In the port of Marken is a house, named ‘Kijkhuisje’ which was opened by Sijtje Boes in 1925. Sijtje Boes was a woman from Marken who became one of the legendary figures of Marken. She gave tourists a view of a typical interior of a Marker family home in the Kijkhuisje. Kijkhuisje translates to looking in a house. This typical house grew into an unmissable stop for tourists. She also opened a souvenir shop where she sold, among other things, miniature mills.

About Sijtje Boes

In 1885 the train line opened between Monnickendam and Amsterdam, which made the connection between the two a lot easier. Ten years later, in 1895 Sijtje Boes was born as the daughter of a herring merchant. The family consisted of 14 children. At the age of thirteen she went out with a basket of souvenirs, with her sister. This sold so well that in 1925 she opened her own souvenir shop. She also opened the Kijkhuisje. She was named the uncrowned Queen of Marken after her death. The Kijkhuisje is still open and in the souvenir shop you can find Delft blue plates and porcelain dolls. Sijtje Boes saw the potential of Marken as a tourist place that no one saw at the time.