Insider’s Guide to Zaandam, Netherlands

Zaandam is best known as the gateway to Zaanse Schans, one of the most popular and beloved heritage sites in the Netherlands. The world-famous Dutch open-air museum, situated just outside central Zaandam, might be the primary reason to visit this part of the Netherlands, but it certainly is not the only one.

In fact, Zaandam, Netherlands, is an excellent base for exploring North Holland—the most quintessentially Dutch province the country has to offer. Zaandam lies smack-dab in the middle of North Holland’s endless pastoral countryside. Think green farmland dotted with cows and sheep, wild flower fields, and verdant gardens, as well as bucolic “typically Dutch” polderland and sleepy harbor scenery.

Zaandam makes for a wonderful stop on any Netherlands itinerary. Here are the best expert tips for enjoying the area.

Why Visit Zaandam

Zaandam Center

North of Amsterdam, Zaandam is home to the iconic Zaanse Schans open-air museum and its famous windmills. The city is also the gateway to the incredibly charming and scenic province of North Holland.

Noord-Holland, or North Holland, wraps around Amsterdam like a flower wreath. Across the region, industrial heritage centers mingle with flat, water-logged terrain. Branching out from the calming narrows of the Zaan River, which flows through the region, are canals, quays, and polders—dyke areas drained and artificially controlled over centuries.

Zaanse Schans

Zaandam is the largest and main city of what’s known as the Zaan river region. Zaan is a last remaining vestige of the Netherlands’ 17th- and 18th-century industry boom, and holds the claim to fame of being one of Europe’s earliest industrial areas.

Along the river, you’ll find preserved landmarks that reveal the Dutch engineering and craftsmanship that once powered the Netherlands’ high trade. In Zaandam and this part of North Holland, you’ll find the beloved historic Dutch industrial windmills—many still turning today— jutting out everywhere across the rustic, storybook landscape.

Wildlife & Nature

Zaanse Schans

Despite its close proximity to Amsterdam, Zaandam is a small, quiet city firmly grounded in the Zaan region’s polderland. The flat, fertile marshland here has shaped Dutch water management over generations. North Holland’s low-lying wetlands are a prime habitat for bird wildlife, and especially herons, seasonal migratory birds, as well as ducks and songbirds, which love to poke around reed beds and meadow grasses.

Thanks to water management, the reclaimed soil is also, perhaps unexpectedly, replete with flora treasures: aqua-loving wildflowers such as water buttercups, water mint, and marsh marigold, as well as pollarded willows and cattails rule the landscape. Polder walks are a lovely, relaxing activity during which you can take in every detail of the land’s flora and fauna.

History & Culture

Zaanse Schans

Zaandam and its verdant, grassy surroundings have been shaped by centuries of Dutch industry and water management. The Zaan region has been inhabited since the early Middle Ages, despite historically rather precarious conditions of living here, as the land sits well below sea level. Maintaining and draining reclaimed land has been a generational struggle throughout the Netherlands, but especially in these parts.

Despite this, Zaan has a fierce reputation for being a Dutch manufacturing powerhouse and is one of the world’s oldest industrial areas. Today, countless polders, dikes, trenches, and waterways around Zaandam are a living testament to Dutch innovation.

Zaanse Schans

The history of Zaan, one of Europe’s first industrial regions, centers upon wind-powered mills.

During its 17th- and 18th-century heyday, the Zaan region overcame many challenges to become an early European industrial powerhouse. During this time, it is estimated that there were more than 600 windmills employed to produce flour, timber, paints, and oil for the nearby city of Amsterdam, at the time the largest port in the world.

Through this shipping trade along the Zaan River, connecting North Holland to the IJ River and Amsterdam, industrial centers such as Zaandam became highly important in shaping Dutch history.

The Zaan region was home to the world’s largest timber port in the 16th and 17th centuries, and as a result, the paper industry flourished here as well. And here’s a fun aside: some believe that the United States´ Declaration of Independence was written on paper that originally came from the Zaan Region.

Tips for Visiting Zaandam

Zaandam Center

A bicycle is sure to be your best friend in Zaandam. While the city center is compact and walkable, you’ll need a set of wheels to get out of the city to visit Zaanse Schans and freely explore the region’s natural spoils.

Hiring a bike and pedaling from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans is easy. The entire journey only takes about 90 minutes. Starting from Amsterdam Central Station, you take the ferry—it’s free of charge, including with a bicycle. The route, heading northwest through Amsterdam Noord, is a very pretty, flat 10-mile ride around charming countryside homes and green expanses.

