Volendam: A Fishing Village with a Soundtrack
Looking for a day trip with a splash of Dutch tradition and a slow harbour vibe?
Volendam is more than just a pretty harbour. It’s a tight-knit fishing community with its own dialect — so distinct that even other Dutch people often can’t follow it. For generations, locals were known for their traditional costume, worn daily until well into the 20th century. The town is also the birthplace of the “palingsound” — smooth Dutch pop music named after the local eel fishing industry, and made famous by bands like The Cats and BZN.
Today, Volendam mixes that heritage with a steady stream of visitors. The waterfront still has the colourful wooden houses and fishing boats of the past, but it’s also a place where you can find quieter corners, watch the water, and enjoy small moments away from Amsterdam’s rush. Just 30 minutes by bus, it’s an easy trip that offers more than postcard views — if you know where to look.
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This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Volendam.
Harbour walk: "De Dijk"
A slow start by the water
The heart of Volendam is its harbour, lined with 17th- and 18th-century wooden houses painted in green, red, and white. The promenade, known as De Dijk, can be busy in the middle of the day — but early morning or late afternoon, you can hear the water lapping and the creak of mooring ropes. There are benches along the way if you want to sit and watch fishing boats and ferries come and go.
Small story: This has been a working harbour for centuries, but it only became a tourist attraction in the late 19th century, when artists from Amsterdam and abroad came here to paint the fishermen and their families in traditional dress. Their paintings helped put Volendam on the map — and inspired the souvenir photos still taken here today.
Fun fact: In 1932, the completion of the Afsluitdijk turned the Zuiderzee into the freshwater IJsselmeer. Volendam’s fishing boats had to adapt — many became tourist vessels instead.
Practical info
Location: Haven, Volendam
Best time: Before 11:00 or after 16:00 for a calmer walk
Surfaces: Mostly cobblestones — watch your step if you prefer flat paths
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Stop at one of the small herring stalls along the harbour — it’s the freshest way to taste Volendam, and you’ll blend right in with the locals.
🌟 Travelglaze Moment: Your photo in Volendammer klederdracht
In the middle of De Dijk, you’ll find studios offering souvenir photos in traditional Volendam costume: lace caps, wooden clogs, and embroidered aprons. It’s a light-hearted way to step into history for a moment.
For me, it’s more than just a tourist snapshot. My aunt worked in one of these shops, and I remember visiting her when I was little. Somewhere in a family album, there’s a photo of me in full Volendammer dress — and I’m still looking for it. If you have an old family photo from Volendam, bring it with you on your trip. Standing in the same spot decades later makes for a fun before-and-after moment.
Practical info
Studios: Multiple along Haven; most open 10:00–17:00
Time: Allow 15–20 minutes
Cost: Around €15–€20 per person (print + digital)
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Go early in the day if you want a calmer experience — later in the afternoon you might be queueing with tour groups.
One of my brightest memories as a 6-year-old was being allowed to walk on my own to the little candy shop behind my uncle and aunt’s house. You climbed a small wooden step into a house filled with jars of sweets — and for just a few cents you could pick something to take home. It felt magical, almost like stepping into Hansel and Gretel — only instead of a witch, there was a kind lady in traditional Volendam costume behind the counter.
✨ Detail: That tiny house was later moved to the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. It’s no longer a candy shop, but you can still step inside and see it today.
"The Doolhof"
The Doolhof is not an attraction but Volendam’s oldest residential quarter. The name means “maze,” and when you step inside, you see why: a tangle of narrow alleys and canals where small wooden houses sit shoulder to shoulder. The houses are painted in the traditional Volendam colours — dark green, brick red, and white trim — and many still have lace curtains and tidy front gardens no bigger than a few paving stones.
This was once the heart of Volendam life, where fishing families lived in houses barely wider than a boat. Today, it’s still home to locals, which makes a stroll here very different from the harbour. You don’t just see history in a museum — you walk through it.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Look at the gable stones and wooden shutters — many houses carry small details that hint at the family’s trade or pride. These details are easy to miss if you rush through.
Practical info
Location: Directly behind the harbour and Zuideinde shopping street.
Entry: Free — this is a public neighbourhood where people live.
Best time to visit: Early morning or late afternoon, when it’s quieter and residents are more active outside.
Good to know: Streets are narrow and often cobbled; no cars allowed, so it’s easy to walk but wear flat shoes. Please be respectful — this is a lived-in area.
Volendams Museum
For a small fishing village, Volendam has a surprisingly rich museum. The Volendams Museum shows how people here lived before tourism changed the town. Inside, you’ll find rooms recreated with original furniture, clothing, and tools. The famous local costume — with its high pointed bonnet for women — is displayed in detail, showing how every fold and ribbon had meaning.
