When arriving in the Netherlands I knew very little about this country and I was not sure if one day it would become a place for me to live for a certain time. Nonetheless, to my surprise, the Netherlands has such a diversity of things to see and do. This country has so much to offer to the world. Windmills have always been fascinating to me. Something about them appeals to me, I can spend hours watching them, gazing at their beauty and their location. Whenever I see a windmill while on road trips or traveling in general, I literally cannot help but shoot photos and videos of it — the presence intrigues me.
The windmills are known as "Molen" in Dutch, The Netherlands. In the past, these windmills were used for 2 reasons: to drain water and make land usable; as well as to support agriculture and another purpose was the industrial purpose.
So, I had to visit Zaanse Schans where history along with the charm of ancient Dutch Windmills comes alive. This was one of those iconic sights where an individual can get the idea of how were these windmills built and what their purpose was back then.
I found this location while browsing social media. While scrolling through my social media I had basically stumbled on Zaandam City, the colorful architecture and bustling city of North Holland, Netherlands. While doing more reading I found a suggestion to visit Zaanse Schans. Therefore, while I was on my trip to Zaandam, it made sense for me to pay a visit to the Zaanse Schans too. Zaandam is located not far away from Amsterdam so after visiting Zaandam, I took the train to Zaanse Schans. I got all the information from the tourist information center because back then I was not familiar with the Netherlands rail system. This happened in 2023, and this tour is a memory now.
Zaanse Schans, located near Zaandam - a small town/ neighborhood in the province of North Holland, is a very picturesque village built up with preserved traditional windmills (Molens) and old buildings. It is situated across the Zaan River, about 15 km north of Amsterdam and also near Zaandijk town. So basically to go to Zaanse Schans, you have to walk through Zaandijk town. Zaan River divided these two neighborhoods. The train station is located near Zaandijk town. From the train station, I had to walk for around 20-30 minutes to reach the Zaanse Schans village. This village is a museum, an open-air version that lets tourists peek into the Dutch past, and tradition with its authentic windmills and historic wooden houses, barns, and workshops dating back to the 17th & 18th centuries. This small village is famous for its highly recognizable, green-painted wooden architecture that actually defines the Dutch countryside.
So while walking to Zaanse Schans, I obviously took some photos of Zaandijk.
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The direction to Zaanse Schans was an easy, straight road. From far away I was able to see a glimpse of one windmill. During my walk to Zaanse Schans, I saw some something information on the walls about the Molen and Zaan areas. It was about mostly the history of the Zaan area and what to expect in the neighborhood.
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Most of these photos I have taken from the bridge. Under the bridge near Zaanse Schans, there is also a walkway area from where anyone can enjoy the astounding view of both towns. I walked there and spent some time enjoying the beautiful view of windmills and the Dutch countryside.
Zaanse Schans
After entering the Zaanse Schans neighborhood, I was so amazed by the distinctive green wooden houses. It felt unreal because such kinds of houses only belonged in my imagination, so seeing them in front of me was something surprising yet realistic. The village was beautiful, so clean and organized like a picture. Surely the entire trip will take you to explore the history of the 17th and 18th centuries. I was able to feel the history of the Dutch countryside. With hundreds of windmills operating along the river, this region was a hub for wind-powered industries once.
Now this village is carrying that industrial history and culture. History says that due to modernization, this region; especially windmills and wooden traditional houses were at risk of being extinct. So to preserve the history, the Zaanse Schans neighborhood was born and became an open-air museum. Several buildings from the surrounding area were relocated to create a living museum giving visitors a taste of traditional Dutch life.
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It was cold but fortunately not rainy—a normal chilly Dutch day, so I could not complain. Most of the wooden houses in this village have been converted into souvenir shops, museums, coffee shops, and bars. Some of these picturesque green wooden houses have been very well maintained and serve just as an attraction to visitors; some few people still live there, but most of the houses are now used as museums.
I strolled around, enjoying the atmosphere while sitting in the front house gardens. The gardens were still green and nice, though not in flowering season, thus making the village more peaceful and calm.
The village side was big, it took quite some time to walk around the village. There is also a cheese shop and a wooden shoemaker factory. At the cheese shop, I was able to learn about cheese and taste different kinds of cheese. The wooden shoemaker store basically displays how traditional wooden shoes called Klompen were made. It was interesting to watch.
Found these cuties there, they don't care about the people and are very friendly.
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During summer this place gets crowded due to tourists. I was there during spring but still, there were tourists. I enjoyed my time there close to nature even though it's a famous tourist spot.
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It's the best option for people who love the countryside and want to get involved in the rural way of life, and at the same time, enjoy the peaceful beauty of nature. I have to say, I was not very interested in the historical aspect but simply carried away by the very picturesque, postcard-like view. For that moment, one could very easily imagine being transported back in time to the 17th or 18th centuries as though one was part of a living and very vivid painting.
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These photos are reminding me I should go back there again...
Anyway, the last part- here comes the windmills.
Among a thousand windmills, only a few of them are standing there proudly today and carrying the whole history of the 17th and 18th centuries, only one of them is running and open for tourists to visit (of course I visited). Around 1920, there were only 20 windmills left of the 1000 and that made the Zaan district the oldest industrial area in the world. Now this society owns only 13 windmills, all well preserved and in good condition and located within this Zaan district. Some of these Molens were used for making pigmentation, grinding spices, sawing woods, and making paper. The one I visited was Paint Molen where I saw how Molens make natural pigmentation. I will make a separate post for it.
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I took a bunch of photos...
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Tourists can also take boat rides trip on the Zaan River and can enjoy the picturesque view. The entrance fee of the Molen was 5 euros per person back then which I visited. It stays open for a limited number of people.
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All the windmills together from far away look very nice and leave a unique experience for the visitors. This small town is a symbol of the Netherlands as well as displays the historical culture of the community's past.
Would you be interested in visiting such a beautiful and scenic village?
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Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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