Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As you leave the park through the main entrance, you can pay
a visit to the
indoor museum
(same ticket and hours): Exit to the
left and walk two blocks, watching for the museum on your right.
This space shows of temporary exhibits (only some of which relate
to the Zuiderzee), as well as an impressive hall filled with nine old
Zuiderzee boats. Notice that many of them have big, flat fins on
the sides. Because the Zuiderzee could be very shallow, these boats
didn't have a keel; the fins could be extended down into the water
to provide more stability.
Back to Amsterdam
From the indoor museum, it's a scenic 15-minute walk, mostly along
the water, through the bricks-and-canals town to the Enkhuizen
train station: Exit the indoor museum to the right, follow the wall,
and cross three bridges (watching for
Station
directional signs).
Or you can catch a shuttle boat between the museum and the sta-
tion (free with museum ticket, 4/hr, 10-min trip, last trips from
museum at 17:15 and 17:30).
Waterland
The aptly named region of Waterland (VAH-ter-land), just north
of Amsterdam on the west shore of the IJsselmeer, is laced with
canals and sprinkled with picturesque red-brick villages. Three
in particular—the homey cheesemaking village of Edam, the
workaday waterfront town of Volendam, and the trapped-in-a-
time-warp hamlet of Marken—offer an enticing peek at rural
Holland. If choosing just one Waterland town, make it Edam—
and consider spending the night. Because of its charm and its
proximity to Amsterdam, this region is popular, especially on
summer weekends. But if you'd like to get a taste of traditional
Dutch living, it's worth joining the crowds.
Planning Your Time: The Waterland Loop
The most efficient way to see this area is as a one-day loop trip by
public transportation from Amsterdam (or Haarlem). Begin with
a bus from Amsterdam to Edam. Then, after enjoying Edam, con-
tinue by bus to Volendam for a stroll and to catch the boat across
to Marken. Poke around salty Marken before taking the bus back
to Amsterdam. The entire loop is covered by the €6 “Waterland
Ticket” from the Arriva bus company (or €10 for a “Family Day
Pass” covering up to five people). You can also do the loop in
reverse: Marken, then Volendam, then Edam.
The Volendam-Marken boat doesn't take cars, so drivers must
