Welcome to the great Waterland tour. This tour starts and finishes behind Amsterdam Central Station on De Ruyterkade.It is about 35 kilometers long. Take the free blue-and white ferry, the 'IJplein-Veer', to the northern banks of the IJ. The ferry leaves, every 4 to 10 minutes. The crossing lasts about five minutes and you get a wonderful view of the expanse of water, the shipping traffic and the banks of the IJ. On Meeuwenlaan, let's turn right on the Nieuwendammerdijk.

Ferry 'IJ-plein Veer' (Startingpoint)

We've stumbled out of the 20th century into a lost village, swallowed up by Amsterdam Noord, called Nieuwendam. The village once stood much further to the south on a thin stretch of land between the River IJ and a lake to the north called Buikslotermeer and was called Zosenerdam. Virtually surrounded by water it wasn't long before the village was drowned in a wild storm. They moved the dam and the village, but again in 1516 the dike broke and once again the village was destroyed. Rebuilding was expensive so the villagers demanded help from the Count of Holland and he said that there were two ways to do it: either they all get together and rebuild it on their own; or he would force them all to house soldiers in their homes at their own expense who would watch to make sure that the villagers all get together and rebuild it on their own. They chose the first option. So after rebuilding and rescuing the village it was known as the 'new dam' or Nieuwendam. Unfortunately the new village was badly damaged in the 1570's flood and then completely destroyed in the 80 Years' War. But to the order of Willem van Oranje the dikes were rebuilt and the village restored. In the 17th century the lake on the other side was reclaimed. A lot of the houses still date from these days, even if they have been given 18th or 19th century facades. Nieuwendam became a successful village, bigger and richer than the local main village of Zunderdorp. All the milk produced in the polders in the north was sent by boat through here and many traders settled in the village. It also became a popular place for sea captains to retire, within view of the tall ships sailing down the IJ, and was known locally as 'kapiteinshemel' - Dutch for Captains' Heaven. By the 19th century this little harbour was also an important ship building centre. Since then Nieuwendam has been safe from disaster and instead, in 1921, the village was engulfed by the city of Amsterdam, becoming part of the capital. From here we&rsquo;ll turn north and find the source of the village&rsquo;s wealth - the dairy farms of the polders and the beautiful village of Broek in Waterland. Let&rsquo;s continue along the dike and in the direction of Durgerdam.

Nieuwendam

The village we are riding through is called Durgerdam and, like the village of Nieuwendam, it has been forced to move location as a result of floods. Originally it stood at the end of the polder until the famous St Elisabeth Flood of 1421 destroyed the village and forced a retreat to a new dike and the building of a new village. All that's left of the old land is a tiny island off the tip of the polder, with a lighthouse on it. That tiny island,&nbsp;and another island on the other side called Pampus, were chosen to be part of the 'Stelling van Amsterdam' the Defense Line of Amsterdam. The idea was that for military reasons, some specially chosen dikes could be destroyed to create flood-lands in a circle around Amsterdam. Key locations like these two islands were reinforced with fortresses and the plan was that enough land would be surrounded by water that the population could hide there from war, a last desperate measure that would also involve having to move thousands of cows in order to feed everyone. The circle of defences laid about 10 to 15 km around Amsterdam and was designed to flood to a depth of 30 cm. Now 30 cm wasn't going to sweep away any enemy armies but it would be enough to seriously disrupt troops and couldn't be any deeper or else boats would be able to cross the defences. 30 cm would be just enough to hide all the ditches and canals and any extra booby traps they had planned and would turn the already muddy soil into a swamp. The defense line was built at the end of the 19th century and wasn't finished until 1920. However, by then it was already obsolete with the invention of tanks and the airplanes. The Netherlands were neutral in WW1 and never got to use the defence line. And in WW2 the country was so quickly overran that it didn't come into use - not that it would have stood a chance of slowing down the Blitzkrieg of the Germans anyway. An interesting building that you'll find on the sharp corner at the right side of Durgerdammerdijk is the 'Kapel'. This small wooden chapel was built in 1687 with it's striking dome tower. It was a church for a short period of time. The 'Kapel' had multiple purposes, it was also used as a school and a town hall. Since 2013 it is in use as a beautiful home with 8 rooms and an amazing view! We'll continue on the Durgerdammerdijk. At about two kilometres from the centre of the village you will find a lake: Kinselmeer.

