The former island of Marken is a small fishermen's village outside Amsterdam. Set in the Waterland and Zaan Region in Northern Holland, Marken enjoys a reputation for being a picturesque little village with wooden houses and traditional Dutch dresses.  One can reach Marken from the nearby village of Volendam via a boat ride as well. If you're already at Volendam, you may hire bikes there to reach the former island. You can visit the Marker Museum, where you'll observe how traditional wooden houses in Marken used to be built in the old days. The peninsula's history is also displayed, along with a number of traditional costumes.  There are also some costume and souvenir shops in the village, such as the Sijtje Boes house, the oldest souvenir shop in Marken. Some shops sell the fabric from which the old dresses were made whereas other sell the dresses themselves.