Nederland - Monnickendam

Monnickendam is one of the oldest cities - granted city rights in the year of 1355 - in the Netherlands and is considered being one of the hidden gems of the province of Noord-Holland. The town is one of the old fishing villages along the IJsselmeer.

Monnickendam was founded by monks from Friesland and that’s where its name comes from: “Monk’s Dam”. It was one of the founding towns of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company). Back in the 17th century Monnickendam - an important harbour - used to be on the seaside, with direct access to the whole world.

The centre of town is a protected cityscape with old houses, churches and shops. Like most towns on the IJsselmeer, Monnickendam was heavily dependent on fishing. When the sea was closed off in the 1930’s and the Zuiderzee became the biggest freshwater lake in Europe, the fishing industry suffered. But Monnickendam revived itself by building a big marina, which attracts people for sailing and water sports.