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    Zaanse Schans

    4.4 (117 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Sapna S.

    If you're ever in Amsterdam I highly recommend a visit to Zaanse Schans. It's a quick 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal, just 4 stops away. You can use Apple Pay to buy your tickets on the train. From the train station it's about a 20 minute walk to get to the town. You'll see beautiful windmills and lots of greenery. There's 6 windmills you can see and take pictures in front of. For a fee you can take a tour of the inside of one. A visit to the Catharina Hoeve cheese museum is a must! You'll go through the process of making cheese and end in the store with endless amounts of free cheese samples. They have the most unique flavors, such as coconut and cheese. My next stop was the clog museum, where you'll learn the history of clog shoes and end with a 5-8 minute demonstration of how one is made. There's a delicious ice cream stand as well. I recommend the vanilla in a come with the candied nuts! The Zaanse Schaan's museum is there as well, but I didn't have time to stop by. Plenty of picture spots are available. Perfect half day trip from Amsterdam for sure!

    Kaylin G.

    We did the cheese & clog tour up to Zaanse Schans. The experience at Zaanse Schans was great! You get to walk on your own while exploring the windmills, shops, and snack areas. However, our experience at the cheese and clog shops was very rushed unfortunately, with only 30 minutes there before going to see the windmills. I would honestly not even recommend the cheese tour as the cheese is the same one in the store at the windmills, with the same tasting experience, just missing the knowledge of how it is made in the machines (which they explain for 5 minutes at the tour). I honestly think it would be best to take the bus up to Zaanse Schans and explore at your own pace and be able to stay for as long as you please, as you can still purchase clogs and cheese at the windmills. Otherwise, the experience was absolutely wonderful and I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Amsterdam to have a day out of the city!

    Museum for wooden shoes
    Michael J.

    We visited the Wooden Shoe Workshop at Zaanse Schans, and it was a fun, eye-opening stop during my Netherlands trip. A beautiful place and charming open-air museum, it's surrounded by windmills along the Zaans River, with green marsh fields ,sheep, and historic homes creating a perfect postcard view of the old Dutch life. HISTORY : The windmills date back to the 1700s-1800s, when over 600 powered industries like oil pressing and sawing--thanks to the clever inventions like the crankshaft. HISTORY LESSON OVER.. Anyhoo...Strolling the paths felt magical, like time travel to traditional Holland. Unfortunately, the rude people surrounding the area made for a less than magical experience. The workshop demo was the highlight: a shoe cobbler shaped a wooden clog from poplar wood in minutes using hand tools. These sturdy shoes handled surrounding swampy land for centuries, now sold as colorful souvenirs. Free entry, but the shop's prices add up. Crowds can be busy, rude and some of the mills charge, but the mix of history, craft, and scenery makes it worth it. Solid spot for a quick cultural dive! Plus they have this big azz shoe in the front.

    Emily N.

    Oh goodness was this place soo cute!!! It has everything quintessential Netherlands, clogs, cheese and windmills. No charge to enter, parking is very limited. We took a train and bus. The bus stop is right outside the entrance which is very convenient.

    Helene S.

    Loved our morning visit to Zaanse Schans on a sunny summer day. Used the I Amsterdam Card for a transfer discount and entry into the museums and windmills. Zaanse Schans is famous for its collection of historic windmills and wooden houses. Two of the seven windmills are in their original location, but five others have been moved here for preservation. From the 1960s to 1970s, other wooden structures were moved here to create a protected village scene. It is so charming. The name Zaans Schans is derived from the Zaans River and the Dutch word Schans which means sconce as a protection against the Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War for Dutch Independence. Nice to be able to go inside a couple of the windmills to see how they work. Fun to visit several of the restored houses and learn about life in the region. The cheese house offers fun photo ops and delicious samples. The clog house is filled with so many clogs as well as an oversized clog that just welcomes you to stand inside for a picture. The weavers house and cooperage are also interesting. To learn more about the region as well as the function of the windmills, visit the Zaans Museum. It is also on the I Amsterdam Card. So easy to see how masters like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh were inspired by the beauty of this reason to paint masterpieces. Even Peter the Great visited this region incognito to learn more about ship-making. If you want to see windmills near Amsterdam, this is a must see on a trip to The Netherlands. So beautiful.

