The Windmills of Zaanse Schans

The moment I arrived in Zaanse Schans, I was in awe of the authentic vibe, picturesque views and unique windmills. Once upon a time, there were over 600 windmills working to keep the economy running.To get to the village from the train station is a fift...

History of windmills

Dutch started building windmills as early as 1,200 A.D for grinding grains. In the 19th century, there were more than 9,000 windmills in the country. However, only about 1200 exist today since fewer and fewer windmills are being used and maintained. These gentle giants were abandoned when steam power took over and one didn’t have to wait for the wind to blow. When steam was introduced, the workers didn’t need to stay up at night and wait for the winds and eventually many of the windmills fell into disarray and decay.

Understanding the Clogs

After a tour of the windmills, it was time to delve deeper into the Dutch history through its wooden shoes. I wandered around (in the gentle drizzle, unaware that i could, after all, borrow an umbrella from any of the shops) admiring the historical bu...

Other things to see and do in Zaanse Schans

Useful information

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Zaanse Schans is from April to November when the sun is out, and it isn’t raining.However, to avoid the crowds visit before 10:00 a.m. or between 4-6 pm.Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the quiet days.In the low season, not all the attractions remain open throughout the week and opening times vary.Certain attractions remain closed on Mondays, so bear this in mind when scheduling a visit.Alternatively, you can plan a day trip to a Dutch village without roads.