Let me ask you a question. If Time Machines do exist and give you the opportunity to go back to 17th Century for half a day, would you love to try that out? If your answer is Yes, pay a visit to Zaanse Schans. Just a 18 minutes train ride away from the busy city of Amsterdam, you can reach this peaceful village which is straight out of the pages from your History book. With Windmills, Old Houses, Cheese, Wooden Shoes and Tulips, Zaanse Schans has everything Dutch that I imagined Holland to be.
When I first stepped in the Netherlands, I was eager to take a look at the Windmills. After all, it’s like visiting Egypt without taking a look at the Pyramids. From Airport on the way to my apartment, I saw many windmills lined up but none of those really looked like how I pictured those to be. So, I started googling and in no time I discovered where to find Europe as I dreamt it to be.
I stayed in the Netherlands for about 23 months. In that period, I visited Zaanse Schans 5 times (Spetember, December, June, November and February). I saw all 4 seasons at this peaceful village and I can proudly say that at all seasons, it beats any other tourist attractions of the Netherlands hands down. It’s so preserved that it feels like visiting an open air museum. Even though my main intention of coming here is to take a look at the authentic Windmills and the Wooden Shoe factory, eventually I fell in love with the entire atmosphere. It’s the perfect blue sky, the endless green fields and the old world charm that kept me coming back again and again.
In this article, I am going to explain all you need to know about Zaanse Schans. You will find how to reach here, when to visit, how much to pay for different attractions, what all to expect and many useful insider tips. If you are familiar with my writing style, you know I always provide an one pager downloadable and printable ready to use Infographic. Download it and you will never miss the highlights. Save it offline in your smartphone and refer it while you are in Zaanse Schans or maybe while you are just planning your itinerary.
Zaanse Schans: Reasons To Visit
Perhaps you have seen photos of old style windmills lined up one after another in a picturesque settings. It’s Zaanse Schans. Perhaps, you have heard of Dutch Cheese making and you want to see it by yourself. It’s at Zaanse Schans. Maybe you saw Instagram pictures with large Yellow wooden shoes with a fantastic backdrop. Again, Zaanse Schans. Canal Cruise? Zaanse Schans. What about some Authentic Dutch Souvenir? Yes, you are covered. What’s the best place in Holland for Countryside Photography? Yes, you guessed it already.
So you see, Zaanse Schans has so much to offer that you don’t have to count number of reasons to visit it. Moreover, it’s very close to the capital city Amsterdam. It does not take much time to explore it as well. So, If you are in the Netherlands, you must visit Zaanse Schans. Period.
Lots and Lots of Windmills
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But don’t get me wrong. Zaanse Schans is not only about the Windmills. Yes, they are probably the most key feature of this old world Dutch village but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some unique facts which make Zaanse Schans stand out from other places of the Netherlands
1. Smells Like Chocolate
As soon as you start walking from the station, you will find the air is filled with strong aroma of chocolate. After walking a little while, you would come across a chocolate shop with the banner “smells like chocolate”. No matter whether you buy something or not, there’s no harm in getting indulged in the heavenly smell that comes right outside the glass door. While some people find the smell disturbing, I personally find it a very unique feature of the Zaanse schans neighborhood.
2. A Bridge That Opens
For me, it was a huge surprise when I first saw it. At first, it looked pretty normal. A Busy Wide Bridge with a walkway at one end but the first thing that looked a little odd is why on Earth is there a Traffic signal. Then I realized that the height of the Bridge from the water level below is not high enough to allow large ships to pass below it. If a ship needs to pass through, then the signal turns red and the bridge at the middle gets open and bends at almost a right angle so that the ship can pass through. Once done, the bridge comes back to its original position.
I have not taken the above photo. You can find an article along with the above photo in this link
Honestly, I saw it twice in my first visit but was so dumb shocked that I couldn’t click a nice picture. In my next four visits, well, I never really waited for the moment but if you have some time to spare, I would suggest you wait for a large ship to come so that you can witness the marvelous engineering by yourself.
3. Oldest Albert Heign
If you are in the Netherlands, then you know Albert Heign is the supermarket which you will find almost everywhere in the country. The largest supermarket chain in Holland is in Business since 1887 and the oldest one is here in the Zaanse Schans just after the entrance (Check my How To Reach Section). Unlike other Albert Heigns, they have a pretty limited hour so make sure to look through the Window (The light inside never goes off). Although I would not say this shop as a tourist spot but once you are there, you will feel the charm of this Vintage shop which I don’t want you to miss.
