The Zaanse Schans is world-famous in the Netherlands, but also far beyond. The area gives a special picture of our past. According to scholars, the Zaan was the first industrial area in Western Europe. The Zaan played an important role in the Golden Age. Visit the park during the weekdays if you can, on weekend is a very busy park.
HOW TO GET THERE
The Zaanse Schans has its own car park. It can be busy on weekends and in the high season. The parking fee you pay is used for the maintenance of the historical buildings in the Zaanse Schans. Visit the windmills by boat.
By train (best choice)
You can easily travel by train from Amsterdam Central Station in the direction of Uitgeest or Alkmaar. You can get off at Koog-Zaandijk station. Then walk to Zaanse Schans in no time. The ticket cost 7€ per person.
By bus
A bus (line 391) leaves Amsterdam Central Station every half hour for Zaanse Schans. You can also get on and off at Zaandam Kogerveld NS station. A bus (line 89) departs from Zaandam station every half hour to Zaanse Schans. You can get off at the bus stop at the windmill De Bleeke Dood. After which you can easily walk to Zaanse Schans.
WHAT TO DO ON ZAANSE SCHANS
Not everyone knows that the Zaanse Schans is free to visit. The museums require admission. And several windmills. On the one hand to limit the number of people inside. On the other hand, to get extra income. So that they can maintain the windmills. And also to have bread on the shelf. By the way, there are far-reaching plans to charge everyone entrance fees to Zaanse Schans.
There are 12 windmills on the Zaanse Schans site. There are four more in the surrounding area. It sounds like a lot, but it is not. In fact, it’s only a fraction of what you saw here centuries ago. Imagine if you only saw water with windmills. As far as you could see. The Zaans Museum is a cultural-historical museum. Here you can get all kinds of information about the mills, the people and the rich history. Most of the collection comes from the Zaanlandser Jacob Honig Jansz Jr.
Klompen or Wooden clogs. Everybody knows the recognizable Dutch footwear. Dutch clogs come in all shapes and sizes. Large and small, there is a set for every pair of feet. Unfortunately, the street scene full of wooden clogs has changed significantly over the years. You can visit the museum is very interesting.
CHEESE
The De Catharinahoeve cheese factory has been a household name for years. You can see here how cheese is made by Henri Willig. De Haal is an old hay barn where you can now experience how cheese has been made here for centuries. You can taste and buy the cheeses in the shop. Including herb cheese and goat cheese.
