One Municipality, Two Very Different Towns
Volendam and Edam share a single municipality - Edam-Volendam - and sit barely 3 km apart, but they feel nothing alike. Volendam grew up around its fishing harbour, with the Dijk, the eel stalls and the costume photo studios all crowded along the waterfront. Edam is the older settlement: a former trading town of canals, brick merchant houses and crooked gabled façades, granted its town rights in 1357. It is quieter, more residential, and has none of the harbour-front tourist crush. Most visitors who do both come away saying Edam is the prettier place to walk and Volendam the livelier place to eat.
If you only have time for one and want bustle, fish and waterfront energy, stay in Volendam. If you want canals, history and a slow wander, walk or cycle over to Edam - it is genuinely close.
How to Get There
By bus
Connexxion bus 316 (the Amsterdam-Volendam-Edam line) continues from Volendam to Edam in just a few minutes. It is the same route many visitors arrive on from Amsterdam Centraal, so you can simply stay aboard one or two extra stops. Check the official transport site for current times.
By bike
The flat ride between the two towns takes roughly 10-15 minutes, much of it along the dyke with the IJsselmeer on one side. Rental bikes are easy to find in Volendam, and the route is well signposted.
On foot
A walk of about 40-50 minutes along the dyke path links the two harbours. It is a pleasant, scenic stretch in good weather and the most rewarding way to see how the landscape ties the towns together.
Edam Cheese and the Summer Market
Edam gave its name to one of the world's best-known cheeses: the round, semi-hard ball coated in red wax for export (locally it is often sold in a yellow or natural rind). The town was a major cheese-trading centre for centuries, and the cheese travelled across Europe and the colonies precisely because its waxed sphere kept and shipped well.
In July and August the town stages a traditional cheese market on the Kaasmarkt square - a costumed re-enactment of how cheese was once weighed and traded here. It is held on Wednesday mornings in the summer season, with carriers (kaasdragers) in white outfits, hand-clap price negotiations and the historic weigh house in use. It is a tourist event rather than a real wholesale market, but it is staged on the authentic square with real history behind it. Dates and times vary by year, so confirm the current schedule on the official Edam tourism site before planning around it.
| Cheese term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Jong | Young, ~4 weeks - mild and soft |
| Belegen | Matured, a few months - firmer, more flavour |
| Oud | Aged 10+ months - hard, sharp, crystalline |
| Komijnekaas | Cumin-spiced variety, a regional classic |
If you want to see cheese actually being made and taste a range for free, the Henri Willig farm just outside Volendam is the easy stop - see our cheese factory guide.
What to See in Edam
Grote Kerk (Sint-Nicolaaskerk)
Edam's great church is famous above all for its 16th- and 17th-century stained-glass windows, among the finest collections of the period in the Netherlands. The vast interior and the windows alone justify the visit. Opening is seasonal, so check current times.
Edams Museum
Housed in a richly preserved 16th-century merchant's house on Damplein, with a famous floating cellar and a collection covering Edam's trading past, portraits and local curiosities. A second museum building sits on the square.
Damplein
The central square and a fine spot to take in the gabled houses, the small humpbacked bridge and the everyday rhythm of the town. A natural starting point for a wander.
Speeltoren
The leaning carillon tower, all that remains of a demolished church, is one of Edam's landmarks and home to one of the oldest carillon bells in the country.
Kaaswaag (cheese weigh house)
The historic weigh house on the Kaasmarkt, decorated with painted panels, where the cheese was officially weighed. It anchors the summer market and usually houses a small exhibition and shop.
The canals and almshouses
Edam is best appreciated simply by walking its quiet canal streets - look for the narrowest house, the old captains' homes and the small courtyards tucked behind the main lanes.
Edam + Volendam in One Day
The two towns combine comfortably into a single day. A practical plan:
Arrive in Volendam, walk the Dijk and the harbour, try herring or smoked eel at a stall. On a summer Wednesday, time this so you can move on to Edam for the cheese market.
Hop on bus 316, cycle or walk over to Edam. See the Kaasmarkt, the Kaaswaag and Damplein, and have a relaxed lunch on a canal-side terrace.
Visit the Grote Kerk for the stained glass and the Edams Museum, then wander the canals before heading back. From Edam you can continue toward Amsterdam without returning to Volendam.
For full transport details and more day-trip combinations, see our visit and getting-here guide.
Related
Cheese factory visit
Watch cheese being made and taste a dozen varieties for free at the Henri Willig farm near Volendam.
Cheese factoryGetting here & around
Buses, parking and routes between Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam and Marken.
Plan your visit