There’s also an entire wall made of hand-painted cigar bands, a quirky local collection that somehow became a work of art. Alongside this, the museum highlights the “Palingsound” — Volendam’s unique music style that produced Dutch chart-toppers since the 1960s.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Don’t skip the photo archive — it’s full of portraits of locals in traditional dress, which gives context when you see tourists wearing the costume outside.
Practical info
Location: Zeestraat 41, Volendam
Open: Tue–Sun, 10:00–17:00 (closed Mondays)
Entry: Around €8 for adults
Good to know: It’s a small museum — an hour is enough — but it adds depth to your walk through town.
Cheese Factory Volendam
Cheese and the Netherlands are inseparable — and Volendam has its own way of showing it. The Cheese Factory is part museum, part tasting room. You’ll see how traditional Dutch cheeses are made, with demonstrations in English and Dutch. The staff wear local-style clothing, which adds to the atmosphere without feeling too staged.
Of course, the highlight is tasting: from young and creamy goudas to aged wheels with strong flavour. There are also experimental varieties with herbs or spices. Tastings are included, and you can buy vacuum-packed cheese to take home — safe for travel.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: If you want to avoid the busiest hours, visit before 11:00 or after 16:00. The tastings are just as generous, but the space feels calmer.
Practical info
Location: Haven 25, Volendam (right by the harbour)
Open: Daily, 9:00–18:00
Entry: Free — you pay only if you buy cheese
Good to know: This is one of the better-organised cheese demonstrations in the region. Great if you don’t plan to visit a farmhouse in the countryside.
Boat to Marken
From Volendam’s harbour, ferries leave regularly for Marken, a small island village that feels even more traditional than Volendam. The boat ride takes about 30 minutes and gives you wide views over the Markermeer. On clear days, you’ll spot sailboats and the lighthouse in the distance.
Marken itself is known for its stilt houses painted in dark green, built to protect against flooding. Walking through the narrow lanes feels like stepping back in time, and unlike Volendam, it’s much quieter. Many visitors combine Volendam and Marken in a single day, making the ferry a relaxed way to see both.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Sit on the upper deck if the weather allows — the views are better, and you’ll feel the lake breeze instead of the engine hum inside.
Practical info
Ferry company: Marken Express
Departure: Every 30–45 minutes from Volendam harbour
Duration: 30 minutes each way
Tickets: Around €9 one-way / €16 return (cheaper if booked online)
Season: Ferries run March–October; reduced service in winter
Volendam’s Fish Shops
One of the easiest ways to taste Volendam is by simply walking along the harbour. The village is packed with fish shops — small counters where you can order a herring with onions, fried kibbeling, or smoked eel. These are not fancy restaurants but quick stops that locals and tourists both use.
What makes them special is their role in Dutch food culture: Volendam is one of the main suppliers of traditional fish snacks, and its reputation spread across the country. Even in cities far from the sea, you’ll often see fish stands advertising “Volendammer” herring or eel. It has become a kind of quality label.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Try the smoked eel if you want something more unique than herring — Volendam is especially known for it, and you can even buy it vacuum-packed to take home.
Practical info
Where: Along the harbour (Haven) you’ll find the highest concentration of shops.
What to try: Raw herring (with onions), kibbeling (fried cod bites), smoked eel.
Price: Around €4–€7 per portion.
Note: Most shops are takeaway only, with benches or harbour walls nearby to sit.
The Palingsound: Volendam’s Musical Trademark
Volendam is not just known for its harbour and fish — it also gave the Netherlands a very recognizable music style: the Palingsound. The name literally means eel sound, a playful nod to the smoked eel that made Volendam famous. The music itself is a mix of soft rock and pop, often with romantic lyrics and catchy melodies.
The movement started in the 1960s with The Cats, a band whose harmonies made them household names. Later, groups like BZN (Band Zonder Naam) and singers such as Jan Smit and Nick & Simon continued the tradition. The songs might feel sentimental, but they carry the same small-town atmosphere that Volendam is known for.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: To really experience the Palingsound, listen to a few songs on the way to Volendam — it sets the mood before you even see the harbour.
Practical info
Where to hear it: Many cafés in Volendam play local hits, and some shops even sell CDs with “Palingsound classics.”
Spotify link suggestion: The Cats – Lea, BZN – Mon Amour, or a Palingsound playlist.
Final Thoughts on Volendam
Many visitors see Volendam as part of an organized tour — quick stops, group photos, and back on the bus. It’s an easy way to catch a glimpse, especially if you want comfort without planning. But Volendam also works well for slow travelers who prefer to set their own pace. Regular buses leave from Amsterdam Central Station and take less than 30 minutes, making it simple to go on your own. This way, you can step off the main route, linger in small streets, and maybe find corners the tour groups don’t reach. That’s the beauty of Volendam: it offers both — a smooth day trip for convenience, or a slower discovery if you’re curious enough to wander.
🧳 TravelGlaze Tip: Volendam makes a great contrast with nearby Haarlem or Zaandam — explore them all in my comfortable day trips north of Amsterdam series.
2 comments
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