Maritime Museum (Maritiem Museum)

Marken is a small village in North Holland that for centuries was an island in the Zuiderzee, and the sea shaped every part of its life. The islanders fished for anchovy and herring, built and sailed their own boats and lived in wooden houses raised on mounds, called terpen, or on piles, as protection against the floods that regularly swept across the low land. In 1957 a causeway was built to the mainland, and in the years before and after the old sea was closed off and turned into a freshwater lake, so that the old way of life ended. A maritime museum in the village tells that story, and it is one of several small museums on the island.

The museum's subject is the relationship between the islanders and the water. Models of boats, including the traditional flat-bottomed fishing vessels known as botters, show the types of craft used on the Zuiderzee, and photographs and tools illustrate the work of fishing, mending nets, smoking fish and trading. The islanders had a reputation as skilled sailors, and their knowledge of the shallow and shifting waters was essential. Displays on navigation, weather and safety explain how the people lived with risk. In January 1916, a storm flood devastated the Zuiderzee coast, and Marken suffered heavily, an event that helped to persuade the government to carry out the great works that enclosed the sea in the 1930s.

The daily life of the community is also shown. Traditional costume, with its colourful striped skirts, bonnets and wooden clogs, is displayed, and the museum explains the customs and the strong religious character of the village. Household objects, furniture and domestic scenes give an idea of the way families lived in small houses with built-in beds and lively decorative tiles. The tone is intimate, as befits a small village museum, and many of the objects were donated by local families.

The museum is a good introduction before exploring the village. The narrow lanes, the green wooden houses, the harbour and the lighthouse known as the Horse of Marken are all within walking distance, and the open-air museum and souvenir shops add variety. Cafes serve smoked fish and pancakes. Opening hours follow the tourist season, and a modest entrance fee applies, so it is wise to check before going.

The museum suits families, history lovers and day trippers from Amsterdam. A visit takes about an hour, and the whole village can be seen in half a day. Marken is reached by bus from Amsterdam via Monnickendam, and by boat in the summer.