Our visit to Broek in Waterland was part of a "First Reclaimed Land" shore excursion through the…read morecruise line. I totally recommend it for anyone interested in the charming water villages to the north of Amsterdam. It was given the distinction of being the cleanest village in Holland back in the day. It was and probably still is an affluent community surrounded by breathtaking beauty. Did you know that Napoleon once visited this town in 1811? You'll hear about some of the amusing legends that came about from that visit. We visited on a day when a wedding was taking place at St. Nicholas Church. A church that was rebuilt in 1628 after the Spanish burned it down to the ground in 1573. There's been a church on this site since 1400. We didn't get to see the interior for obvious reasons. It was the only missed opportunity of the tour. Honestly though, it was just nice to walk around the village while listening to song birds. It was so quiet here. It made the scenery around us even more enjoyable. There are bike trails all over this area that take you through polders and beautiful villages like this one. In the winter, the lakes, canals, and polders form a natural winter wonderland that brings many ice skaters to this area. How lovely is that? It would definitely be a great place to visit for lunch or teatime just to get away from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam. It's about 15-30 minutes away depending on your mode of transportation. The bike routes from Amsterdam are also very popular. It was a nice scenic visit!

We were in this area as part of our small group tour as a side trip suggested by our guide. Being…read morea small group we weren't bound by schedules and itineraries and we were glad. This is a beautiful village of pristine homes and gardens but don't let the size of the cottages fool you. This area is full of small homes worth in upwards of a million $USD. Our guide had some interesting stories of local flavor and told us about some of the colorful local and somewhat famous ex and current inhabitants. Quaint slim streets beg to be walked and wandered as you long to be a resident tucked away only about twenty minutes from bustling Amsterdam. Beautiful.