Visit to Veteran Windmills: Zaanse Schans… Amsterdam is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to traveling to the Netherlands, and this is one of the first places to visit in Amsterdam. Zaanse Schans is a place of fairy tale beauty beyond being a town in its own right… It is almost an open-air museum where you can taste the delicious Dutch cheeses, witness cheese making, and meet the village and farm life of the Netherlands.

Transport

About 20 km from Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is connected to the city of Zaandam. There are many alternatives for transportation from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans. You can reach the colorful windmills in just 15-20 minutes with a bus ride that takes approximately 40 minutes, or with the Koog Zaandijk train departing from Amsterdam Centraal Station for those who say they don’t have time. When you come to Zaanse Schans, be sure to get a map and find your route. If you wish, you can also stop by the bike rental point and evaluate the long and short tour options.

History of the Region

When you see the historical windmills and wooden houses, you feel that this place has a history of hundreds of years. The town of Zaanse Schans, one of the first settlements in the Netherlands, was built in the 18th century. Many houses have moved. Until 1993, village houses, farms, windmills, tiny ports and roads were built. In those years, windmills provided water drainage in the Netherlands, most of which was below sea level.

In Zaanse Schans, which had more than a thousand windmills in its time, there are 10 windmills under protection today, each of which is used for different purposes. In addition to paint production, woodworking, oil and cocoa production, you can visit some of the windmills that serve as warehouses for free, and some for a fee.

In Zaanse Schans, which is completely outside our understanding of the “village”, you come across houses with well-kept and glamorous gardens, museums with surprising history, and tiny shops.

MUSEUMS

Albert Heijn Museum Shop

Amsterdam, you are probably the birthplace of the Albert Heijn grocery chain, which you will see on every corner! This wooden house from that time is a cute place with its furniture and green color that will create a wonderful backdrop for the photos. The entrance to the market, which was established in 1887 and turned into a museum, is free.

Honig Breethuis House

In this house , named after the Honig family who lived here in the 1800s, you have the opportunity to witness the local village life of the Netherlands up close. You can also examine the home decoration from those years with many details.

The Zaanse Time Museum

is a museum that deals with the “clock” culture, which has undergone changes from centuries ago to the present day. Those who are interested in watches should definitely see it.

Zaanse Museum

This is exactly where that delicious chocolate smell comes from! Those who want to take a closer look at the history of biscuit and chocolate should definitely visit.

Bakery Museum

You can visit the historical bakery to learn about Dutch pastries and taste the famous Zaanse Schans bread. Plus, admission is free!

Jisper House

I’ve come this far, and for those who want to have a moment with traditional clothes, fisherman’s cottage Jisper House will be the right address.

Windmill Museum

The museum, which will open again in 2020, contains a lot of information about the windmills in the region and in general.

Windmills

De Huisman

De Gekroonde Poelenburg

A windmill where you can buy a windmill while enjoying a wonderful view from the terrace floor and tasting all kinds of spices downstairs. 

De Kat

is still one of the most famous mills used in paint production. The entrance fee is 4 Euros to witness the production of paint with the power of the mill and to look at the view from the terrace.

De Zoeker

Mill used in oil, dye and cocoa production.

De Bleeke Dood

The oldest windmill in the Netherlands, not the region. Bakers used to work in this mill to grind flour. In addition to these famous mills that must be visited until Zaanse Schans, there will be other windmills you will see, Het Jonge Schaap, Mini – mills De Ooievaar, De Bonte Hen, De Os.

Amsterdam Tour– 2 Days Program & Important Informations. Amsterdam is the ideal weekend getaway. When you’re bored, get on a plane, live like there’s no tomorrow. Those who have more time usually prefer to stop Amsterdam in 2 days and see other Dutch cities. That’s why we took a 2-day tour of Amsterdam to tell you how to best visit Amsterdam in 2 days.

First of all, although Amsterdam is not a very big city, many things will remain in the bench. Especially if you come in summer, the taste of the city will probably remain on your palate. Let’s face it, but there is no reason to drink cold water on it, because 2 days is actually not a bad time to both tour the city roughly and hang out like a bit of Amsterdam. If you’ve read our Amsterdam article, don’t be fooled (even if you haven’t, you should definitely read it). Don’t worry, we will not send you home without understanding the general feeling and rhythm of the city. 🙂 That’s why we planned the 1st day as more Amsterdam residents and the 2nd day as tourist attractions.

Preparations

1. We have prepared the ideal Amsterdam tour program according to our taste, but you may also want to touch up your own tastes.

2. Buy museum tickets online in advance!
All museums in Amsterdam also sell their tickets online. If you don’t want to sneeze, buy tickets ahead of time. We could only include 2 museums in this program: Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum.

3. The most enjoyable way to squeeze a lot into less time is to rent a bike. The way of the mind is one. So your first step is to get a bike. If you ask where to rent, you can get information from our article on Places to Visit in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Tour– 2 Days Program & Important Informations

Day 1 in Amsterdam

For both days, we have released programs that aim to squeeze a lot into less time. By our standards, we think the pace is reasonable. But if you say that I want to spread it during the holiday, you can delete a pen or two from the program.

Morning

First of all, pedal for a while to see and enjoy the great canals and the beautiful houses of Amsterdam. Especially if you come across a nice weather, grab a sandwich and sit on any bench you want, watch the boats passing by the canals and the people around and enjoy being in Amsterdam.

Then pedal towards Central Station and try to avoid the Leidsplein and Rembrandtplein areas as much as there are so many tourists there that it can be overcrowded. From there, take the free ferry that crosses the IJ River and docks at NDSM Pier. (Keep in mind that you don’t have to pay extra for your bike either.)

