About

Marken used to be an island in the Southsea. It was connected through a dyke in 1957. The village is located near Monnickendam and Volendam in the Markermeer. Although it isn’t an island anymore, time has stopped for Marken. The houses on the hills that are predominantly green and white, narrow streets in the centre and the picturesque port still look the same as dozens of years ago. In addition, there are also costumes worn by a number of residents to this day.

More information

Populair ships from Marken

All sights in Marken

Discovering sailing areas

View all

Marken

History ofMarken

Marken was first described in the 13th century. It lay on the transition from land to water and probably owes its name to it. Mark means 'border'. The first inhabitants of Marken were Frisian monks who lived from livestock farming and agriculture. The inhabitants suffered greatly from the dike breaches in the 14th century and tried to respond by building their houses on hills. 27 hills were built, but 12 of them were swallowed by the water. Fishing became an important form of income and the number of inhabitants increased enormously. In 1916, fate struck. The flood disaster in North Holland and mainly Marken left many people homeless. 16 people were killed during the flood. This disaster gave the impetus for the construction of the Afsluitdijk in 1932. The construction meant the end of the fishery as a source of income, but safety for the inhabitants of Marken. Most houses on stilts were boarded up so that the ground floor became an extra living space.

Characteristics of Marken

Marken is a village in Waterland and in 1957 became an peninsula in the Markermeer. In 2012, there were 1812 residents living in the village. Traditional costumes are still worn by many residents to this day. It is known as one of the most colourful traditional costumes in the Netherlands. Red is a common colour while dark colours are only worn when mourning. Due to the regular dike breaks in the 20th century, the Huises in Marken were built on hills. On a number of houses is still indicated how high the water in the flood disaster in 1916 stood. Nowadays, Marken is a quiet, picturesque village which is a real tourist attraction, also thanks to its unique traditional costumes. 

What to do and see in Marken

Being in Marken feels like time stood still. The laundry hangs on lines through the streets, the picturesque inner harbor with restaurants and terraces and the houses give a beautiful picture of the life of the past. In addition, there is much more to see. Like the lighthouse: the Horse of Marken, the clog factory The Clog Experience, the Marker museum, where the unique history and utensils are shown and SijtjeBoes. Of course you can also make a lovely walk through the alleys, the inner harbor and feel the fresh air on the dike.