Nederland - Marken

Marken, a former island, has still a lighthouse, which is called Paard van Marken (Horse of Marken). It is situated on the eastern tip of the island and is only accessible on foot or bike.

The current lighthouse was built in 1839; it has a height of 16 meters and a light range of 16.7 km. In 1700 the tower started as a square lighthouse. This was one of three lighthouses near Marken, which was decided to mark the route from the sea to Amsterdam. The three towers were equipped with oil lamps.
In 1839, the square stone tower was replaced by a round iron one on the old foundations. Later on, a brick building with a house and storage place was built, which provided the lighthouse its characteristic shape.

Till 1957 the small fishing village of Marken was an island in the IJsselmeer (the former Zuiderzee). From that moment on it was connected by the mainland of the Province of Noord-Holland by a dike. The village is situated rather close to Amsterdam and part of the municipality of Waterland. About 2.000 people are living on the peninsula.

Marken (together with Volendam) is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the Netherlands; it has its own charm with its quaint green coloured wooden houses on poles and the very colourful traditional costumes.