Zaanse Schans: The Windmill Village

Holland has one of the best European countrysides, away from the hustle and bustle of it’s most sought-after, capital – city of Amsterdam. You will surely find yourself slowly soaking it up all when you drive through these roads with some spectacular view on each side – lush green pasturelands breathing in fresh air, cows, and sheep grazing about their way, windmills working through the day and a plentiful of canals almost everywhere. There are many Dutch cities & towns where you can either choose to stay or make a day trip to, while staying at Amsterdam – Den Hague, Rotterdam, Geithoorn, Haarlem, Utrecht, Leiden, Delft, Gouda, Maastricht – as its particularly exciting and an enriching experience to take a road trip.

One such great escape from the city of Amsterdam (where we never felt we could stay for more than few hours, but had to stay for few nights) is Zaanse Schans- The windmill village – It has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and houses and Geithoorn – Water village, north of Holland.

Zaans Schans is a living piece of Dutch history- In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was home to around 600 active windmills. However today, among its wooden barns, houses and museums, just 10 windmills are still in operation, grinding oil, spices, and colorings. A day out here is certainly fun and educational.

As quoted by one of the websites–

“You shouldn’t only read about the heritage of the Zaan district, you have to experience it! This is what architect Jaap Schipper must have been thinking when he came up with the plan for the Zaanse Schans in 1946. Starting from 1961, several buildings were transported to the area by road and water. The Zaanse Schans, with its windmills, museums, nature, and culture has become a popular attraction where you can experience up close the industrial history of the Netherlands.”

This post is a collection of all our memories captured during our day trip to Zaanse Schans.