Durgerdam

This lake, Kinselmeer, was formed by the St Elisabeth's Day Flood in 1421. The dike we have been riding along, the Zuiderzeedijk, broke in a storm and the whole of the Waterland was devastated. 10,000 people died, one of the worst floods in history. According to legend the only survivors of one town completely swept away were a baby and a cat. A cradle was found floating after the flood with a cat jumping around strangely from one end to the other. On closer inspection they realised that there was a baby in the cradle and the cat was keeping it level in the waves to save the baby. The town where they came ashore was renamed Kinderdijk - child's dike. This legend is known as the Cat and the Cradle. The flood wasn't topped for nearly a 150 years, when in the 1570 the All Saints' Flood struck the country. Probably about 20,000 people were killed and again dozens of villages and towns were destroyed. According to legend one of the lost towns was Saeftinghe, a very prosperous but vain and proud place, on the other side of the country near the border with Belgium. The farmers dressed in silk, the horses wore silver and the thresholds of their houses were gold. They chased away poor people with sticks and dogs. One foggy day a fisherman caught a mermaid who warned him that the town needed to change its ways or suffer the consequences. When her husband came to ask for her return the fisherman refused and the merman cursed the town: 'The lands of Saeftinghe will fall, only its towers will continue to stand tall'. In their greed the people forgot to take care of their dikes. One day a maid went to fetch water from a well and found cod and other fish swimming in it. The water was turning salty, the sea was drawing near. On the day of the flood a huge tidal wave crashed over their lands destroying many towns. The wealth of Saeftinghe dried up, leaving only the towers as witness to their former prosperity. The town was abandoned and sank into the mud. On foggy days you can still here the town bells calling for help. That flood was actually the third All Saints' Flood - the first was way back in 1170, when the Zuiderzee itself was formed by the North Sea smashing down the sand banks to the north. There have been many more floods throughout the history of the Waterland but there have also been deliberate, man-made floods, designed to save the Netherlands from invaders. Around the Kinselmeer you will find a special protection area for meadow birds. Nature conservation organisations have bought the farmlands so meadow birds can find a safe place. Now the edge of Amsterdam is a valuable nature reserve. The moist grasslands are a popular breeding ground for birds: summer birds, migratory birds, and meadow birds like the black-tailed godwit, the oystercatcher, the curlew, lapwing, redshank, snipe and ruff. During springtime, the banks are decorated with yellow irises, ragged robins and buttercups. We will continue along the Uitdammerdijk, between the Kinselmeer and the IJmeer, and find your way to holy sloot.

Kinselmeer

Holysloot is a small village that is somewhat isolated, especially in the winter. This unusual name comes from the Dutch word 'hole', which is used to describe a low-lying marshy area. Until well into the 18th century, Holysloot could only be accessed by foot or by boat. Now this quaint village has only one street, Dorpsstraat. In the north of the village you can see the creek 'Holysloter Die'. 'Die' is Old Dutch for waterway, where in the summer (July and August) a ferry crosses the water daily. From April until June, and in September it runs only in the weekends. On either side of the creek stands a bell that you can ring and this will let the ferryman know that you want to cross the water.

Holysloot

The Zuiderzee ('Southern Sea') is south from the point of view of the Frisians who lived between the Southern and the Northern Sea. It was once a swampy area full of peat bogs. As the peat slowly dried out it became vulnerable to erosion, a factor aided by human cutting of peat. Starting in the 12th century several massive floods broke through the lands between a lake known to the Romans as Lake Flevo and the North Sea. This extension of the North sea, grew with every major storm and flood, and many disasters cost the lives of tens- of thousands of people, and hundreds of settlements were lost. In 1932 the Dutch built the 'Afsluitdijk', Dutch for closure dike, that dammed the sea and turned it into the IJsselmeer, Western Europe's largest lake. Finally in 1976 a new dam split the IJsselmeer into two and created the Markermeer. Nonetheless the IJsselmeer is still the biggest lake with 1100 km&sup2; and the Markermeer is the second biggest with 700 km&sup2;. The collected engineering works that created these lakes are called the Zuiderzee Works and they have been called one of the seven wonders of the Modern World. The IJsselmeer has an average depth of 5 to 6 metres and the Markermeer 3 to 5. The Markermeer was supposed to be filled in with reclaimed land but only a small section was completed, now the province of Flevoland, created in 1986. Return to Uitdammerdijk, turn left and you will be in Uitdam shortly!

