This charming little fishing island lies just a hop, skip, and ferry ride away from the mainland. Marken was isolated from the mainland until 1957, and is one of the few remaining communities that has kept most of its traditions to this day.

As you approach the peninsula, you’ll see wooden houses propped up on top of stilts or built on grassy knolls high above sea level – a result of the regular flooding the islanders experienced until the Afsluitdijk was built to keep the tides at bay. Get a taste of their culture at the Marker Museum, which showcases their traditional clothing, or head down to the old clog-making workshop to see a collection of their beautiful wooden shoes.