Visiting the Amsterdam Countryside: Four Small Towns You Must See
Picturesque farmlands, stunning windmills, canal-lined small towns and views out to the sea… These are just a few of the delights that await you as you visit the Amsterdam countryside.
Amsterdam is great, but you’re missing out if you don’t take at least one day out of your time there to visit some of its surrounding smaller towns. Get out of the crowded city for a day and let’s go explore the Amsterdam countryside!
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Amsterdam Countryside Stop #1 – Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans was our first stop during our day trip around Amsterdam’s countryside. This little village sits just about 20 minutes away from Amsterdam and features several examples of the Netherlands’ windmills and a small traditional Dutch village.
Zaanse Schans’ windmills are by far the highlight of this town. They’re arranged along the adjacent river creating some great views as you walk around town. Of the windmills in Zaanse Schans, only two are located in their original sites while the rest were moved here from around the Netherlands for preservation.
You can take a short tour of the inner workings of a couple of the windmills for a nominal fee. We toured De Kat, one of the first windmills from town. This windmill from 1646 has been used since the 1960s to make paints, and the tour of De Kat shows you how this is done. More than anything, it’s just fascinating to see all the large gears and other contraptions inside the windmill. You can also climb up onto the windmill’s upper balcony for closeup views of its blades.
At the end of the path along the river is a small museum on the history of the Netherlands’ windmills. We didn’t visit this museum, but with time, it could be a nice way to learn more about how these impressive structures were used.
The actual small village by the windmills is pretty touristy, but it does have a nice antique shop and a couple food vendors. There’s also a museum detailing the region’s history. Across the river is a bigger town with several more things to see if you have time.
Amsterdam Countryside Stop #2 – Edam
Edam is perhaps the most charming town on this day trip around the Amsterdam countryside. Take your time walking around Edam’s charming canals and narrow streets as you take in the scenes of small-town Dutch life.
Along the canal are lots of fine examples of the Netherlands’ gabled houses. It’s like walking along a tiny slice of Amsterdam. You can also see several small, old-fashioned raisable bridges.
Edam’s biggest claim to fame is its historic cheese market near the center of town. This cheese market has been in existence since 1680 and still offers residents a chance to purchase goods for the week while also delighting visitors with its local flair. However, keep in mind the market only runs on Wednesdays during the months of July and August.
If you are visiting Edam on a day where there’s no market, you can stop in Henri Willig’s Cheese Shop to take in the smells and tastes of the town’s eponymous cheese. They also sell meats, beer and wine if you want to picnic along the canal.
Amsterdam Countryside Stop #3 – Volendam
Volendam is a bit of a mix Edam and the last stop of this day trip, Marken. The most popular spot in Volendam is the touristy but no less pretty harbor front.
Built up on a manmade dike separating the rest of town from the sea, this part of Volendam offers visitors the most attractive views and best things to do. From cafes to ice cream stands and a weirdly high number of photography stands, you’ll find anything you should need here. It’s easy to just while away the hours with a drink at one of the cafes while watching the boats in the bay and people going by.
Which is exactly what we did. We cozied up to an outdoor table at Restaurant Le Pompadour overlooking the harbor’s main drag where we had good views of everything going on. This restaurant had an extensive beer and wine menu, perfect for relaxing after a busy morning. The food menu was a bit limited, but I had a delicious smoked eel sandwich.
Leading up to the harbor front are some of the Netherland’s classic narrow roads and gabled homes, but here they weren’t quite as charming as in Edam.
An unexpected delight during out visit was the town market going on when we arrived a little before noon on a Saturday. This market offered all sorts of things for visitors to peruse including various food stands, people selling clothes and art vendors. Try some of the Netherlands’ regional fish specialties at the stand near the far end of the market. The kibbeling, deep fried fish, can’t be beat.
Amsterdam Countryside Stop #4 – Marken
The most remote town on this day trip around Amsterdam’s countryside is also my favorite. Marken is another seaside town like Volendam, but much smaller, less touristy and cuter.
Upon arrival to Marken, it’s immediately clear that this is very much a community of real people. The first thing you’ll see across from the parking lot is a small grocery store, quickly followed by lots of homes with lovingly tended gardens.
