Volendam has produced a disproportionate number of Dutch pop musicians — BZN, Jan Smit, Nick & Simon all came from here — and the local bar culture reflects a genuine enthusiasm for music and a good night out. The waterfront bars fill up on summer evenings with a mix of locals and day-trippers who stayed longer than planned.
The best of the harbour bars are the ones that push past the tourist hour: later in the evening, when the tour buses have gone, the clientele shifts and the volume goes up. Weekend nights often bring live music or a band session. If you want to see Volendam as a place people actually live in rather than visit, stay for a drink after dark and you will find it.