Afternoon

NDSM Pier is where the world’s first gigantic container ships were built. Nowadays, it has become a creative center that artists and galleries prefer and take part in. There is a beach bar called Pllek where you can drink coffee , we can recommend it, it’s a pretty nice place.

Once again, take the ferry, but this time in the direction of Houthavens, not in the direction of Central Station. Enjoy the view of the city as you cruise down the river on the ferry. There are many galleries and cafes in ” Westergasfabriek ” , which used to be a factory, you can take a look at them. This factory is next to Westerpark, one of the most beautiful parks in the city. If you have time, definitely spend time in the park.

Evening

As an alternative itinerary, you can cycle east of Amsterdam for about 30 minutes. It may be a good option to stop by Dappermarkt , where you can find the Surinamese dishes we mentioned . You can both taste Surinamese cuisine and visit Dappermarkt.

Then, after this full day, sipping a beer at Brouwerij’t IJ , one of Amsterdam’s most iconic breweries , can be one of the best ways to end the day. Of course, it is useful to be careful about the time, because unfortunately this place closes at 20:00.

Night

We say don’t leave without tasting Amsterdam nightlife. But don’t get carried away too much, a long day awaits you tomorrow.

Day 2 in Amsterdam

Today’s program may seem like it’s zigzagging, but there is a logical reason:
1. We recommend that you visit the Anne Frank House first thing in the morning, since it is possible to enter the Anne Frank House after 15:00 with online tickets and because of the terrifying queues.
2. Anticipating that you might want to spend the evening on Dam Square, which is the heart of everything, we wanted to present a plan that ends here.

Morning

9.00 Anne Frank House

The museum, which was the house where she hid from the Nazis with Anne Frank, her father and 6 other Jews between the ages of 10 and 12, is the most anticipated and most striking place in front of Amsterdam. It really gives goosebumps. It opens at 09:00 in the morning, but it’s a good idea to queue at the door half an hour before. Otherwise, you turn your back every 2 seconds, there is a huge queue. As we said above, you must buy your ticket online. You cannot enter the museum after 15:00 with online tickets. The house is small, but it takes 45 minutes to read the articles and listen to the audio guide.

10.15 Rent a boat from MokumBoat and cruise the canals

Please do not visit the canals with touristic tours! Rent your own wand. Very enjoyable!

Pedaling from Anne Frank to Mokum Boat takes no more than 10 minutes. In our opinion, this is the most enjoyable thing to do in Amsterdam: to tour the canals by renting a 4-person battery powered boat. It costs only 6-8 Euros per hour. The renter we recommend to you may be a little higher because others are in this center while they are still out of town. These battery powered boats are incredibly easy to use, no sea experience etc. is required. You just have to be 18 years old. Make sure to bring your music and drink and enjoy it fully. 1 hour will be enough.
Address: Nassaukade 351, 1053 LZ Amsterdam Tel : +31 20 210 5700   Click for location .

15 minutes of operations, even if the tour lasts for 1 hour, you will be on your bike again at 11.30. Next up is the Rijksmuseum. Waiting times vary a lot depending on the season. Let’s say you wait in line for 1 hour. The museum will continue for 2 hours. You may be very hungry when you come out. So it might be a good idea to eat beforehand.

Note: Believe me, there is nothing to be afraid of in renting your own boat. But if you say you want a touristic boat tour, there is the departure point of the Blue Boat company opposite the Hard Rock Cafe, 5 minutes walking distance from the Museumplein. From there, take a 75-minute canal tour.

Afternoon

11.40 – 12.40 Meal

There are a lot of food and drink options around, sit down to the one you catch your eye on. But if you want it cheap and fast, there is the fast food chain Febo ( click for location ) and Wok to Walk, which makes Asian food ( click for location ).

12.50 Rijksmuseum

Considering that the queues can be up to 1 hour long, we blocked 3 hours in the form of 1 hour at the door + 1.5 – 2 hours inside. The Van Gogh Museum and Rembrandt’s House (Rembrandthuis) are great, must-see places, but unfortunately there was only time on the schedule for one museum, so we had to make a heartbreaking choice and chose the Rijksmuseum. Because the Rijksmuseum is a more comprehensive museum, and if it will sprinkle some water on you, Rembrandt’s works are also on display. For example, Night Watch, one of his famous works, is in this museum. There is no line, you can try to follow Van Gogh.

15.50 I AMsterdam & Museumplein

After leaving the Rijksmuseum, you take a bike tour of the Museumplein. Unfortunately, we do not have time for other museums here. But if you want to make changes, you can get information about other museums here in our Amsterdam Museums article.
If you want to take a photo in the “I AMsterdam article”, it is here. 🙂

16.15 Flower Market

You can see the Flower Market called Bloemenmarkt and buy seeds or souvenirs for your loved ones. There are lots of shops. If you want to try patat, one of the Dutch delicacies, the buffet named “Vleminckx” is here. You can try the patat and its sauces. Also, the surroundings of “Vleminckx” and Bloemenmarkt are full of world-famous chain stores, so don’t waste your time, but keep in mind, this is a street like our Istiklal Avenue.

Evening

Dam Square is about 10-12 minutes away from that street, it is very likely that you will find yourself in Dam Square while walking around. There you will see the Nieuwe Kerk and the Royal Palace. De Biejenkorf is a shopping building with a market and shops, it is a very large and old building. If you want to shop, you can stop by.

You may run out of time, but if you do, Rembrandt’s House is also a 10-minute walk from Dam Square. We can recommend. Another alternative might be to take a quick look at Dam Square and switch to Red Light. The Red Light District is already quite a large area, there are coffeeshops and bars in it. Pop into any you catch your eye and taste the famous Dutch beers.

Dinner

If you don’t mind the budget, it will take you 3 minutes to pedal to the Cannibale Royale, where your inner carnivore will fall in love ( click for location ).