Monnickendam & the oldest carillon in the world
A town named after monks, made rich by the Zuiderzee, and crowned by a leaning tower whose bells have rung slightly out of tune for over four centuries, on purpose.
A dam, and some monks
The name says it all. Around 1400, Frisian monks settled beside a dam on the little river Purmer Ee, and the settlement that grew up became Monnickendam, "the monks' dam." Their monastery, Mariëngaarde, stood where the cemetery is today, next to the Grote Kerk that was rising at the same time.
A golden age of trade
Monnickendam received city rights in 1355 and spent the next two centuries growing wealthy on international trade. Large seagoing ships from the Baltic couldn't reach the shallow polder, so goods were transferred at the town's quays onto smaller vessels bound for Alkmaar and Purmerend. In return, Monnickendam sent out its own cheese and smoked fish. The deep, narrow merchant houses on De Zarken, taxed by the width of their façades, still show how much money once flowed through here.
The Speeltoren and its bells
The town's landmark is the Speeltoren, a tower dating from 1591. On the hour, mechanical horsemen, the "Little Riders", rotate beneath a winged figure of Fame. But its real treasure is inside: the oldest playable carillon in the world still in its original state.
Listen closely and it sounds a little off. That's not neglect, it's history. The bells were cast before the physical laws of tuning were fully understood, and Monnickendam decided never to retune or replace them. What you hear is the authentic sound of the sixteenth century, preserved note for imperfect note.
The smell of smoked eel
Down at the harbour stands a statue of an eel smoker. For centuries, fishing drove the local economy, and eel was smoked in quayside hangen over oak and beech. The tradition is very much alive: each year the Monnickendam Fish Days and the Jan Haring Race crown the region's best fish smoker. As locals say, fishing is in the blood here.
Walk the whole story
From the Grote Kerk to the old ramparts, Monnickendam packs a remarkable amount of history into a half-hour loop. Our Discover Monnickendam audio tour connects every stop with a narrated story that plays as you arrive. Download the free app and hear the town for yourself. It pairs perfectly with nearby Broek in Waterland for a quieter day out.