Zaanse Schans

Before heading to Zaandam, purchase the Zaanse Schans Card online. It offers excellent sightseeing value, including access to the Zaans Museum—a must-visit for understanding regional history—as well as the Weaver’s House, Museum Zaanse Tijd, Heritage Chambres Kalverringdijk, Windmill Museum, two mills of your choice, and the digital audio tour. Other landmarks are free to enter.

Consider staying overnight in Zaandam to avoid any time pressure. While most travelers initially plan to visit Zaanse Schans for a couple of hours, many wind up staying much longer. The busy attraction is a big hit on weekends, attracting many school excursions and tour groups.

Even more so, visiting Zaanse Schans takes time due to the large number of activities on offer—from exploring old windmills to watching craftspeople meticulously at work, losing yourself in this immersive “time travel” is essential to the experience.

Things to Do & Attractions

Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans

The fabulous open-air museum Zaanse Schans is the region’s claim to fame. On the Zaan riverbanks, next to Zaandam, the heritage site is a blast from the past, boasting traditional wooden houses, interactive workshops, and museums galore.

Seemingly endless activities include visiting a wooden clog factory, watching cheese-makers working in period costume, and admiring a pewter-smith. Most famously, though, Zaanse Schans is one of the best places to visit in the Netherlands to see twirling historic windmills in action and even go inside them.

Zaanse Schans

In the 20th century, Zaanse Schans was born out of a local initiative to stop decommissioned windmills from being demolished. Today, the historic preservation area encompasses much more landmass as a recreated 17th-century village, which has been transported in from all corners of the Netherlands. The name “Zaanse Schans” derives from an older moniker, “Kalverschans,” reflecting when Zaan residents held off the Spanish here during the Eighty Years’ War.

Despite being one of the Netherlands’ most popular attractions, Zaanse Schans still retains its rustic charm. Along the waterway, eight windmills are mostly still functioning. Zaanse Schans’ “windmill gallery” is tended to by enthusiastic local volunteers who happily explain the structures’ history. The best part of a visit to Zaanse Schans is exploring these authentic structures and discovering their vast inner workings firsthand.

De Kat

Each windmill has its own characteristic history. De Kat is the most-visited mill, and still manufactures paint and pigment; you can climb up inside for a spectacular panoramic view. De Zoeker and De Bonte Hen are both oil mills, while De Huisman, a former spice mill, now makes a famous mustard.

The Bleeke Dood, or “Pale Death,” flour mill is currently closed, but you can still see it from outside. It’s the oldest windmill in the Netherlands. The sawmill Het Klaverblad is only open by appointment—if you’d like to go inside, reach out to Zaanse Schans ahead of time via its website.

Strolling Zaandam Center

Zaandam Center

Zaandam’s small historic city center offers a lovely chance to stroll around and take in Zaan’s traditional architecture. Gabled, wooden homes painted in deep greens—once derived from cheap, locally made copper paint—are unique to this Dutch region.

Food ​​& Drink

Dutch fries with Zaanse mayonnaise

Zaandam manufacturers have played an integral role in shaping the Netherlands’ food industry by processing imported goods in windmills and later factories. Today, the city is still known for producing condiments such as thick, tangy “Zaanse mayonnaise” and De Huisman’s famous coarse, grainy mustard produced and sold at Zaanse Schans. Some also say Zaandam smells like chocolate now and then, thanks to several cocoa factories roasting and grinding imported beans along the Zaan.

While in Zaandam, swing by a grocery store and pack a picnic lunch to enjoy around pastureland. Excellent takeaway restaurants are also a Zaandam specialty, including the sandwich shop Boer Geert and the Surinamese joint De Roti Loods.

Best Time to Visit

Zaanse Schans

Spring is the best time to visit Zaandam to see flower fields and meadows in bloom, as well as for birdwatching. During summer, you’ll see the region looking its greenest; while longer days are great for exploring the countryside, Zaanse Schans is very crowded at this time.

During autumn, Zaanse Schans is much less busy, and rusty foliage has a special charm. In winter, Zaandam is known for the cozy vibes of small Dutch pubs and eateries. At bakeries, festive treats such as fried dough balls and apple beignets are a highlight not only for Christmas, but also for Easter.

FAQs

Zaanse Schans

Now that you’re equipped with the perfect strategy for admiring windmills and picturesque landscapes just outside of Amsterdam, plan your travels by browsing Celebrity’s river cruises to Amsterdam.