Discovering Zaanse Schans, the City of Mills
Windmills with blades moved by the wind, blue skies towering over wide plains and fields of colorful tulips: this is the most classic postcard of Holland, and the best place to admire it is to reach Zaanse Schans, a picturesque village just a stone’s throw from the capital Amsterdam.
When one decides to plan a trip to the Netherlands, the first thing one thinks of is setting a stop in must-see Amsterdam, which literally enchants visitors with its UNESCO World Heritage-listed canals, elegant buildings lining the Amstel River and museums dedicated to great artists such as Van Gogh. Also worth seeing is Rotterdam, reborn after World War II and now a modern destination with Piet Blom’s Cubic Houses and the Erasmusburg Bridge.
Yet a stone’s throw from Amsterdam and Rotterdam itself lies one of the most iconic villages in all of the Netherlands: it is Zaanse Schans nicknamed the City of Mills.
Zaanse Schans: historical background on the City of Mills
Zaanse Schans is a small village consisting of about 40 or so cottages located 20 kilometers from Amsterdam, northeast of the capital and in fact part of the neighboring town of Zaandam. What made and still makes Zaanse Schans one of the most visited tourist spots in the country is the presence of the iconic windmills built along the banks of the Zaan River: this is why Zaanse Schans has become part of the circuit that goes by the name of “European Route of Industrial Heritage”, which brings together major industrial archaeological sites from across the European continent.
Today there are little more than a dozen windmills, but in the past there were nearly 1,000: their construction occurred in response to increasingly frequent and pressing demands from neighboring Amsterdam, engaged in fervent trade.
From the late 1600s, people began to build mills in the Zaanstreek area, where there was an abundance of space but especially of water and wind. Gradually, therefore, a thriving industrial area developed, to which a certain Cornelius Corneliszoon, the owner of one of the mills, a native of Uitgeest who lived between the 1500s and 1600s, gave a decisive impetus.
The man decided to install the tree at the various elbows of his windmill, which he operated as a sawmill: in doing so, his production increased greatly, becoming an example for other mill owners.
The preservation and ongoing maintenance of the Zaanse Schans mills is entrusted today to the Zaan Mills Association: this body was founded by Frans Mars in 1925. Indeed, the artist realized that the ancient buildings of Zaanse Schans, losing relevance economically and productively, would soon fall into oblivion, deteriorating and slowly falling into disrepair, thus leading the Netherlands to lose a fundamentally important cultural memory. Frans Mars then decided to establish the Mill Museum in 1928 and initiate a series of restorations that have enabled the preservation and conservation of the mills.
Today, the windmills of Zaanse Schans are one of the most important tourist attractions in the Netherlands, while the very area where they stand has retained its industrial vocation: one need only turn one’s gaze from the windmills to the other side of the Zaan River to catch a glimpse of modern industries, complete with tall chimneys, testifying to the economic importance of this corner of the Netherlands.
How to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam and Rotterdam
The car is the most independent way to reach the City of Mills Zaanse Schans, and just follow the road signs from Amsterdam through the flat Dutch countryside, only about 20 km away, to the village, then park and continue on foot.
The Sprinte train takes about 15 minutes and is a viable alternative: travelers in this case should leave from Amsterdam Central Station and proceed to Uitgeest and get off at the Koog-Zandijk-Zaanse Schans stop, from which it will be enough to walk about 20 minutes to reach the mills.
Those who prefer the bus should board the Connexxion Bus No. 391, also known as the Heritage Line: it operates every weekday from 5:00 a.m. until 11:54 p.m., avoiding overnight trips.
It is also possible to reach Zaanse Schans by bicycle, riding along the approximately 16-kilometer bike path and then parking your vehicle in the bike racks provided. Ferries from companies such as Zaanferry also depart from Amsterdam to the City of Mills: departure is from De Rijterrkade, at the pier northwest of Amsterdam’s Central Station.
Starting from Rotterdam, on the other hand, one can travel to Zaanse Schans by bus via Amsterdam first, however, or by train from Rotterdam Station in a journey of about 1 hour and 17 minutes, thus covering a distance of 85 km.
What to see in ZaanseSchans
Not all of the windmills in Zaanse Schans can be visited, such as De Huisman, recognizable by the inscription “De Echte Zaanse Mosterd, “ its octagonal plan and large blades. Excellent mustard, which can be bought locally and is loved all over the world, is still produced here: in the past tobacco was ground, and it was only when it was no longer so readily available that they focused on spices first and then on mustard.
The sawmills of Zaanse Schans are De Gekroonde and the newer Het Jonge Schaap rebuilt in 2007: the former, green in color, strikes visitors because it consists of a building located on a roller ring, with turning of the entire structure and the blades themselves.
Among the oldest mills is De Bleeke Dood, located in a more decentralized location away from the river banks: wheat was once ground there to make flour for bread, and although it cannot be visited inside, it is possible to buy a fragrant loaf of bread in the adjacent oven. Equally old, dating back to 1664, is De Kat, the iconic mill of the Zaanse Schans site: since its inception, despite a fire in 1782, it has been in constant operation, supplying color pigments to companies and museums around the world. The mill can be visited and you can also get to the terrace to enjoy a beautiful view of the entire Mill City.
Also not to be missed are the Da Hadel windmills and De Windhond: in any case, all Zaanse Schans windmills, between the months of November and February, can only be visited on weekends.
Then one cannot miss a tour of the typical 17th-18th century village where there is no shortage of a distillery, a bakery, artisan stores including one that has been making authentic Dutch clogs since 1780. Finally, don’t miss a visit to the Zaan Museum & Verkade Paviljonen, an exhibition space complete with old machinery still in working order and featuring a cocoa factory and the famous Verkade cookies.