Former Zuiderzee

This is the tiny village of Uitdam, population about 175, precariously perched on top of a dike squeezed between the former Zuiderzee on the right and the 'Uitdammer die' on the left. It has always been a fishing village but in the Golden Age it was also an important ship building centre for the Dutch East Indies company (the famous, or infamous VOC). In the 1820ies, before the plans for the Goudriaankanaal failed and the North Sea Canal succeeded, the people of Uitdam made their living helping big trading ships get to Amsterdam through the Zuiderzee with the use of 'Ship Camels'. These were effectively floating dry docks, loaded with water and clamped onto the two sides of a big ship. The water was then pumped out and the increased buoyancy meant that the big ship could safely sail into Amsterdam. It was a Dutch invention from 1690, originally designed to allow naval ships to get to the capital. Follow the Zeedijk and turn right at the end to continue the Zeedijk to the former island of Marken.

Uitdam

You have arrived at the former island Marken, which is now attached to the mainland through the sea dyke on which you arrived here. It became an island in the 12th century. In the 14th century monastics lost the island to count Willem IV. A part of the island was sold to the residents and the rest of the island to members of the wealthy bourgeoisie of Amsterdam. When the monastics where driven away, the dykes weren't maintained as well anymore. More and more flooding occurred. Trying to limit this nuisance, residents started to build artificial hills. These days 15 of these artificial hills still exist and 12 are inhabited by locals. On the artificial hills you can see small and simple wooden houses that are built mostly against each other. Walking over these hills and between the wooden houses, across the drawbridges and through the narrow alleys, it really gives you a sense of going back in time! You could limit your visit to Marken to 30 minutes, check out the harbour area and a few of the picturesque green and white houses, and then move on and take the boat to Volendam. You could... but you would miss the best of Marken. One great way to see more is to bike around it. It's a ride of approximately 8 or 9km, so it will take you roughly 1 hour. You'll certainly meet other tourists on the way, but there will also be long sections of the path where you don't see or hear anybody but a lot of birds. Start at the harbour and go to either side of it, depending on which direction you want to go. The path that surrounds the island is not hard to find - there is only one. One of the most beautiful sight is definitely the lighthouse. While you can't access the lighthouse itself, it's an impressive view against the backdrop of the IJsselmeer. When you have seen everything and you're ready to move on, ride to the harbour and get the boat to Volendam.

Marken

Volendam is world famous, thanks to its traditional costumes and smoked eel. Being a typical fishing village with traditional houses and cottages, costumes and folklore, tourists have been beating a path here as early as 1875. The name Volendam literally means "filled dam", because of its proximity to the sea. It was a favourite retreat spot for artists during the early parts of the 20th century. Artists like Renoir and Picasso spent time there for recreation and inspiration. Volendam was originally the harbour of its neighbouring town Edam. Edam was a town near the river IJ, which was then considered a bay in Northern Holland. This river was popular as Amsterdam's waterfront. Sometime in 1357, residents of Edam created a smaller canal which led to the Zuiderzee, a shallow extension of the North Sea in the north western part of the Netherlands. The canal they built had an independent harbour too, which worked well into the plan of having the original harbour abolished in order to set up land consilidation. After the canal was built, local fishermen and even farmers and their families began to move and settle there. These settlers were the first of the community which was named Vollendam. There is a couple of things you shouldn't miss when visiting Volendam. Wander through the streets and enjoy the town&rsquo;s lively atmosphere. Walk along the dike, churches and old centre. Also, have your picture taken in traditional dutch costume. The traditional costumes are still worn on folkloric events. If you want to try something really tasty, try some smoked eel. It's delicious! Next stop will be the Kathammer Windmill.

Volendam

Here you see the Kathammer Windmil. This octagonal windmill was built in 1649 as a polder windmill. The wicks have a width of 26,5 meter (87 feet). On the 5th of december 1896 the windmill was largely destroyed by fire. The miller was sitting in the windmill with his 11 year old daughter on his lap when lightning struck the windmill. His daughter died instantly and the miller's back was terribly burned. The windmill was rebuild a year later and was restored in 1986. The windmill is still being used to this day. Now ride south along the water until you reach the small town of Katwoude.

