Mills at the Zaanse Schans
Come and see the beautiful Dutch windmills located in the ”Zaanse Schans” near Amsterdam. The delightful Zaanse Schans is full of windmills, flowers, craftwork and museums. The landscape with the pead meadows and unacountable waterways is beautiful. The Zaanse Schans lies on the Zaan. A historical waterway that flows from the North Sea to the IJsselmeer. This is a beautiful green area, located 10 km from Amsterdam in the province of Noord Holland. In the old days at least 600 mills where working at the same time on Zaanse Schans. Nowadays some industrial mills are still working.
The Zaanse Schans area is a unique residential and work area with lots of waterways, dikes and dams, green houses, warehouses and mills. People live and work on Zaanse Schans. It is a real community. Not only a tourist attraction. There are musea in the windmills. You can visit old craft centers. Or you just walk around and discover what is going on in the windmills. You get all the information you need at an information centre. In Amsterdam you can book a boattrip to this area.
Visit a Windmill
A visit to an old wooden mill is a very impressive experience. These mills saw timber and grind flour, oil and spices. When you visit these working industrial mills on the Zaanse Schans people like to tell you about the productionproces. In some mills you can go to the roof of the mill. The area Zaanse Schans gives you an idea about what the landscape looked like in the 17th and 18th century. Between the wooden houses, warehouses and mills you are back in history.
Craftsmen making cheese and wooden shoes
There are crafts demonstrations and workshops in the traditional way in several mills, farms and warehouses.
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- Pewter foundry in the Tinkoepel
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- Liqueur Distillery in the Tweekoppige Phoenixa;
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- A delicious demonstration of making chocolate-making in the Cocoa Labartorium;
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- Cheese farm in the Catharina Hoeve;
- Wooden shoe workshop at the De Vreede
Pead Meadows and wetlands
On the soft pead meadow ground wood was the best buildingmaterial for houses, warehouses and mills. The meadows give this region the a unique green apperance. Since the sixties mills and houses are restored and moved from other villages nearby to Zaanse Schans.
I want to ride my bicycle
When you go to the Zaanse Schans the best way to pay a visit to the windmills is by bike. Rent a bike. Enjoy a tour through this beautiful domain. Holland is flat as a pancake so you dont have to worry about hights. There are well signalled bicycle routes that you can follow. Or just follow youre own way. It is difficult to get lost. You always find your way back to Zaanse Schans.
This area is one of the top attractions of Holland. You don’t want to miss it. Also in wintertime it’s a beautiful place to visit. If the weather cooperates you can skate around the mills and take pictures in the snow..
