Peaceful Harbor at havenbuurt marken, Netherlands

Marken is a small island community in the IJsselmeer. It is easy to get there from Amsterdam  and is a nice daytrip if you want to see a traditional Dutch fishing village. 

It is known for its characteristic wooden houses and traditional costumes. It's a peninsula in the IJsselmeer lake, but connected to the mainland by a causeway.

This picturesque little village was originally situated on an island.

For some time during the later 19th and early 20th centuries, Marken and its inhabitants were the focus of considerable attention by folklorists, ethnographers and physical anthropologists

Marken has very special houses, allmost all of them are built on wooden poles. 

Most of the houses are build on hills called 'werven'. The houses on these werven would stay dry in case of floodings. 

Marken is accessible by car, althoug you are not allowed to use your car on the island, there is a huge parkingspace at the end of the dike. 

his dike starts at Monnickendam. There is a bus line running from Amsterdam Central Station to Marken and vice versa.

Marken is most interesting for its green painted houses on the Dyke, its traditional religious isolationisme, its strong football team and its expensive tourist shops. 

Nevertheless, the village still has the looks and feel of a fishermen's town and an island.

For over a century, it has drawn in visitors who wanted a glance at its traditional costumes and picturesque houses.