Marken was a proper island until 1957 when a causeway connected it to the mainland at Monnickendam. The village is a cluster of green-and-black wooden houses on stilts (originally for flood protection) around a small harbour, with an old church on a mound and a lighthouse at the far end of a two-kilometre coastal walk. It is smaller than Volendam, quieter, and gets fewer day-trippers because the ferry from Volendam runs seasonally and the bus is less frequent. This is the better of the two former Zuiderzee villages for atmosphere.
There are only about three hotels and a couple of B&Bs so book well ahead in summer. Staying here means you get Marken to yourself from 6pm — the last day-tripper ferry leaves at 5pm — and the harbour at dusk with a beer at Land en Zeezicht is one of the quiet pleasures of Noord-Holland. It does not suit anyone wanting choice — one main restaurant, one main café, and a handful of shops that close at 5pm. Everything is walking distance because Marken is 400 metres across.
Where to stay in Marken
The three hotels are all in or beside the village — Hotel Marken on Havenbuurt, Van Scharendijkgracht, and a couple of guesthouses on Kerkbuurt. Expect $95-$150. B&Bs in the wooden houses run cheaper ($75-$100) but check for one-night minimums in summer. There is no such thing as 'off the beaten path' in Marken — every bed is in the village. Book May-September at least four weeks ahead.
Hotels in Marken
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Things to do in Marken
- Walk to the Paard lighthouseFollow the coastal path from the harbour north-east for 2 km along the IJsselmeer dyke to the red-and-white Paard van Marken lighthouse. Open interior on weekend afternoons in summer, $4. The walk is the point — flat, windy, wide sky.
- Marker MuseumKerkbuurt 44, $6, a tiny museum in a former fisherman's house showing how Marken life was — traditional costumes, herring boats, and the flood of 1916 which nearly wiped out the island. Half an hour is plenty. Closed Sundays.
- Land en Zeezicht harbour caféHavenbuurt 5, the main café-restaurant on the harbour. Terrace over the water, herring plate $12, mussels in season $22. Kitchen closes 9pm sharp. The evening spot once day-trippers leave.
- Wooden clog workshopMarker Klompenmakerij in Kerkbuurt, demonstrations of wooden shoe-making a few times a day, free entry, they sell the results. Cheesy but the technique is real and the smell of fresh-cut poplar is properly Dutch.
Getting there & around
Start at the harbour, wander through Havenbuurt with the green stilted houses, up onto the Kerkbuurt around the old church on its mound, out onto the coastal dyke heading north-east, along to the Paard van Marken lighthouse, return the same way (there is no alternative — Marken is small).
Bus 315 from Amsterdam Centraal runs every 30 minutes, 45 minutes, $6.50. Also reachable by bus 111 from Monnickendam if you are combining with Volendam. Ferry Marken Express from Volendam, $15 return, every 30-45 minutes April-October only, 30-minute crossing. No parking issues off-season; in July-August parking fills by 11am, use the lot outside the village and walk in. From Schiphol allow 90 minutes with a change at Amsterdam Centraal.
Questions answered
Can I visit Marken as a day trip and skip staying?
Yes, easily — most people do. Bus from Amsterdam Centraal, 45 minutes, or as part of a Volendam-Marken combined day with the ferry between them. Two hours in Marken is enough to see everything. Stay only if you specifically want the empty-village-at-dusk experience.
Are there restaurants for dinner?
Effectively two — Land en Zeezicht on the harbour and a small café near the church. Both close kitchens by 9pm. If you are staying, book ahead in summer or bring dinner. There is no shop worth the name after 6pm.
Nearby areas
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