Zaanse Schans – all the beauty of rural Dutch life in the 17th and 18th centuries, set in one place. A village of traditional Dutch architecture and crafts, Zaanse Schans sits on the bank of the Zaan River, north of Zaandam, in Netherlands.
Originally a small open air museum; the town has since grown into what it is today - one of Netherlands top tourist attractions. Aside from the historical wooden houses, the town has six functioning windmills, several mini-museums, authentic shops, a wooden shoe workshop, a historic shipyard, a cheese farm, warehouses, and more.
Visitors are privileged to see first-hand how clogs (wooden shoes) and wooden toys are made, as well as antique clocks. There is also a replica of the oldest Albert Heijn shop, where guests can buy sweets. And yes – check out the pancake restaurant.
The authentic shops sell shipping items, cheese, clogs and endless souvenirs of both the Zaanse Schans and the Netherlands. Several cafes are open where guests can stop for drinks or refreshments. What’s more, vintage tour boats will take visitors on a river tour.
The windmills are best seen while on a river tour. Some of these windmills include:
“De Oyfar” creamery mill, built in 1622
“De Heisman” that grinds mustard meal, built in 1780
“De Zucker,” for grinding paint, built in 1781
“De Gekronde Pulenberg”which is sawing wood, built in1869
Zaans Museum and Verkade Paviljoen
Museum of the Dutch Clock
Bakery Museum
Grocery Museum
Distillery Museum De Tweekoppige Phoenix
Crafts:
Cheese Farm De Catharina Hoeve,
Wooden Shoe Workshop De Zaanse Schans,
Pewter Foundry De Tinkoepel
Craft Centre De Saense Lelie,
The Coopery
Aside from the Museum Café, Zaanse Schans has only two restaurants. There is also a smaller cafe, a fried food snack bar and many gift shops. The Heerlijck Slaapen, Kalverringdijk (bed and breakfast) is the only accommodation in the village.
Zaanse Schans is accessible by train, bus or boat from Amsterdam. However, most of the windmills, museums and other attractions can be visited for a small fee. With almost a million visitors each year, he Zaanse Schans is a must-see attraction in Netherlands.
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