Discovering the pretty Dutch villages

If you like a calm romantic day trip outside the touristy Amsterdam the dutch villages are a perfect choice in Netherlands. The charming countryside of waterland consists of Edam, Volendam and Marken. They are the traditional dutch fisherman villages which has a long standing tradition and heritage.

How to get there?

In half an hour from Amsterdam Ijzide station by bus you can reach these villages which makes it easy for tourists to do a pay a visit if you have a day at hand. 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 15-30 minutes. For more information visit: http://www.localbus.nl/. Leaving the bustling city of Amsterdam with dutch facaded houses you get to see stretches of grass with black and white spotted cows and big fat sheep happily grazing. You can witness the red brick houses on the horizon during the ride.

How much does it cost?

You can get a 10 Euro day ticket to go to all the three villages or use your OV chipcart if you want to visit just one. One way costs about 4.2 Euros.

Edam is a town famous for its cheese and beautiful waterway. The stretch from the entrance to the main town has a fairy tale setting of a quaint lake with swans and ducks swimming around.

In the main square you find an elevated bridge for people to sit down. There are cafes on the sides of canal to eat a pancake or sip a coffee.

The route to Edam is scenic and the place is full of cyclists.I took a walk around Edam's streets and discovered cute hotels and charming streets.

Marken and Volendam

They are fisherman villages known for its black and green painted houses and intricate windows. The lace curtains are a specialty in the villages and the windows are decorated with them. Every house has a small garden and are adorned with ceramic dolls.

Volendam has a stretch of beach to have a walk. The shopping streets sell tanned leather, souvenirs such as windmills and authentic dutch pottery. Being a seaside village, there is abundant sea food here. Smoked and pickled salmon is a specialty.

Wooden shoes

The region is marshy and in olden days wooden shoes were worn. In Marken there is a shoe making farm which has wooden shoes on display and the art of making a show frm a piece of wood is demonstrated live.

Cheese farms

Dont miss a visit to the cheese farm where the art of making cheese is shown. There are numerous cheese on display to taste which is yum.

Weather check

It is necessary to do a weather check before you go. I went there once on a foggy day and I could see nothing. It was a wasteful visit. A bright sunny day on a spring, summer or autumn afternoon is the best time to visit.

The villages are a postcard perfect place to mellow out and chill out!