    Rebecca V.

    sooooo gorgeous! i wanna go back boooooo!! it's such a beautiful town and he windmills are so cool!! there are so many little shops around and it's really cool to explore! they had a clog store and there was a guy who made one as a demonstration, super cool!! there was also this delicious cheese museum/store! they had cheese samples and there were SO many good ones! really wish i bought some they were so good.

    Sunil R.

    This was a great recommendation by my local friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the half day we spent here. There are a lot of small museums and the village is beautiful. The train station is a 15 minute walk from here.

    George L.

    One of the only traditional windmills left in the Netherlands, Zaanse Schans is a nice half day trip to Amsterdam for the family. You could take the tour or train to get here, but I recommend the bus tour since you can learn more about the cheese making and the purpose of the windmills (turns out it's for grinding expensive, natural dyes). The tour take you through to the cheese process and traditional shoemaking process, which is nice to watch and has a lot of Dutch Culture explained if you're into that. There is an opportunity to get on top of one of the windmills for €5 euros if you want a view. If you want to go back to the 17th century Netherlands, this is more for you. Also, the ducks here will come right to you expecting food haha.

    Erich L.

    Good place to visit outside of Amsterdam. You can see some windmills and living history type of traditional Dutch life. It's easy enough to get there from central station by train and then walk 20 minutes to get there. Note that there is no entrance like a theme park. You go to individual stands that each charge a fee of about 5 euros. The city cards have admissions included. I could have stayed longer I was there for about 3-4 hours. They have stores, a cheese shop and more.

    Map of the area.
    Tony H.

    This was about a 30 minutes train ride from Amsterdam, perfect little half day trip to checkout the beautiful scenery. There are some shops about clogs, cheese farm, and windmills. Great way to spend a morning/afternoon outside the city. This area is a must do if you're around Amsterdam.

    April M.

    This is my first time in Holland and first time visiting Zaanse Schans. They showed us how they make the wooden shoes. Wonderful visit! Beautiful shoes! 10/10 would definitely visit again!

    Juan B.

    The perfect getaway from the main city of Amsterdam to see a few working windmills! We came by ourselves and opted not to book a tour which we were grateful for because we went at our own pace and didn't feel like we were stuck on the tour's time frame. You could go up a couple of the windmills. We went on the first one which used to be a windmill for spices and colored powder used for dyes. It had a great view. There's also a cheese store with plenty of cheese tastings as well as some farm animals. On the other side of the row of windmills, there were some cute shops like a make your own hot chocolate store, an antique store, a souvenir store, and a clog store! It's definitely an Instagrammers paradise. It's a nice break from Amsterdam and a quick trip. Make sure to go early in the morning so you can avoid the large tour buses that tend to come in packs around 11 am!

    Alexander H.

    The Netherlands, that's Tulips, Windmills, Amsterdam. Of course it's a lot more, but these are the things that always come to mind. It wasn't Tulip season when we've visited The Netherlands, so we decided to look at some windmills. There are countless windmills all over the country. But this place here has several in one place. In a nice location by the water. And with lots of other things to see. So it's really an interesting package. The entrance to the open-air park/museum is free. The Zaans Museum costs extra as do some other several smaller museums and shows. But also many of the arts & crafts shops and displays are free to visit. It's a nice and easy walk along the windmills. It's all flat and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. In the village I recommend to have a closer looks at the Wooden Shoe Workshop and the Cheese Farm (with a lot more cheese varieties than you'd think). And of course there's a souvenir shop as well, but other shops offer wonderful products and items as well. Feeling a bit hungry or thirsty? There's a Café on site. There are several cute bridges crossing the small canals in the village. And there are lots of photo op: Huge wooden shoes, the windmills from every possible angle, the farm animals, the bridges. You really need some time on your hands if you want to really enjoy and explore the area. We surely did. The windmills are fascinating and impressive. It's just a beautiful construction to look at. We really enjoyed our visit here. It's stunning that the open-air park is indeed free to visit. And dogs are allowed as well. We had a great day here. Loved it.

