Complete Guide to Zaanse Schans
Plan your visit to Zaanse Schans, home to the Netherlands' iconic windmills, with tips on what to see and how to get there.
Zaanse Schans: where the windmills still turn
Step into a living, working village of historic Dutch windmills
Zaanse Schans is the Netherlands at its most iconic - a cluster of working windmills turning slowly against the sky, wooden green houses lining the riverbank, and the smell of fresh stroopwafels drifting from the bakery. Unlike a museum, this is a living village: the windmills still grind spices, saw wood, and press oil today, just as they have for centuries.
Top things to do in Zaanse Schans
- 1
Step inside a working windmill to see it in action
- 2
Visit a traditional Dutch cheese farm and clog workshop
- 3
Walk along the Zaan riverbank past the historic green houses
- 4
Sample fresh stroopwafels made in front of you
- 5
Photograph the windmills at golden hour for the classic shot
Be Inspired and Plan Your Visit
Deciding when and how to fit Zaanse Schans into your trip? These will help:
Zaanse Schans on the map
Other popular towns & things to see
Combine your visit with the fishing villages of Volendam & Marken, or head back toward Amsterdam via the historic canals of Utrecht.
Amsterdam
Canals, museums and the heart of the Dutch capital
Giethoorn
The car-free canal village known as the Venice of the North
Keukenhof
The world's largest flower garden, open every spring
Volendam & Marken
Traditional fishing villages on the IJsselmeer
Tulip Fields
The Netherlands' iconic bulb fields, in full bloom each spring