Monnickendam: City History and Museums

Monnickendam brings together historic buildings, museums, and local maritime history. The city’s history stretches from its first mention and the granting of city rights through the history of churches and the weigh house to exhibitions and a short audio tour.

Cityscape and Grote Kerk

Monnickendam was first mentioned in 1288 and received city rights in 1356. Part of the town has been a protected townscape since 1970. The Grote Kerk, also known as Sint-Nicolaaskerk, stands at the edge of the historic center and rises above the Waterland polder landscape. Each of its three naves has a wooden barrel vault; there are 38 rosettes in total.

The façade stones at Noordeinde 10 also tell the story of the building’s history: Three stones bear the inscriptions “Dit is Uitendam (Uitdam)” and “Anno 1660.” The inscriptions and the church’s architecture offer contrasting details—here, a specific feature on a façade; there, the layout of a large church interior.

Museums between landscape and contemporary history

The 400 m² Waterlandsmuseum de Speeltoren was built around the medieval Speeltoren, dating from 1450, in 2012. It presents the 2,000-year development of the Waterland landscape and its distinctive yet vulnerable character as a peat meadow area.

The museum’s Juniorzaal has games and dress-up activities for children, as well as a museum treasure hunt. Visitors can also play the carillon themselves at the Waterlandsmuseum.

The DDR Museum in Monnickendam focuses on life, work, and politics in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1949 to 1990. Numerous objects are displayed in 13 cases. The collection includes consumer goods, official documents, medals, brochures, photographs, and personal memories. Its focus on contemporary history clearly differs from the medieval themes surrounding the Speeltoren and Grote Kerk.

The weigh house and harbor heritage

For centuries, De Waegh was Monnickendam’s economic center. Butter, cheese, fish, meat, and grain were weighed and traded there. The original scales from its days as a weigh house are still on display. The site thus combines its former role in trade with an object preserved from that history.

The harbor is also part of the town’s trading history: large seagoing ships could call there, enabling merchants to trade with the Baltic region. This former importance should be distinguished from the harbor’s use today. Those interested in Monnickendam’s maritime side can also see the historic sailing ships of the Zeilvloot Monnickendam: Their home port is in Monnickendam’s inner harbor, in the municipality of Waterland.

Audio tour, cycling, and local traditions

The “Discover Monnickendam” audio tour is a 30-minute walk that starts and ends at the Grote Kerk. A free app that can be downloaded plays an audio story automatically at each stop. The tour website lists bus 315 from Amsterdam as a travel option; check current service before setting out. Other activities mentioned include cycling and renting an electric whisper boat in Monnickendam. Whisper boats may not always be available.

Eel smoking is part of the local food culture: The tradition lives on during the Monnickendam Fish Days. At the annual Jan Haring Race, smokers compete for the title of best fish smoker. Traditionally, eel was smoked in smokehouses on the quay over a mixture of oak and beech wood. If you would like to plan a trip around these events, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Zuiderwoude, Watergang, Uitdam, Broek In Waterland, Purmer, Marken, Ilpendam, Katwoude.

For the broader travel overview: Waterland.