Sometimes even the biggest city mice can be tired of the city. On these moments you want to escape crowded Amsterdam and visit some of Hollands many beautiful villages. If you’re staying in our hostel you might not want to travel far from Amsterdam. These villages are close to Amsterdam and worth a visit.
De Rijp, North Holland
De Rijp is a beautiful 17th century village close to Amsterdam and Alkmaar. De Rijp is small but has 120 official monuments, like it’s town hall and church. The church is best known for its glass stained windows. Other villages close to De Rijp are Graft, Driehuizen and Grootschemer. De Graft houses Hollands smallest candy shop of 5 square meters called ‘Bram en Aagie’.
Volendam, North Holland
Volendam is a quite well-known fisherman’s town close to Amsterdam. Here you can visit original Dutch wooden houses, eat a herring from a fish stall and walk on the famous dikes. Many Dutch singers were born in Volendam. There is even a name for Volendam music, called ‘palingsound’ (which translates to eel-sound). Don’t expect many Dutch people in Volendam, as it is mostly a tourist place. If you want to visit a clog museum, cheese museum or take pictures in traditional Dutch clothing, it is the place to be!
Edam, North Holland
Have you ever heard of Edam cheese? This famous cheese is made in Edam, close to Amsterdam. Edam is worth a visit for the cheese markets that take place every week during the summer months. You can also enjoy a boat ride in Edam on the Markermeer lake. Just outside of Edam lies the fortress of Edam, one of the oldest kept fortresses in Holland.
Zaandijk, North Holland
Zaandijk is a beautiful village close to the river Zaan. Like many villages in the Zaan area Zaandijk still has some traditional green wooden houses that are typical for this area. The windmill ‘De Bleeke Dood’ is the oldest still working windmill in Holland, it was built in 1656. Apart from wooden houses and the windmill you can also visit a Dutch bakery museum, a clog maker and a museum about the Zaan area. There are a couple of payed tours that contribute to the maintenance of the old windmills.