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    Zaanse Schans Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Zaanse Schans

    Only about 30-45 minutes from Amsterdam, it showcases some national heritage and specialty goods of Holland.

    Mentioned in 47 reviews

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    Rijksmuseum - Hendrick Avercamp "Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters"

    Rijksmuseum

    4.5(490 reviews)
    13.4 kmMuseumkwartier, Zuid

    First of all, if you appreciate museums at all, this is a must-see place in Amsterdam!!…read more Yesterday morning we lined up at about 8:50 before museum opening at 9. We had purchased tickets online ahead of time and figured the earlier the better. We spent 3.5 hours here and made sure to see every aspect, spending more or less time in exhibits depending on our interest. The gift shop is extensive and worth a look around as well. There's a restaurant and cafe as well which look great. Getting a map as you enter is helpful. The museum is subdivided by floor (0 through 3), and time period, with 1900-2000 on the top floor. There's a coat check if you wish on the 0 floor, alongside the bathrooms. May I mention that I love that most public bathrooms here are stalls with floor-to-ceiling doors?! The privacy is much nicer, and the doorknob indicates vacant/occupied so you don't have people looking at your feet to decide if it's empty. lol. We experienced the galleries basically in chronological order. The special collections are cool in that they are historical artifacts, lovingly preserved, such as old swords/guns, locks/keys, tea services, clothing and glassware, to name a few. My favorite artifact was a chessboard which had animal images subtly etched into the metal of each space. (See photo). We spent a good chunk of time in the 1300s galleries, where the sculptures, paintings, and artwork often depicted scenes from Jesus' life, Biblical stories, or morality themes. One sculpture was of the two thieves on Jesus' either side during the crucifixion, showing one of them with an angel above his shoulders because he was headed to heaven. The Great Hall in between the main wings of the museum is a gorgeous expansive space with high vaulted ceilings, and floor to ceiling stained glass windows along one wall, paying tribute to the great painters, philosophers, architects, and musicians of Europe. There's an entire room full of elaborate 5- foot tall dollhouses that women of high class households (in the 1650s) would spend time curating, collecting, and creating , as a pastime and perhaps to save their husbands' the expense of renovating their actual homes. They had area rugs, wallpaper, the works! The Rijksmuseum opened in 1885, and is a historical monument worthy of patronage. Highly recommend!!!

    I'm lucky enough to live right by the Rijksmuseum, so I see it every day, and let me tell you--it…read morenever loses its magic. Whether you're here for the Dutch Masters or just the stunning architecture, it's a world-class experience. The Museumkaart is a must: If you're planning on visiting more than 3-4 museums in the NL, get the Museum Card. The cost savings are huge. Even with the card, you have to reserve your time slot online in advance. Don't show up hoping to wing it; the popular slots vanish fast. When you're exiting or walking through the tunnel that goes under the building, watch out for the bike path! It's a major, high-speed commuter route for locals. It's easy to get distracted by the beautiful arches, but those cyclists don't play. Look both ways before you step out! It's the crown jewel of the Museumplein for a reason. Don't miss it.

    Photos
    Rijksmuseum - Paintings and furniture from the mid-1700s

    Paintings and furniture from the mid-1700s

    Rijksmuseum - Rembrandt van Rijn "Jeremiah lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem"

    Rembrandt van Rijn "Jeremiah lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem"

    Rijksmuseum - Jugs and pottery

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    Jugs and pottery

    Zaanse Schans - parks - Updated May 2026

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