4. Bridges From Your Sketch-Book
Well, One never truly feels the Breeze Until it blows him away.
The scenery around zaanse schans is straight from your drawing book. There are houses of the local residents which are accessible by small wooden bridges. Although it is forbidden to cross some of the bridges to respect their privacy, some other bridges are open. I would encourage you to check each one of the bridge to find what’s on the other side (Only if it is permitted to cross the bridge). If you are a nature photographer, there are so many photo opportunities at multiple corner around the village. The foliage, ducks swimming at the canal, miniature garden or just the silence, everything about the village is so dreamy. And if you have a kid or just believe in fairies, who knows, maybe you can discover the hidden cottage of Aurora, the Snow White in the woods.
My personal recommendation would be to wait till 6:30PM at least when the crowd will go thin. Then, you will have the village to almost yourself and that’s exactly the moment to wander aimlessly here and there. If you are a tourist, remember that Amsterdam is just a 20 minutes train ride away and there is life till midnight. So, don’t rush to get out of here to enjoy your evening at the capital.
5. Cheese Factory
The brand of Henry Willig runs the Cheese Farm in Zaanse Schans. They have a total of 3 Cheese Farms across Netherlands while the one in Zaanse Schans is the most picturesque. Admission is completely free and you can attend a professional demonstration of cheese-making. The fun part is that their staff in traditional Dutch costumes will inform you on Henri Willig cheese: from Gouda to goat and herb cheeses. If you want, you can taste all types of cheese and depending on your taste, you can choose to purchase one. Apart from Cheese, you can purchase very high quality Flower Honey here.
Above Photo Courtesy here. For Group registration, opening hours and learning more about the shop or Henry Willig himself, you can refer to the official website here. In general, the factory remains open for visitors from 9AM year round and in Winter (Oct-Mar), it gets closed at 5PM while in Summer (Apr-Sep) at 6PM.
6. Wooden Shoe Factory
At the end of the Zaanse Schans village, you would find two small yellow wooden shoes showcased outside and just beside that is the famous Wooden shoe factory aka workshop. It’s a completely free entry and it’s open everyday. In general the timing is from 9AM to 6PM but in Winter it gets closed at 5PM. On certain festival days, the timing does vary a little so it’s best to check their own official website.
As soon as you enter the museum, you will find the history of clog making and clogs of different size and shape. The most interesting piece of art is the clog (Shoe with Thick Wooden Sole) with diamond and it is located just at the end of the narrow entrance passage, from where, if you turn left, you would find the elevated platform where live shoe making demonstration takes place.
Every 30 minutes or so, a free live shoe making demonstration takes place (in English) and using antique machines, professionals demonstrate how it was done in the past. Nowadays, machines took over many manual tasks but still it is a joy to watch the shoe making in action. Be sure to watch one while you are in Zaanse Schans. It’s an experience like no other.
The remaining part of the Museum is just a souvenir shop but in my opinion, it’s not just another souvenir shop. Rather, the quality and the finishing touch of individual end product is truly awesome. Yes, it may not be the cheapest in the Netherlands but if you are after quality product, then this is the place. And, if you are after purchasing a Clog for your own or family, this is undoubtedly the best place where you would find the largest collection of clog for every size and all clogs are completely safe to use. Read on to my Dutch Souvenir section to find out more about these.
7. Vintage Photo Spot
Just outside the Zaanse Schans Museum, there is a Wooden bench which is an iconic photo-spot with colorful clogs are decorated in the backdrop and two small sized yellow clogs are placed at the ground. Out of my 5 visits, I once saw that the clogs are decorated in a heart shape fashion and during snow-season, it’s fun to play with the snow accumulated within the clogs. And then, as you turn your back at the Wooden Shoe Factory, the famous site unveils. Two Huge Yellow Wooden Shoes with a backdrop of the picturesque Zaanse Village with all its old world buildings and traditional windmills. A perfect place to capture your environmental portrait to be on the cover page of your favorite photo album
As this lies at the end of Zaanse Schans trail, your feet may look for some rest and quite interestingly (I am not sure if it’s intentional or by coincidence) there are around 3-4 wooden benches with tables where you can sit comfortably with all your luggage and enjoy some food and beverage.
How To Reach
If you are a tourist, Zaanse Schans can be best reached from Amsterdam in less than 20minutes via a direct train. You can choose to travel by a direct bus but journey time is double in that case. However, I would encourage you to look for accommodations in Zaandam. Zaanse Schans and Zaandam are actually walkable and just the next train stop. If you stay at the North, you need to come at the Train/Bus stop of Uitgeest.
