Waterland area around Amsterdam

The Waterland area near Amsterdam comprises of historic fishing villages and picturesque open countryside built on polders.

It makes for a pleasant day trip from Amsterdam and the area can easily be visited using the EBS buses which depart from both Amsterdam Central and Amsterdam Noord stations.

We’ll first review some of the Waterland destinations then further below we’ll give more detailed information about getting around on the buses.

Volendam

Volendam is an interesting place worthy of a visit, a traditional fishing village with working class roots. Although touristy, the heart of the action is in and around the harbour area with fine views looking out to the Ijsselmeer (formerly the Zuider Zee).

You will find bars and cafés, cheese shops, fish stalls selling herring and smoked eel, and the ubiquitous traditional costume shops where you can pay to dress up and take photos.

The Volendam Museum is located on Zeestraat 41, open daily 1000-1700 mid-March to mid-November.

It has an assorted collection of traditional dress, furniture and wooden interiors, art from 19th century artists who visited the area, fishing-themed displays plus large mosaics comprising of no less than 11 million cigar bands. Entry is €6 for adults, €5 for youths/children 12-17 and €2 for children 0-11; free entry to Iamsterdam City Card and Museumkaart holders.

Edam

Edam is a classy small town originating from the 12th century and not too far from Volendam. Settled on the Ye River, this town became prosperous through ship building and merchant trading.

Exploring its quiet back streets is certainly a marked contrast to the tourist hustle of Volendam. In the centre of town is the Damplein square with its 18th century baroque-style Town Hall.

Edam of course gives its name to the world renowned cheese – local farmers would come to the town’s commercial cheese market to sell their produce.

Although the market was closed in 1922, you can see a re-enactment of the traditional cheese market during July and August on Wednesdays at the Jan van Nieuwenhuizen Square.

Marken

Marken is a historic small fishing village with charming green wooden houses built on stilts, many of which are listed buildings. Some of the older inhabitants still wear traditional dress.

Marken has a unique setting – originally an island in the Zuider Zee, it was only connected to the mainland by dyke in 1957. It is possible to rent bikes and cycle to the famous lighthouse (Het Paard van Marken, the Marken horse) about 2.5 km away.

The Marker Museum (Kerkbuurt 44-47, admission €3 for adults, €1.50 for children 0-12, free for Museumkaart holders) is open late-March to October and has paintings and local textiles on show.

The Volendam-Marken express boat (adults €10 one-way, €16 return) runs from the harbour and has been in operation since the 1930s.

Monnickendam

Monnickendam is a quaint harbour village which was a wealthy trading port during the Golden age. Historic buildings include the Sint Nicolaaskerk (church) and de Waegh (weighing house, now a café).

The Museum De Speeltoren (Belfry Museum at Noordeinde 2, open Tue-Sun 1100-1700 Apr-Oct; Sat-Sun 1100-1700 Nov-Mar; €5 for adults, €3 for children 12-17, €2.50 for children 4-11) has one of the oldest carillons in Netherlands.

Monnickendam has a number of shops, cafés and restaurants and like Volendam, the smoked eel is a speciality.

Other stops in the Waterland area

Broek in Waterland is a charmingly small inland village located between Amsterdam and the fishing villages. Originally inhabited by prosperous merchants it has some beautiful old houses and a 14th century church.

Purmerend is a lively market town about 20km north of Amsterdam and a short bus ride from Edam. The main square (Koemarkt) houses the Purmerend museum. For a cool view head up the striking Melkwegbrug, an arch pedestrian bridge opened in 2012.

De Beemster is an area further north containing green polders, traditional farmhouses, windmills and the old defence line of Amsterdam (Stelling van Amsterdam) made up of 42 forts. Both the Beemster polder and the defence line are UNESCO World Heritage listed.

Getting from Amsterdam to Volendam & Waterland area

There are a number of possibilities for getting to the Waterland area from Amsterdam.

TOUR: The easiest way is to take an organised tour such as one below:

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The only way to get around the Volendam/Waterland region by public transport is by bus. Local bus company EBS runs regular services throughout the area using red and grey R-NET branded buses. These modern buses have free WiFi and are wheelchair accessible.

EBS covers all the main towns, villages and places of interest in the Waterland area.

EBS buses for Waterland depart from both Amsterdam Central and Amsterdam Noord stations. At Amsterdam Central the bus terminal is found at the IJ waterside upper level beyond train platforms 14/15. Bus departure times are clearly marked on screens. Amsterdam Noord can be reached using the metro line 52.

Here are some Waterland lines of interest run by EBS:

At Monnickendam, note that buses going onto Volendam, Edam and Hoorn stop on the main road. The Marken bus goes into Monnickendam and stops by the church.

Public transport tickets for Amsterdam-Volendam/Waterland

[RECOMMENDED] The 1-3 day Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket (€21/€31.50/€40.50) is valid on all regional transport – including travel between Amsterdam and Waterland. Book Amsterdam & Region Travel Tickets online here

This Amsterdam & Region ticket is valid on all GVB Amsterdam transport (including the metro), regional buses (including Connexxion and EBS Waterland services) and NS trains in the region. It can get you to many places of interest in and around the Amsterdam region.

Alternatively, the Waterland day tickets cost €12.50 for adults and €1 for children aged 4-11. This is only valid on the EBS/R-NET services around Waterland. Tickets can be bought at the desk of the OV Service & Tickets office or at the public transport ticket machines at Amsterdam Central. They are also available from EBS bus drivers (card payments only).

Waterland tickets are not valid from Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

If requiring a single, the BTM (Bus Tram Metro) ticket is valid for 90 minutes of travel and costs €6.50. For more info see our Amsterdam public transport tickets guide

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been regularly updated. Last update 4 January 2023.