22 Jun EXPLORE VOLENDAM & SURROUNDINGS BY E-Fatbike!
COVID-19 has put our travelling abroad to a hold, but it has certainly made us explore our own country! In fact, we have never seen so much of The Netherlands before! One of Hollands most touristic attraction is Volendam. Now with the tourists gone, we grabbed the opportunity and explore its region.
From Amsterdam, Volendam is only a 30 minute drive away. We have been in the past, but it was packed with tourists and we never intended to come back. Until now. We decided to explore the region around Volendam with an E-Fatbike rented with Rent & Event, who created a route for us.
Our E-fatbikes, pretty cool right?
How does it work?
Not many know this, but there is such a thing as free parking at Volendam. Just navigate to Haven Zuid, Marinapark and walk for about 10 minutes to the Rent & Event store (near the harbour) where you can rent e-bikes and e-scooters. We opted for the very cool looking E-Fatbikes that look a little like Harleys Davidson bikes! Rent & Event gives you a map and it’s up to you where you want to stop. It often includes a picknick, a visit to a cheese farm and tickets for the ferry that brings you from Marken back to Volendam. When you book, you can obviously pick your own route, as long as you don’t miss the last ferry at around 6pm.
Our Route
From Volendam to Katwoude with a windmill stop
If you have never been on an e-bike before, it feels a bit weird at first, but after a few straight roads, you’ll get the hang of it. After about 5 minutes, we already arrived at the windmill in Katwoude, the perfect photo opportunity!
Visit cheese farm Jacobshoeve
Being a vegetarian and mainly consuming dairy-free milk, we were not sure about visiting a dairy farm. However, Jacobshoeve is something different! Take a look behind the scenes at the huge open cowsheds, where cows can take massages, have plenty of room and the freedom to walk on the open fields if they want to. See how the cows are milked and hug the dozens of calves. End your visit in the shop where you can taste more than 30 different types of cheese.
From Katwoude naar Monnickendam, pick up lunch at Bob&Co
After taking two wrong turns, we finally arrived in the cute town of Monnickendam where we picked up our lunch from. You can eat your lunch where ever you want but we were tipped to cycle to a cute little beach area, just five minutes away. Here you can also find Strand Vier, a beach bar that has recently opened! If you have time, take a ride through the old town of Monnickendam, discover the three church towers, taste the atmosphere in the cozy old harbour and enjoy the charming cottages.
Take-away lunch from Bob&Co
Strand Vier, Monnickendam
Holiday vibes at Strand Vier
From Monnickendam to Broek in Waterland
You must ride though this tiny village if you have the time. The pastel painted houses are very cute and calls for a photo opportunity. It probably takes you less than five minutes to ride though the towns center, but it’s totally worth it. From Broek in Waterland, you’ll pass Zuiderwoude on your way to Marken, which is also very nice.
Pretty Monnickendam
From Broek in Waterland to Marken
It has to be said, that with a normal bicycle, it would have taken us almost 1 hour to get to Marken from here, but with our E-Fatbikes it took us less than 25 minutes! If we haven’t mentioned the word cute already, this town is what defines cuteness. But there is also history in this old fishing town. You can cycle to the white lighthouse “Paard van Marken” which dates back from 1800’s.
The famous Maxima bridge, without any tourists!
Usually, during the summer, Marken is packed with many tourists. It would be impossible to take a photo without people in it, but now, there was hardly anybody!
Paard van Marken
Return from Marken to Volendam with the Volendam Marken Express Boat
Currently, the ferry back to Volendam only runs once every hour and a half due to Corona. You must wear a face mask inside the boat, which you can also buy at the ticket office but Rent & Event can also help you with this. The boatride takes about 30 minutes and your Fatbikes go on board with you.
Once you arrived back in the Volendam harbour, you bring back your bikes and finish the day by enjoying a drink and snack at one of the many terraces of Volendam. We picked Restaurant Lotje (the restaurant is owned by Dutch singer Jan Smit)
Extra tips:
- Bring enough water on a hot day
- Bring sunscreen (we burned our legs!)
- Arrive early so you can enjoy a full day!
- Visit Volendam and its surroundings now while it’s still quiet!
Book your E-Fatbike tour at Rent & Event here or check the other day-tours!
Love,
Elke & Sarah
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