Volendam () is a tourist town in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Edam-Volendam
Edam-Volendam () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northwest Netherlands, in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, primarily consisting of the towns of Edam, Netherlands, Edam and Volendam. It is si ...
,
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
North Holland
North Holland (, ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht (province), Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevola ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, known for its streets, old fishing boats and the traditional clothing worn by some residents. The women's costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognizable of the Dutch traditional costumes, and is often featured on tourist postcards and posters. As of 1 January 2021, it has a population of 22,715. It is twinned with
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
, England.
History
Early years
Originally, Volendam was the location of the
harbour
A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...
of nearby city
Edam, which was situated at the mouth of the
IJ bay.
In 1357, the inhabitants of Edam dug a shorter canal to the
Zuiderzee
The Zuiderzee or Zuider Zee (; old spelling ''Zuyderzee'' or ''Zuyder Zee''), historically called Lake Almere and Lake Flevo, was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands. It extended about 100 km (60 miles) inla ...
with its own separate harbour. This removed the need for the original harbour, which was then dammed and used for
land reclamation
Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lake ...
. Farmers and local fishermen settled there, forming the new community of Vollendam or Follendam, which translates to 'Full dam'.
Culture
Dialect
In Volendam, the Volendam dialect is spoken, a unique and regional variant of the
West Frisian dialect. The Volendam dialect is deeply rooted in the history and culture of the village of Volendam, and it is still used by the majority of its residents in their daily conversations.
Traditional costume
The Volendam traditional costume, known as "Volendammer klederdracht" in Dutch, is an iconic and instantly recognizable attire that hails from the village. This traditional dress has deep historical roots and continues to be a symbol of the village's cultural identity.
While the traditional costume is no longer worn daily by most Volendam residents, it remains an essential part of the village's identity and is frequently worn during special occasions, celebrations, and cultural festivals like the Volendammer Kermis. It also continues to be a common choice for tourists who visit Volendam, allowing them to immerse themselves in the cultural heritage of this Dutch village.
The costume has become an iconic representation of Dutch culture and is often featured in photographs, postcards, and cultural events.
Volendammer Kermis
The Volendammer Kermis is an annual festival held in the fishing village of Volendam. This celebration originating in the 18th century typically takes place during the first weekend of September, attracting both locals and visitors from around the country and beyond.
The Volendammer Kermis is a colorful event that showcases the cultural heritage and traditions of Volendam. It spans four days and includes a number of fairground rides, games, live music performances, and Dutch food and beverages.
Arts
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Volendam attracted a diverse community of artists who were captivated by the authentic and picturesque life of the inhabitants of Volendam.
Hotel Spaander
During that era, Hotel Spaander became a central hub for these artists as it provided accommodations and workshops for artists to nurture their craft. The hotel garnered acclaim within the art world, and the presence of foreign artists at Hotel Spaander made a significant contribution to Volendam's global renown as their artworks, often influenced by Volendam's scenery, further elevated the village's profile and celebrated its culture.
Today, Hotel Spaander maintains a collection of over 1300 artworks created in Volendam, including contemporary pieces acquired through an 'Artist in Residence' program, preserving its rich artistic heritage.
A significant number of paintings inspired by Volendam adorns the walls of internationally renowned museums, including
Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...
,
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...
,
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures ...
,
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from its two most important donors, Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. The museum is located a ...
,
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened o ...
, and the
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
.
Religion
The majority of the population traditionally belongs to the Roman
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, which is deeply connected to the village culture. Historically, many
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
and
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
s grew up in Volendam. Today there is the chapel of Our Lady of the Water, which is located in a village park.
Sports
FC Volendam
Football Club Volendam () is a professional association football, football club based in Volendam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of the Dutch football league system, following promotion from the Eerste Divisie in the 2024 ...
is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in Volendam, which has regularly played in the Dutch
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
. FC Volendam promoted to the Eredivisie in 2022 after a 13 year stint in the
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (; ) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the Keuken Kampioen Divisie due to sponsorship reasons, while ...
. After the 2023-24 season, FC Volendam were relegated back down to the Eerste Divisie.
Film
Volendam was a shooting location in
Vikas Bahl
Vikas Bahl is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing Chillar Party (2011), ''Queen (2013 film), Queen'' (2013), ''Super 30 (film), Super 30'' (2019), and ''Shaitaan (2024 film), Shaitaan'' (2024).
Early life and education
Bahl was born a ...
's 2014
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
film, ''
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
'' featuring
Indian actress
Kangana Ranaut
Kangna Amardeep Ranaut (; born 23 March 1986) is an Indian actress, filmmaker, and politician serving as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, Mandi since June 2024. Known for her portrayals of strong-willed, u ...
.
Music
Volendam is also well known for its distinctive music, which is called
Palingsound (literally "
eel
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
sound") because of Volendam's status as a fishing village.
During the 1960s, the local group
The Cats was popular in the Netherlands and abroad.
Another band from Volendam was
BZN, which became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1995 BZN performed a duet with the ten-year-old
Jan Smit, who quickly became a celebrity in his own right.

The music groups
3JS and
Nick & Simon are from Volendam, whose members have all participated in local musical performances through the years.
New Year's fire
In the
New Year's night of 2000 to 2001, the lighting of a bundle of
sparkler
A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, colored sparks. It burns in high temperature (over 1000°C), so it can be very dangerous.
Sparklers are particularly popular with children. In the United ...
s caused a short but intense fire at a party in café De Hemel. The sparklers ignited the dry Christmas decorations on the ceiling, which fell down in their entirety. 14 people died and 200 people were seriously injured.
Notable people
*
Gerrie Mühren (born 1946), international footballer
*
Jan Keizer (born 1949), singer
*
Arnold Mühren (born 1951), international footballer
*
Pier Tol (born 1958), international footballer
*
Carla Braan (born 1961), gymnast
Carla Braan Biography and Olympic Results
/ref>
* Carola Smit (born 1963), singer
* Wim Jonk
Wilhelmus Maria "Wim" Jonk (; born 12 October 1966) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player, who is the current technical manager of Eerste Divisie club Volendam.
In his career as a midfielder, he won a variety of national hon ...
(born 1966), international footballer
* Nick Schilder (born 1983), singer
* Simon Keizer (born 1984), singer
* Jan Smit (born 1985), singer
* Cees Keizer
Cees Keizer (born 8 January 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He works as a youth coach with FC Volendam.
Career
Born in Volendam, Keizer played youth football with hometown club FC Volendam before movin ...
(born 1986), footballer
* Janey Jacké (born 1992) a Dutch drag performer who competed in Drag Race Holland (season 1) and RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs the World was born in Purmerend
Purmerend () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. Purmerend's population grew relatively slowly until the 1960s ...
but grew up in Volendam.
References
External links
*
Tourist information about Volendam
(Dutch)
Tourist information about Volendam
(in English)
{{Authority control
Populated places in North Holland
Geography of Edam-Volendam