Holiday apartment in Monnickendam: history, harbour and museums

Monnickendam combines medieval urban history, the Waterland polder landscape, a harbour steeped in tradition and various museums. The town was first mentioned in 1288 and received city rights in 1356. Part of Monnickendam has had protected townscape status since 1970. When choosing a holiday apartment in Monnickendam, you can plan your days around your interests: history, water, active pursuits or culinary traditions.

Grote Kerk and the Waterland landscape

The Grote Kerk is also known as Sint-Nicolaaskerk and rises amid the Waterland polder landscape; it was built on the edge of Monnickendam’s historic centre. Its three halls each have a wooden barrel vault, with a total of 38 rosettes. At the Waterlandsmuseum de Speeltoren, landscape and architectural history come together: the 400 m² museum was built around the medieval Speeltoren dating from 1450 in 2012. It presents the 2,000-year development of the Waterland landscape and its distinctive yet vulnerable character as a peat meadow area.

Museums, trade and visible history

The DDR Museum in Monnickendam presents numerous objects in 13 display cases about life, work and politics in the GDR from 1949 to 1990. These include consumer goods, official documents, medals, brochures, photographs and personal memories. De Waegh was Monnickendam’s economic centre for centuries and was used for weighing and trading butter, cheese, fish, meat and grain. The original scales from its time as a weigh house can still be seen there. At Noordeinde 10, three façade stones bearing the inscriptions “Dit is Uitendam (Uitdam)” and “Anno 1660” commemorate another historical trace.

Active and playful experiences

In the Juniorzaal of the Waterlandsmuseum de Speeltoren, children can find games, opportunities to dress up and a museum treasure hunt. Visitors can also play the carillon themselves there. Those who want to explore Monnickendam in a more active way can cycle or rent a whisper boat. This allows cultural discoveries to be combined with an activity on the water or a cycling tour, without a single excursion determining the character of the place.

Audio tour and regional fish tradition

The “Discover Monnickendam” audio tour is a 30-minute circular walk that begins and ends at the Grote Kerk. A free app automatically plays an audio story at each stop. Local food culture is also part of the townscape: the tradition of eel smoking continues during the Monnickendam Fish Days. During the annual Jan Haring Race, smokers compete for the title of best fish smoker. At the smokehouses on the quay, eel was traditionally smoked over a mixture of oak and beech wood.

Harbour, waterway and orientation

The historic sailing ships of the Zeilvloot Monnickendam have their home port in Monnickendam’s inland harbour in the municipality of Waterland. The waterway to Monnickendam is approximately 2.5 metres deep; those who navigate it all the way reach the old harbour basin. Historically, large seagoing ships could call at the harbour, enabling merchants to trade with the Baltic region. For routes, sights, events and practical questions about the region, the VVV tourist information offices in Monnickendam and Marken provide information. The “Discover Monnickendam” audio tour can be reached by bus 315 from Amsterdam.

More places for planning your trip

If you would like to discover more places in the same region besides Monnickendam, you can find suitable destinations here: Marken, Uitdam, Ilpendam, Zuiderwoude, Watergang, Broek In Waterland, Purmer and Katwoude.

For the higher-level travel overview: Waterland.