Volendam

Volendam was a Catholic fishing village on the Zuiderzee whose costume - the winged lace cap, striped skirt and coral necklace for women, baggy trousers and cap for men - became famous in the nineteenth century when painters came to work here, and the village learned early that the costume was worth money. When the Zuiderzee closed in 1932 and the fishery ended, that trade became the economy. The Dijk, the harbour front, is now a solid line of restaurants, shops and photo studios where visitors dress in the costume for a portrait, which is what most people come to do, and eel and herring stalls sell the smoked fish. It is unashamed, and it is easy to be superior about it, but the costume is genuine, the village really did wear it, and the museum documents the fishing culture that paid for the whole thing.

History

Volendam was once the site of the harbour of nearby Edam. In 1357 the people of Edam dug a shorter canal to the Zuiderzee with its own harbour, the old one was dammed and used for reclaiming land, and the farmers and fishermen who settled there formed the new community of Vollendam, "full dam" (Wikipedia, Volendam).

What's there

• The harbour front - the Dijk lined with restaurants, shops and photo studios.
• The Volendam costume - the winged cap and striped skirt, worn for portraits.
• Smoked eel and herring - sold from stalls along the front.
• A fishing culture documented - the museum on what the closing of 1932 ended.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

It is thoroughly commercial and coach-driven - anyone expecting an unspoiled fishing village will be disappointed. Prices on the Dijk are high. Go early or out of season for any quiet.

Nearby

Marken is across the water by ferry; Edam is a few kilometres north.

Key facts