We arrived early into Holland, docking from our ferry at 9.30am. After a quick but very stressful drive around the centre of Amsterdam, we went to our CouchSurfing hosts who advised we head to Marken while the day was still light.
Although it looks like a fair distance, the northeast of the Netherlands is quite narrow. So getting from the west to the east was relatively quick.
Parking was plentiful, but during the summer months, I can imagine this car park seeming very small and spaces becoming very limited. The cost to park was FREE; I don’t know if this was because of the time of year or because it was relatively late in the day. Either way, there was no-one in the booth to take any money. If we had to pay the parking would have cost €4 plus 55c per person. The crafty buggers sting you both ways, charging for not only the number of cars but passengers as well, (you better make sure you have a big enough boot to put aunt Mavis in to save that 55c).
To do…
You have a wide range of things to see on this teeny-tiny island, but we headed down towards the war memorial. Which was excellent as we walked through the town, past the very modern looking church and then ended up at the library where the monument was. It was nice to see, and the text was only in Dutch and English.
It was great to just meander through the streets and canals if you fancy a longer walk you have the lighthouse to the east of the island. We didn’t have much time, as it was getting dark when we got there anyway.
TOP TIPS FOR VISITING MARKEN, HOLLAND
- If you want to visit the museum in Marken, this is only open from April 1st through to November 1st.
- During the summer months, I would arrive as early as you can to avoid the disappointment of not getting a parking space.