Around Ransdorp, The Netherlands 09.04.2011

Ransdorp is a beautiful little village just north of Amsterdam and very much off the tourist trail. Most tourists head for the villages of Edam and Volendam. I personally think that Volendam is an unattractive sort of place – slightly rough with an industrial area right at the harbour – and Edam seems to lack charm, it’s just been spruced up for the tourist industry. If you want to see a real Dutch village then take my advice and go to Ransdorp, Holysloot and Marken.

Avoid the tourist coaches, just take the normal Amsterdam city bus, you can even hire a bike and cycle to Ransdorp in 15 mins from the main city train station. Stop off at the little cafe in Ransdorp for some apple pie and delicious Dutch coffee, it is a very “authentic” sort of place, climb to the top of the church (summer months) for a view as far as Hilversum and the dunes that protect the Netherlands from the North Sea.

Then cycle 4km to the following village of Holysloot where you can stop off again for more coffee and cake. If you pass the white church you’ll come to a dead end where you can hire boats – the owner is called John, just ask for him. If you want a boat with an engine (65 euro a day) then take some I.D. – otherwise there are rowing boats and Canadian canoes for about 20 euro. You can go by boat to the island in the lake called Uitdammer Die – nearby is the village of Uitdam, no cafe but there are chairs and tables in someone’s garden where they serve coffee and snacks. You can also go by boat to other villages and as far as the town of Monnickendam.

All of the villages are connected by bike routes and in true Dutch fashion are over-signposted to saturation point.

Advertisement

• holysloot
• marken
• nederland
• Ransdorp
• volendam