Once you come out of the Zaanse Schans Train Station (The full name is Zaandik, Zaanse Schans), there is a map outside the station marking the walking route and the points of attractions. You need to walk straight until the road ends and then turn left. You need to reach the next crossing and then turn right to find the open bridge. Cross the bridge and you need to come down two levels of stairs and you are in the village. From the station, if you walk casually, it’s about 10-12 minutes of walking.
The most interesting part of this walk is when you pass the famous shop “Smells Like Chocolate”. Literally, the entire walking route is full of smell of pure chocolate. Also, make sure to capture some quality snaps from the bridge. You will not get the same perspective once you come near the windmills.
Which Season To Pick
The weather in the Netherlands is very unpredictable. And if it rains, your visit to Zaanse Schans will be pathetic. So, if you have the choice, check weather prediction and choose a sunny day. But as it’s beside a large water body, even on sunny days, it is quite chilly because of strong wind. So, even if I am a fan of Snow and Winter, after visiting Zaanse Schans twice in the Winter (One in a Sunny day after a Snowfall and second on a Normal cloudy day), I would say Summer is the best Season to Visit Zaanse Schans.
The best experience I got in Zaanse Schans was in my third visit at June and the second best was in September. When I visited Zaanse on a Sunny morning in February, it was fantastic. There was no cloud in the sky, the green is completely covered in White and the weather was not that chilly. It’s exactly the prefect weather one could expect but still I realised it’s the endless green that makes Zaanse Schans beautiful, not the snow.
What Time of The Day
Again, this depends on what do you want? My preference will be reach Zaanse Schans around 3PM. That leaves you about 3 hours to take part in a cruise ride, visiting inside a Windmill, watch the live wooden shoe making and some shopping. As Business gets closed down around 6PM, many tourists start to leave the village. And that’s exactly is the time you need to feel this beautiful village with all its charm. Just roam around and feel how magical Zaanse Schans can be without the tourists.
But if you are here in Winter, then there will be no daylight after 6PM so in that case, your best bet is to come here no later than 9:30AM. I would not recommend you to do a boat ride in Winter. Until about 11AM, you will find it less crowded and a perfect time for soft light photography in the Winter.
But then, if you are in the mood of people watching and taking part in all indoor Business, note that all Business (read coffee-shops, toilet, souvenir shop, windmill tour, cruise tour) are in operation from 9AM-6PM however I would prefer to visit those between 9:30AM-5:30PM.
Dutch Souvenir
Zaanse Schans is the first place where I laid my eyes on authentic Dutch Souvenirs. It’s also the last place where I went to buy some souvenirs for my relatives back home. Simply put, Souvenir Shops at Zaanse Schans are quite limited (Around 5 Shops) but each one is just astonishing. Are those the cheapest? No. Are those authentic? Absolutely. What makes them special? The finishing.
While you walk past the Albert Heign, there are two souvenir shops. Somehow I feel items sold at those two outlets are of higher price. Walk past the Windmills, cross two small bridges and then the cheese factory and you will find three more souvenir shops. The Wooden Shoe Workshop of Zaanse Schans is one of them (And it’s my best choice). The cheapest items are a pack of 10 porcelain shoe (10€) or miniature windmill, clog, kissing couple, Christmas decor (one for 4€ and 3 for 10€ @May, 2021). At the same price, you can get a mix and match magnets where fan of the windmill actually rotates. Wooden Tulips (7 for 10€), Tulip Umbrella (5-7€), Wooden Decorating Cheeseboards(starting from 12€), Dinnerware (size dependent), candle holder (starting from 11€), beer mug (4€ onwards) are also quite affordable. If you want to purchase wooden shoe, the 14cm variant starts from around 10€ and as size increases, so as your price.
*Please note all prices are from my own experience and last updated on June 2021. Depending on new stock, change in raw material cost and ongoing deal, they can vary a lot.
Apart from that, you can get lots of items from Delft Blue. And don’t be afraid to check the price tag. While most of the items are quite costly, We found one flower vase at a deal at only 3€ (Yes, there is no typo and check the photo below). Typically I found the serving trays, cheese boards and dressing mirrors are affordable (5-15€) but obviously it depends on the size of the item. Anyway if you are not going to stay at the Netherlands, I think you would appreciate small size gifts. However, keep in mind that if you shop large Delft Blue items, make sure to ask and fill out form at the cash counter to avail tax refund at your departure airport.
My second preference to buy Dutch Souvenirs is from the shops at Volendam. The choices at Volendam are quite high as there is an entire shopping street and it’s the best place where price meets quality pretty well.
