Marken

Marken was cut off from the mainland by storms in the thirteenth century and stayed an island in the Zuiderzee until a causeway was built in 1957, and its buildings show what living on one meant: the houses are timber, tarred dark green with white frames, and they stand either clustered on werven - artificial mounds raised above flood level - or up on posts with the ground floor left empty, because the sea came over regularly and the family lived upstairs. The isolation produced a distinct dialect, a Protestant community different from Catholic Volendam next door, and its own costume, which a few older residents still wear. The harbour has a lighthouse, the Paard van Marken, at the point. There is a clog workshop and a small museum in four houses. It is quieter than Volendam and the walk round the point is the good part.

What you actually see

• Dark green timber houses - tarred with white frames, in the island manner.
• Houses on mounds and posts - built above flood level, with empty ground floors.
• The Paard van Marken - the lighthouse at the point of the island.
• An island until 1957 - the causeway that ended six centuries of separation.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is small and gets coach traffic, though less than Volendam. The costume is worn by a handful of residents, not generally. The ferry from Volendam is seasonal. Parking is outside the village.

Nearby

Volendam is across the water by ferry; Monnickendam is south.