Marken in the Netherlands; what to do and see?

Anyone who thinks the Netherlands doesn’t have much to offer is wrong. There is so much to discover! Every time we come across beautiful places, picturesque villages and beautiful cities. I was previously surprised by the many sights in Zutphen, the idyllic streets in the town of Blokzijl, by the beautiful areas Hulshorsterzand, Deelerwoud and Kootwijkerzand on the Veluwe and now, therefore, through the (peninsular) island of Marken. In this article I take you on a day trip to Marken, a beautiful spot on the Markermeer.

In brief: the history of Marken

Marken is located in the province of North Holland, near Monnickendam on the Markermeer. The island has a rich history and has had several functions in the past. In the early Middle Ages, Marken was inhabited by monks for about a hundred years. The land was too marshy for arable farming, so the monks mainly engaged in cattle breeding. In the later Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Marken lived mainly from fishing. Men who did not go to sea were mostly engaged in making and maintaining mounds, better known as wharfs. These mounds kept houses and their inhabitants safe from the water. By the 14th century there were 27 mounds on Marken. About half of these were swallowed up by the water in the centuries that followed. In the 19th century the island was given a tourist function, when people noticed how beautiful Marken was and how friendly the residents were. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Marken has been connected to the mainland by a dike.

Marken in the Netherlands, what to do and see

Marken lends itself extremely well to a day visit. A day at Marken takes you back in time and lets you get a breath of fresh air, after which you can eat freshly fried kibbeling in the harbor. There isn’t a whole lot of variety in terms of hiking trails on Marken. I would say, simply walk around the island! Below is a description of the walk I take during my day at Marken.

Walk along beautiful places and sights on Marken

We park the car in Marken at the parking lot near the Beatrix bridge. Across the parking lot we walk via Boxenring towards Wittewerf, over Zereiderpad and Grotewerf to Rozewerf; perhaps the prettiest spot on Marken. About a dozen houses are densely packed here, right along the coast. Off the coast we see icebreakers, which protect this part of Marken from cresting ice in wintertime. We keep the water to our right and walk toward the Paard van Marken, Marken’s famous lighthouse. The lighthouse stands at the end of the Oosterpad. On both sides along the path are beautiful sandy beaches. It is a wonderful place to relax for a while. Enjoy the Dutch outdoors, the view of the lighthouse and the sunshine.

Around Marken, walking along the dike

We follow the path further along the water, but you can also follow the Oosterpad across the land back towards the center of Marken. If you feel like some extra kilometers you can walk the Marker landtongue(Bukdijk) back and forth. We don’t do this, we follow the path until we arrive at the harbor of Marken. We take a look at the flood monument and see the boat between Volendam and Marken arriving. We eat freshly baked kibbeling and we take an extra walk around the harbor. You always get a vacation feeling from a harbor. It’s just that the terraces are crowded, otherwise we would definitely have picked a spot there.

We strolled around the center some more, walking to the Wilhelmina Bridge and past the Marker Museum. In the Marker Museum you will learn all about the history and lifestyle of the inhabitants of Marken. Highly recommended if the online information about Marken is not enough for you. Should you be interested in clogs, how they are made with a steam engine you can visit the Steam Clog Factory.

A walk across the entire peninsula (around and walking along the dike) is 9 kilometers long. If you include the Bukdijk(Marker land tongue) then it’s about 13 kilometers in total. By the way, the land tongue is a must if you are a bird lover. The place is popular with birds passing through but also with breeding birds.

Marken Lighthouse: Paard van Marken

We return to the Paard van Marken for a moment, as this iconic building certainly deserves some extra attention. A fire beacon has stood on this spot since 1700. In 1839, the then square tower was replaced for the current round, 16-meter-high tower. So today, a fire beacon on the most northwestern point of the island has been an important landmark for ships on the IJsselmeer for over 300 years. The Horse of Marken has great appeal to photographers as well as tourists. So you will always find people near the lighthouse. Especially during sunrise, sunset and on winter days it is sometimes crowded. Online you will come across the most beautiful photos of this lighthouse, which could rightly be called a landmark.

Tips for a day trip to Marken

You can of course park your car in Marken for your day out in Marken, but you can also park in Volendam and take the Markenexpress to Marken. Can you visit both places. The other way around is also possible, of course. The trip between Marken and Volendam takes about half an hour. Don’t feel like figuring it all out yourself? Then book organized a day trip to Marken. Grab other nearby attractions, too, such as Volendam, Zaanse Schans and Edam, for example.

Staying overnight on Marken

Would you like to spend the night at Marken? Then B&B De Pepersteeg a nice place! Besides, there are not many (nice) accommodations available on Marken, but they are nearby. Think Volendam, Uitdam or Monnickendam. All about 4 to 4.5 kilometers away from Marken. Check prices and availability.