Do I recommend Volendam more than Zaanse Schans? No, if you are a tourist. You will pay more in transport to reach Volendam but there is not much to see (It’s just a Fishing village with lots of Sea fish restaurants). Plus, Volendam has so many things beyond authentic Dutch souvenir so you may find it confusing.
“Why did you choose Zaanse Schans as your last place to buy Dutch Souvenir?” You might ask. Yes, I was in the Netherlands for quite some time and I shouldn’t have any problem with Volendam. If looked correctly, I could have got items at cheaper price as well. Yes, you are right. But I will repeat again. It’s the quality of the end product. Even if you purchase a 0,80€ product at Zaanse Schans, it will stand out from the crowd. Maybe it’s my personal biasness but I always found every item sold at any shop in the Zaanse Schans is flawless.
I would never recommend Amsterdam to purchase Dutch Souvenirs. Amsterdam has way too many shops and most shops offer low quality products in cheap price. If you manage to find good products, remember you will get the same item at a cheaper price in Volendam and at same price in Zaanse Schans with much less hassle. However, if you are after bulk purchase with moderate quality or looking to buy clothes, Amsterdam is your best bet.
If you are after online purchase, I surveyed about 7 online stores and found Holland Winkel is the best. I purchased items multiple times from here and delivery was always on the next working day (If ordered within 12PM in the previous day)
Useful Insider Tips
For a First time visitor, you will definitely have lots of questions. Let me try to clear some of your doubts which you may have. Read on to know about some very important points regarding your visit to Zaanse Schans
- Washroom: There is a paid public toilet beside a Coffee Shop. But it is closed at 6PM. They reserve the last 15-20 minutes for cleaning so make sure to use it within 5:30PM. If it’s closed and you need a toilet for whatever reason, you are in deep trouble. I mean very deep trouble.
- All shops and food stalls close within 6PM. Sometimes if the Business is slow, they close it earlier. So, if you decide to buy an ice-cream, grab a coffee or collect a specific souvenir which you saw only at one shop, purchase those as soon as you can. Even if you catch them while they are in the middle of closing, they won’t reopen it for you.
- When you decide to step into the large yellow Wooden shoe for the iconic photo, make sure to take a look if there is water inside it. If your shoe is wet, be prepared to catch a cold.
- If you decide to go inside an Windmill for a tour, make sure you reserve at least 1 hour for it.
- If you are after only 1 Boat cruise in the Netherlands, do it at the Amsterdam. The 1 hour Amsterdam cruise is truly marvelous. Zaanse Schans cruise ride is so-so but it lacks the wow factor.
- Cheese and Honey tasting inside Henry Willig is completely free. If you are allergic to raw cheese smell (specifically goat cheese and smoked cheese), you can choose to skip it but if you are open to try anything, I would encourage you to try them all and then purchase the one you like.
- Wooden Shoe Making Demonstration takes place every 30 minutes within Wooden Shoe Workshop Zaanse Schans. It’s also free and there is no restriction in photo/videography. Try to reserve a front position and watch the complete show (about 10 minutes).
- Make sure to look for “Shop Tax Free” tag at the Souvenir Shops. If you happen to purchase one of those, get the Form sealed at the Cash Counter to avail Tax Refund at the departure airport.
- In Winter, if the Canals get frozen, a street vendor sits there with snow boot rental wearing which you can ski on the frozen water body. However, it’s completely at your own risk. I even saw people with stroller on frozen lakes.
- Zaanse Schans is a residential township. Some bridges lead to private properties so there are instructions not to cross the bridge. Please respect the instructions and be a responsible traveler.
- As it is a residential place, there is no such opening and closing time to visit the place. It’s only the shops and the windmill/cruise tours that follow certain timing. But if you are after the landscape, visit anytime, anyday.
In a world full of surprises, you just need to know where to look.
Among the big shots like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague Or Giethoorn, Zaanse Schans mostly gets unnoticed. And that makes it beautiful to those who notices it. If the Netherland sings in the Spring, Zans dances in the Summer. If you in the Netherlands, most tourism advertisements you will find are either of Zaanse or Giethoorn. But unfortunately, that’s not the case for foreign travel agency advertisement.
Readers, what do you think of Zaanse Schans? Have you visited it? If yes, please let me know about your experience in the comment below. For those of you haven’t, how do you feel about this article? Do you have any question or suggestions or feedback? Feel free to use the comment box and I shall respond to my level best. Till next time, Doei Doei.