Kathammer Windmill

Katwoude was, until 1991 the smallest municipality of the Netherlands with 236 inhabitants. The name Katwoude probably means something like poorly accessible swamp forest. In the village you will find farms, houses of farm workers, and a hotel. This town is famous for its cheese farms and every year many tourist come here to see with their own eyes how the famous Dutch cheese is made. One cheese farm (that you will find on this road) is the Jacobs Hoeve. They welcome you in the traditional clothing of Volendam. They will tell you in multiple languages (Ned/Eng/Du/Fr/Sp/It) all about the process of making Dutch cheese! The Jacobs Hoeve is open daily from March through November, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, and the Entrance is free of charge. Cross the bridge over the water, and ride to Monnickendam.

Katwoude

Monnickendam was granted city charter in 1355 and this was the beginning of the expansion of the city. Unfortunately, no 14th-century illustrations have been preserved. However, the very fact that it was granted city charter, does tell us that the population was quite sizeable and that Monnickendam was of economic importance. Although it is a small fishing village today, it was an important port in earlier centuries. It possesses a seventeenth-century weigh house, once used by merchants and port officials, and a bell tower that dates from 1591. The fourteenth century church of St. Nicholas, renovated in 1602, is particularly notable. The synagogue was built in 1894 Jewish families named Monnikendam trace their roots to this town. All buildings from 1355, with the exception of the Speel Tower, went up in flames during severe fires. The Speel Tower can still be admired, next to the weighing house, the &lsquo;Waag&rsquo;. Due to the city&rsquo;s location on the coast of the former Zuiderzee (&lsquo;Southern Sea&rsquo;) and close to the lakes in the hinterland, the shipping industry and related trade flourished. Also the town was the site of an artist's colony in the early twentieth century.

Monnickendam

Broek in Waterland, the prettiest village of the batch, once enjoyed a direct link with the Zuiderzee. From the 16th century onwards, the village became involved in herring fishery and maritime trade. For that reason its church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers. In the 17th century, the fishery was replaced by animal husbandry and dairy farming, and many houses were extended with an adjoining stable on the back side. The dairy products were transported to Amsterdam by boat. The harbour thus remained vital for the village, and is still characteristic of Broek in Waterland. In the 17th and 18th century, it was a very wealthy place where many impressive houses were built for local families, but also for rich merchants from Amsterdam. The picturesque nature of the village was known even outside the Netherlands from the 17th century onwards, and it was praised for its cleanliness. Consequently, the town was a popular destination for visitors from nearby Amsterdam, but it received foreign guests as well. The French emperor Napoleon famously came to visit it in 1811 - it is claimed that he burnt his fingers while lifting the lid of a pan in the mayor's kitchen. In 1781, Joseph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, also visited the village but was refused to enter a farm, allegedly because the lady of the house had no time for him. You can see how wealthy the seamen and merchants were in the old days from the beautiful gables of the 16th and the 17th-century houses.

Broek in Waterland

In Zunderdorp you will find several dozens of houses (some are made of wood) and some other buildings including the church of Zunderdorp. The name Zunderdorp originates from the word 'Sundels'. Sundels are small canals that flow from the village to the "IJ". The most important activity in the village is dairy. In the old days fresh milk would go to Amsterdam in milk churns and would be sold door-to-door.

Zunderdorp

D&rsquo;Admiraal Windmill stands next to the Noordhollandsch Canal. The octagonal smock windmill was built in 1792 and used as a chalk and trass mill. Chalk was used in paint and mixed with linseed oil to make putty. Trass is ground tuff (a volcanic stone), a material that is a component of mortar. Although in the 19th century an engine was placed, to make it less dependent on the wind, it was still wind-operated until 1940. The mill stopped operating in 1954. After that it was used as storage place and gradually deteriorated. Thanks to the 'Stichting Krijtmolen d'Admiraal' it was restored, and brought back into operation in 1967. Now it is sporadically used to mill raw material. Unfortunately the windmill is not open for public but you can still admire it from the outside! All that's left to do now is to ride home - back the way this tour started and across the ferry to Amsterdam. We from Macbike hope you enjoyed this amazing bike tour through Waterland!

D'Admiraal Windmill

Away from the hectic city. Discover the peaceful polder landscape and it's charming villages.&nbsp;

Amsterdam

Bicycle Tour: Experience Waterland

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