The best wooden windmills 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 unaccountable 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.

Imagine standing there, the wind in your hair, as these majestic windmills turn their blades full-on. They’re not grinding corn, they’re grinding to their own rhythm, showing off their impressive moves like it’s a windmill party that would make even the most seasoned barn owl envious.

And let’s not forget the picturesque surroundings. It’s like a postcard from a time when windmills were the coolest contraptions in town. They’ve got more charm than a basket of kittens and more history than your grandpa’s old dusty books. It’s as if the windmills are saying, “Hey, modern world, we’re still here, and we’re still rocking it!”

Historic windmills at Zaanse Schans

In the old days, at least 600 mills were 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, greenhouses, warehouses, and mills. People live and work on Zaanse Schans. It is a real community. Not only a tourist attraction. There are museums 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 center. In Amsterdam, you can book a boat trip to this area or simply take the train.

So, if you ever find yourself at Zaanse Schans, prepare to be blown away – not just by the wind, but by the sheer awesomeness of windmills that know how to party like it’s 1699!

Visit Windmills at Zaanse Schans that grind spices, oil or flour

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 production process. In some mills, you can go to the roof of the mill. The area of Zaanse Schans gives you an idea of what the landscape looked like in the 17th and 18th centuries. Between the wooden houses, warehouses, and mills you are back in history.

Near the Windmills at Zaanse Schans craftsmen make cheese and wooden shoes

There are crafts demonstrations and workshops in the traditional way in several mills, farms, and warehouses.
1. Pewter foundry in the Tinkoepel
2. Liqueur Distillery in the Tweekoppige Phoenixa
3. A delicious demonstration of chocolate-making in the Cocoa Laboratory
4. Cheese farm in the Catharina Hoeve
5. Wooden shoe workshop at the De Vreede.

Around the Windmills you find pead meadows and wetlands

On the soft pead meadow, ground wood was the best building material for houses, warehouses, and mills.  The meadows give this region a unique green appearance. Since the sixties mills and houses were restored and moved from other villages nearby to Zaanse Schans.

Ride a bicycle around the Windmills at 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.

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 don’t have to worry about heights. There are well-signaled bicycle routes that you can follow. Or just follow your own way. It is difficult to get lost. You always find your way back to Zaanse Schans.

While you are at Zaanse Schans a visit to the nearby UNESCO Beemster area is also recommended.
→ UNESCO Beemster, near Zaanse Schans