A visit to Zaanse Schans opens the doors to the rich culture of the Netherlands. From the Dutch countryside to working windmills and a clog-making workshop, the place lives to preserve old traditions and customs.
Last updated: June 25, 2025
A Day Trip to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam
Zaanse Schans is an open-air village-museum located within a twenty-minute drive from Amsterdam. Tiny, tidy, and beautiful like most places in the Netherlands, it’s a living monument and preserver of the cultural and historic heritage of the country. A visit to Zaanse Schans brings you closer to the original traditions and customs of the Netherlands.
I must confess Zaanse Schans was my last-minute, spontaneous endeavor. It sounds strange to me now, but I didn’t even know about this little village before traveling to the Netherlands. Only after spending a few days in Amsterdam, I wondered if there was something else I could do before going back to Dublin.
Google kept showing Zaanse Schans. Displaying different windmills from various angles, the search engine insisted that it was one of the best cultural day trips from Amsterdam. I didn’t need any other persuasion. The next morning, I booked a Viator tour and was on my way to the village-museum.
How to Get to Zaanse Schans
The close proximity of Zaanse Schans to Amsterdam makes it a perfect full or half-day trip from the city. You can visit the village on your own or as a member of a small tour group. There are a few options on how you can get to Zaanse Schans.
- Bus. Buses are one of the easiest ways to reach the place from Amsterdam Centraal (central train station). It takes approximately forty minutes to get to the cultural village.
- Train. You can also take a train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station. The journey takes approximately 17 minutes. Upon arrival at the station, you need to walk for another ten minutes to get to the center of the village.
- Guided Tours. Guided tours include round-trip shared transfer and local guides.
- Car. You can also rent a car and visit the area at your convenient time.
- Bicycle. On a good day, it’s possible to bike to Zaanse Schans. Take a ferry from Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam-Noord and start your journey. Make sure to have a map with you.
THINGS TO DO IN ZAANSE SCHANS
1. Learn about Green Houses
Despite its authentic look, Zaanse Schans is not an original Dutch village. The place was built in the 60s – early 70s of the 20th century as the open museum of Dutch history. During this time, old buildings from all over the Zaanstreek were moved here. The houses were transferred using lowboy trailers. Some structures were disassembled into parts with specific numbers and assembled to their original states in Zaanse Schans.
Thus, even though the location is not original, everything, including the famous green houses of the village, is authentic. And unlike in any regular museum, these structures don’t just fulfill a decorating role. The majority of them are occupied by real Dutch that don’t like ill-mannered visitors peeking into their abodes through the windows.
2. Visit a Working Windmill
The Dutch are proud of their history. They preserve their cultural heritage and pass it down from generation to generation. Therefore 90% of the windmills in the Netherlands are still in working conditions.
A visit to Zaanse Schans serves as the irrefutable evidence of it. From De Kat, the last paint windmill in the world, to De Zoeker, and De Bonte Hen, the windmills keep turning their sails from working places to sought-after cultural destinations.
3. Sample Cheese at Catharina Hoeve
One thing is certain, a trip to the cultural village won’t leave you hungry. After exploring and admiring the famous windmills, head over to Catharina Hoeve, an authentic 17th century cheese farm.
Here you’re welcome to join a short presentation about the history of the farm where you’ll learn how the world famous Gouda cheese is produced in accordance with the old Dutch recipe. The presentation is concluded with a cheese tasting session at the farm’s shop.
4. Get a Pair of Clogs at Kooijman Wooden Shoe Workshop
Clogs are another essential part of Dutch culture. Even today a real Dutchman has at least one pair of these wooden shoes. As a reminder of your visit to Zaanse Schans, you can get your own pair of the traditional clogs at Kooijman Wooden Shoe Workshop. In case your true-size clogs don’t fit in your suitcase, settle for decorative mini clogs or Dutch authentic wooden shoes in the key-chain form.
TIP: Be sure to attend a shoe-making demonstration to see how the traditional clogs are made.
