Edam - Volendam - Boat trip - Marken

Route: Amsterdam - Edam - Volendam - Boat trip - Marken - Amsterdam
Duration: 7 h
Firstly in this tour we will make stop in small village of Edam which is famous for Dutch export product since the Golden Age. The small, often red cheese ball has been transported to every corner of the world for centuries. When you visit Edam, you can explore the 18th-century cheese warehouses and, of course, try this quintessentially Dutch delicacy yourself. The cheese warehouses keep the memory of the colorful, fragrant past alive. Edam does not only have a rich history in relation to cheese. As early as the 12th-century, farmers and fishermen built shacks on the banks of the IJ river. This simple village evolved into the city of Edam, which continuously grew in prosperity until the late 17th century. In addition to cheese, shipbuilding and trade also contributed to Edam’s development. It even was one of the most important trading cities in Holland in addition to Amsterdam, Hoorn and Enkhuizen! Next we will visit to  best-known fishing villagewhich Volendam has the town’s pretty architecture and well looked after streets. There  we will walk along its promenade, discover its quaint shops and city center and  can a drink at one of its cafés. One of the most characteristic things about Volendam are its traditional costumes, sometimes still worn by its inhabitants. If you want to take a curious souvenir with you from Volendam, head to one of the town’s photography shops where you can try on the costumes and get your picture taken. After free time we will walk to the handsome old harbour full of old Dutch ships and take a boat trip to Marken. Marken was separated from the mainland in the 13th century by a storm. There then followed centuries of isolation for the population, who earned their daily bread by fishing. Marken was only connected to the mainland in 1957 by building an embankment, and has been a peninsula since then. Nonetheless, Marken has still kept its authentic character and the residents cherish their traditions. As Marken used to be flooded on a regular basis, residents built their homes on earth mounds, and then on mounds ('terpen'). You'll never find these characteristic little houses anywhere else in the world. Havenbuurt and Kerkbuurt are the two main parts of Marken village. The harbour quarter is the more touristy part and where you will find most of the restaurants and tourist shops. Despite the fact that Havenbuurt is nice and picturesque, the beauty of Marken village is the church quarter. Located on a little hill around the village’s church, its charms are easily seen when you get there. The narrow alleys, the old wooden dwellings, the labyrinth of passageways and the occasional glimpse of “real” (i.e. not tourist-focused) life, made Kerkbuurt a wonderful place. Also you can visit to the 'Paard van Marken' (Horse of Marken),   the old Wooden Shoe Factory and the Marker Museum with its costume exhibition and  Sijtje Boes Souvenirshop which is one of the first, if not the very first, souvenir shop of the Netherlands. It’s the history of this shop that makes it unique. They have things for sale like Delft Blue, Clogs, Orange things, windmills and of course the more modern souvenirs. After we will return to Amsterdam.
Price: Per person