The best part of Marken is along the small harbor where the green homes stand out in stark contrast to the dark tones of the harbor water. Accenting the scene is perhaps a hundred small boats peacefully bobbing up and down. A few cafes line the harbor to give guests an opportunity to relax while taking it all in.
A little farther into town is the serene church square dominated by, of course, the town church. Radiating out around the church are several narrow, windy lanes where you can admire Marken’s innate beauty.
If you have time and the weather is warm, you can hike around the island to see more of its natural side. Go all the way to the easternmost corner of the island to see Marken’s old lighthouse.
Driving Around the Amsterdam Countryside
We rented a car from Europcar for our day trip. I recommend you do the same. There are buses you can take, but with a car, you can plan your own trip in your own time. Our rental was only about $60, which wasn’t too bad considering the convenience.
Parking at each stop is relatively easy with obvious parking lots at Zaanse Schans (the town museum as you enter) and Marken (you’ll see a large parking lot as you drive into town). Parking at Edam and Volendam was a bit more difficult but by no means unmanageable.
For Edam, drive into town via Singelweg and look out on your right (if coming from Zaanse Schans) for a free parking lot. From here, it’s about a 5-minute walk into town.
For Volendam, you can park any of the spaces along the canal as you enter town. It helps to have a car with a rear camera because spaces can be tight. We noticed a couple parking lots as we were driving, but it wasn’t obvious how to get to them.
All these stops are only about 20 minutes from Amsterdam and reasonably close to one another with one exception. Marken can be a bit of a drive depending on where you’re coming from. Still, it shouldn’t take much more than 30 minutes at most depending on the time of day. Further, the itinerary laid out in this post takes you in the most direct route.
Taking a Guided Tour of the Amsterdam Countryside
What about taking a guided tour around Amsterdam’s countryside? A tour could be a good option to help you get more out of this day trip.
While I enjoyed our visit to each of these towns, I think it could have been more impactful with a guide to take us around to the most important spots. A guide could also provide helpful background information on where you’re visiting.
Unlike most trips we take, we didn’t have a guidebook for part of our visit to Amsterdam, so we were just kind of wandering around. We had a rough idea of what we were doing and where we were going, but I felt like we might have missed things because I wasn’t able to do my normal amount of planning beforehand. If you don’t have time to plan or just don’t want to, let a guided tour do it all for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Amsterdam Countryside
I don’t want to do a guided tour or rent a car. How else can I get around?
Another popular method is of visiting the Amsterdam countryside is by bike. Because of the Netherlands’ flat terrain and how close most of these places are to Amsterdam, you could manage the trip by bike, but it will likely be a long day. I’d recommend an e-bike to make things a bit easier.
If you do decide to rent a car but want to get your steps in while seeing some of the Netherlands’ scenery, you could walk from Edam to Volendam. The only downside is you then have to walk back, so make sure to factor that into your itinerary.
Finally, you could also take the ferry between Volendam and Marken. Ferries run about every 45 minutes and cost €16.
Is the Amsterdam countryside worth a day trip?
Yes, as long as you have enough time in Amsterdam. This day trip should take at least seven hours, so you’ll still have some time to do things back in Amsterdam early in the morning or later in the afternoon if you like.
In my opinion, the highlights of the whole day are the windmills at Zaanse Schans, Edam’s delightful ambience, and Marken’s seaside setting. However, if you have less than three days in Amsterdam, I’m not sure it’s worth going out of your way just to see them.
Another consideration is whether you should do any other day trips to one of the Netherlands’ smaller cities like Haarlem – which you absolutely should do! I’d recommend doing that over these smaller rural towns first, but a lot of that comes down to your personal tastes.
So, with three days, you may want to skip these countryside towns. On the other hand, if you have at least four days, that’s the perfect amount of time to include visiting the Amsterdam countryside into your itinerary.
When is the best time to visit the Amsterdam countryside?
Late March through May is one of the more popular times to visit the Amsterdam countryside. This time of year is when the Netherlands’ famous tulips are blooming. However, be warned that this also means the region is going to be more crowded than usual.
If you’re just trying to avoid crowds while having reasonable weather, the shoulder months after summer and before the tulips begin to bloom are your best bet. Weather won’t be ideal, but it shouldn’t be too cold, either. The summer months have the best weather but also larger crowds.
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