their history of cheese-making and allow you to sample their delicious assortment of cheeses. They also have a demonstration for the traditional clog making process here.
Address: Haven 25, 1131 EP Volendam, Netherlands
Opening times: Everyday 10 am to 5 pm
Stroll along the Strand van Volendam
This was the most relaxing part of our day. After all the mouth watering fish and chips, poffertjes and stroopwaffels, we decided to take a lazy evening stroll along the promenade. With gorgeous views of the water, sailboats dotting the horizon, the traditional Dutch houses by the waterfront, the strand provides a pleasurable route for your stroll, allowing you to breathe in the fresh air and appreciate the tranquil ambiance of the area. Although it was a hot sunny day, by evening there was a chill in the air and the wind got cold, so its advisable you carry a sweater or cardigan to keep yourself warm.
We took a detour from there to visit the Volendam Marina, where we took a couple of photos with the backdrop of the Markermeer and the endearing Volendam skyline.
Shopping in Volendam
I love souvenir shopping in these kind of tourist towns. I have a collection of magnets from all the places l've visited so far and it was but customary to get one magnet symbolising Volendam from one of the multitude of souvenir shops. Apart from magnets, you can buy keepsakes, miniature wooden clogs, local handicrafts, and Volendam themed clothing.
Known for its traditional costumes, you will find many shops selling authentic Dutch costumes like the striped colourful skirts and jackets for girls and women, wooden clogs, lace caps, and costumes for little boys and men as well.
These European small towns are known for their boutique clothing, that sell clothes that probably aren't sold elsewhere. To name a few, Zo-et Mode, Outfits by Manon, Pixie, The Dutch Spirit etc. carry a variety of European brands and exhibit contemporary fashion for men and women, including modish clothing, shoes, and accessories.
Tip: The Main Street in Volendam to go shopping is the Haven or also called the Havenbuurt. Its the central street that is dotted with restaurants and a multitude of shops and runs parallel to the harbour. As you explore Volendam, you will also notice several unique shops on streets Zeestraat and Julianaweg.
Boat trip or Guided Cruise to Marken
After you're done with exploring most of Volendam, a boat trip to the adjoining city of Market is a must-do. Generally tourists cover Volendam and Marken in one day and its also doable in summer months as the surroundings are lit until almost 10 PM and everything is also pretty much open after sun down hours. However, since we had explored Volendam extensively and wanted to leisurely spend time strolling and admiring around, we decided not to cover Marken on the same day. The boat ride to Marken lasts 30 minutes. There is a ferry service called Rederij Volendam Marken Express (Haven 39, 1131 EP Volendam, Netherlands) from where you embark on a ferry which lasts for approximately an hour. Sail Times are from 9:45 AM on busy days, on other days from 10:30 AM - until 7 PM.
Alternatively, you can also take a guided cruise to learn about the rich history of Volendam and its surrounding fishing harbours on the IJsselmeer coast, view the traditional fishermen's colourful houses on stilts in Marken, and learn about the local history and culture of Marken from a knowledgeable skipper. You can book this guided cruise tour Volendam: Guided Cruise on Gouwzee Lake on GetYourGuide.
After capturing wonderful memories in Volendam, we finally made our way back home for the remainder of our peaceful weekend.
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Happy reading and Happy travelling :)
lovely article amy. good stuff. Srini