Listen | Marker Veerhuis
To your right, you can see the Marker Veerhuis, the meeting place and waiting room for the people who waited for the boat to the island of Marken. Before the harbour office, walk right up the jetty to the quay with a bench.
You are now standing on the quay where the boat to and from Marken used to dock. Looking across the water, you can see the headland Hemmeland on the right. Behind it is Marken. These days, the boat no longer goes. The former island is now accessible by car via a dike.
In the past, ships could easily reach the port of Amsterdam via the rivers and canals in the hinterland of Monnickendam. That saved them a lot of time. Because otherwise they had to sail around the island of Pampus, a trip that could take a very long time due to the strong currents. By sailing via the locks at Monnickendam, merchant ships avoided literally 'lying in front of Pampus' for days.
In winter, the Gouwzee is between...
You are now standing on the quay where the boat to and from Marken used to dock. Looking across the water, you can see the headland Hemmeland on the right. Behind it is Marken. Nowadays, the boat no longer goes. The former island is now accessible by car via a dike.
In the past, ships could easily reach the port of Amsterdam via the rivers and canals in the hinterland of Monnickendam. That saved them a lot of time. Because otherwise they had to sail around the island of Pampus, a trip that could take a very long time due to the strong currents. By sailing via the locks at Monnickendam, merchant ships avoided literally 'lying in front of Pampus' for days.
In winter, the Gouwzee between Monnickendam and Marken is one of the first parts of the IJsselmeer to freeze over. This makes it a suitable place for skating and ice sailing, a traditional Monnickendam winter hobby. Because when the Gouwzee was frozen and the ferry could not sail, ice sailors transported people and goods up and down to Marken. If you are curious to see how ice sailing works, the video in the menu shows ice sailors on the Gouwzee in action.
After watching the video, continue the route with the Marker Veerhuis on your right. Feel free to take a photo of this beautiful view. You can look back at home later on your smartphone or PC by logging in to your personal I-Tours page.
