Marken

You are now on Marken, a former island and a place whose inhabitants have a love-hate relationship with the surrounding water. Marken is in the frontline of the battle against the water and for centuries, the people of Marken have been forced to protect their hearths and homes against storms and floods by building dykes and terps or mounds. Nevertheless, they never succeeded completely in keeping their feet dry: only fifteen mounds remain of the twenty-seven built – the rest were swept away by the sea. Despite all that, the inhabitants of Marken were grateful for the water too, as many of them relied on the sea for a living. In fact, the island population once contained many fishermen though Marken’s first inhabitants were monks who sought peace and quiet here on the island.

Marken has been connected to the mainland by a dyke since 1957, which has made the village more accessible. Nonetheless, Marken is still off the beaten track and consequently, it seems untouched by time. The old harbour, the lighthouse ‘het paard van Marken’, which means ‘the horse of Marken’ and the historic wooden houses still look very much as they did decades ago. The video reveals how Marken once looked. The film, from the late forties of the last century, shows the inhabitants of Marken on their customary Sunday promenade along the dyke in their Sunday best. If you want to explore Marken, park your car in the car park a little further ahead. It is only a five-minute walk from there to the old harbour. Afterwards, you can continue your i-Tour by taking the same road back to the mainland.