Panorama Photo

Edam is a small town in the Netherlands. It has about 7,400 inhabitants. The name Edam originates from a dam on the little river E or Ye where the first settlement was located and which was therefore called Yedam. Edam is famous as the original source of the cheese with the same name. William I, duke of Bavaria, also known as William V, count of Holland, gave Edam city rights in 1357. The oldest brick house is the one with the step-gable, the Edam museum. It was built in 1530 and has a floating cellar; a brick box room floating freely on ground water. According to folklore the cellar was built by a sea captain who missed the sea. However, it is more likely that the cellar was built simply to keep the contents dry.