The past year I’ve explored even more of my homeland the Netherlands, also known as Holland, in my opinion one of the most versatile countries in Western Europe, small, but o so quaint and diverse.
And one of the most picturesque regions, that should certainly not be missed, whether you’re a native or tourist, is Laag Holland!
The postcard images foreigners have in mind with the Netherlands usually include windmills, quaint facades, bikes and boats gliding through rural countryside with cows, clogs, farms and home-made cheese, you will all find here!
This area, situated in Noord-Holland, also known as the backyard of Amsterdam, is filled with quaint villages and towns like Volendam, Marken, Broek in Waterland, Katwoude and Monnickendam. They will give you a sense of how the Netherlands might have looked in the old days, with cobblestoned streets all around.
The Unesco area De Beemster is also located here, renowned for its cheese production and authentic windmills. And the perfect way to explore all this like a local, yet in style, is of course by bike!
Volendam Rent & Event E-bikes
I love cycling and do so a lot in and around my hometown and on many staycations. But one of the most fun and easy ways to explore even more of an area is by E-bike and not just a normal one but preferably a chopper or fatbike!
You can rent them on many spots throughout the Netherlands, but to me the best spot for this is Laag Holland, where Volendam Rent & Event is THE place for your bike rental and custom tour!
Exploring Laag Holland by E-chopper
Whether you’re looking for a picturesque day trip to the fisherman’s town Volendam, want to see more of the quaint villages around it or visit the historic peninsula Marken by boat, with a friend, family or on a company retreat, Volendam Rent & Event has got you covered!
They are located in the harbor of Volendam but offer services all around Laag Holland and provide a variety of routes.
I love the E-choppers/scooters most, as they are so cool, photogenic, environmental friendly and easy to get around on. Volendam Rent & Event however also offers normal E-bikes, fatbikes, regular cycles and even tandems, varying in price range!
While the E-chopper/scooter is in the top price range it only costs €37,50 p.p. for a full day!
Our E-bike itinerary
See the 1 day route we did here below:
You can follow several routes, depending on how much time you have.
Do note that it’s not allowed to ride your bike through Marken anymore, but I can still highly recommend visiting it and park the bike to explore the town on foot!
Volendam
We started our tour in the harbor of Volendam to pick up our E-bike from 9 am. This town is already a delight with all the cute boats and wide boulevard filled with cafés and souvenir shops!
Volendam is just 30 a minutes’ drive from Amsterdam and a must if you want to learn more about Dutch heritage and history! But there is so much more of that nearby too, yet a bit less touristy and more quiet. That’s why we decided to take our E-scooters with us on the ferry to Marken, which takes about 20 minutes.
Marken
We parked in the harbor and had a lovely picnic on the waterside with a delicious lunch kit of Theetuin Katwoude, provided by Volendam Rent & Event in special cooling bags.
You can walk around Marken in about 30 minutes, but of course it took us much longer, including photo stops, as this quaint town is highly photogenic😊
See for yourself in this gallery:
It also has several Dutch heritage museums and many cute souvenir shops and terraces to spend a full day here. Normally the lighthouse on the other end of the peninsula is worth a visit too, but is currently being renovated.
From here you can easily drive on to the mainland again, passing by iconic Dutch dikes, rural countryside and cute villages like Uitdam and Zuiderwoude. However one of my absolute favourites was:
Broek in Waterland
Known as one of the richest villages in the Netherlands with dozens of national monuments, it’s actually a fisherman’s village by origin. Being surrounded by water Broek in Waterland is also very nice to explore by boat to marvel about the authentic and picturesque houses and mansions along the waterside.
From here it’s only a short drive and less than 5 kms to another Dutch hidden gem:
Monnickendam
This historic town is a bit bigger, offers more shops, restaurants and things to do, but is certainly not less quaint.
Located directly on the Markermeer this city used to be an important port and still has a 17th-century weigh house, used by merchants and port officials in the old days.
With its beautiful streets, bridges, quaint bell tower, dating back from 1591 and picturesque harbor, Monnickendam is well worth exploring on your route through Laag Holland!
See for yourself why in this gallery:
From here it’s about a 15 minute drive back to Volendam by E-bike, but make sure not to miss this quaint village along the way for these cute photo and gastronomic stops:
Katwoude windmill
Henri Willig cheese shop & farm
A tour and tasting at this authentic farm is the best, as well as taking some of their delicious cheeses home with you. The tour is free and the cheese shop is very extensive.
This was my second visit to this 37 year old sustainable dairy farm and I cannot recommend it more! The staff is very friendly, the location super picturesque, the offering of premium quality and different flavored cheeses unique and cuddling the calves here is a must too!
If you can’t wait or are looking for the perfect Dutch gift you can also order their delicacies and cheeses online already via: HenriWillig.com
Theetuin Katwoude
Amidst the rural countryside of Katwoude, right next to the dairy farm, you will find this newly-opened Theetuin Katwoude, surrounded by nothing but nature!
This authentic ‘Tea Garden’ offers plenty of space and fun for the whole family. And with the extensive outdoor terrace you can choose to have breakfast, lunch or dinner here in-or outside in a lovely setting.
The menu is quite diverse with lots of local specialties, pastries, a delicious cheese platter of the neighboring farm, which should not be missed, as well as the high tea with some of the best scones I tasted so far.
What do you think of Laag Holland, and would you like to explore this area of the Netherlands on your next daytrip, staycation or holiday?
If so, make sure to check out the many E-bike tour options of Volendam Rent & Event, their offering for the most quaint things to do to experience Volendam like a local, or my blog 11 Most Instagrammable spots of The Netherlands for even more photogenic hotspots and fun things to do in Holland.
I hope to have inspired your next Netherlands getaway or daytrip. Happy exploring!
