Three windmills next to the Zaan River

Zaanse Schans: Experiencing the Unique Dutch Culture

When we returned from our trip to the Keukenhof Gardens, The bus dropped us off at the Amsterdam train station. From there we decided to explore a little bit of Amsterdam since tomorrow we would visit the Dutch village of Zaanse Schans.

Amsterdam was bustling with people. We weren’t sure if this was typical or just because it was vacation week for so many people. There seemed to be large groups of young people around.

We saw some old buildings, but we weren’t always sure what we were seeing as we didn’t have any kind of map or guide to help us out. These were impressive old buildings, however.

  • A large building in downtown Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Many windows line the front of this building with two statues on the roof in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Banners on both sides welcome visitors to a photo exhibit in this old building in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Pigeons all around attract the interest of a girl and her mother in this plaza in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Two spires top this highly decorated shopping mall in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • A very ornate Die Port Van Cleve building in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Looking down a busy side street in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

We eventually ended up over by a canal. The water here looked dirty, but having a home overlooking the water seemed picturesque. There were also houseboats docked along the sides of the canal.

  • Tall row homes look out over a canal in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • A bridge across a canal in Amsterdam The Netherlands
  • A tourist boat glides under a bridge over a canal in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Looking down a canal in Amsterdam with house boats on both sides
  • Tourist boat sailing through a narrow passage in a canal in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Tourist boats jockey for position in the water with a cathedral in the background in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

However, our initial impression of Amsterdam was not that positive. Besides it being very crowded, it also seemed somewhat dirty. Cigarette butts on the pavement were fairly common as was the smell of cigarettes and other smoking odors. We plan to go back to check out more of the city on Saturday. Perhaps our impression will change.

Our plans for the following day involved experiencing some of the things that are unique about the Netherlands. The country has a cultural heritage that differs from other European nations because of its history and location, especially its relationship to the water.

Windmills are one of the most unique features of the Dutch landscape, and the best place to see windmills is in Zaanse Schans, a reconstructed village on the Zaan River. The plan was to preserve many of the historic features of Dutch life by bringing older buildings and reconstructing them in a village type setting. This included windmills that were brought here along with other buildings.

The Zaan River is not far from our hotel. A ferry runs up the Zaan River from the locks to Zaanse Schans. It is about a half hour boat trip. One can also take a different ferry in the opposite direction to Amsterdam. Saturday we planned to do that.

We had some difficulty finding the dock for the ferry. We found a sign indicating the ferry, but as we stood there waiting, it passed right by us. At first we thought it was going to just turn around, but we realized it was docking elsewhere. Fortunately it was not far away, and we were able to get there in time to board. The captain told us that although the docking location changed some time ago, the government has not removed the old sign.

Our captain was a very friendly and congenial man. We were the only passengers in the cabin with him so we talked quite a bit. We discovered that we needed to use cash for payment, and we were short .10 euros for the round trip. He let us board anyway. As we traveled up the river he was quite willing to answer our questions.

One thing I asked about was the color green. It seemed many people painted their houses green. He told us that it had become somewhat of a traditional color, but he had only recently learned himself that the creation of green paint in previous eras included copper. People had discovered that the green paint with its copper base better preserved the wood so it became a popular choice for its durability.

After arriving in Zaanse Schans, we walked toward the windmills. While the majority of the windmills in the Netherlands had been used to pump water out of the fields they were trying to use as farm land, windmills were used for other reasons as well. One of the windmills here was used for cutting lumber and another one seemed to be used for a mill. The disappointing thing was that each windmill charged 5 euros to go through their windmill and see how it operated. We didn’t want to pay that so we didn’t go inside any of them. We had been inside the one at the Keukenhof Gardens so it didn’t seem necessary to go inside again.

  • A green windmill with a pained face on it at Zaanse Schans in The Netherlands
  • Next to the Zaan River a windmill overlooks a replica of an old sailing ship in The Netherlands
  • The Netherlands flag flies in front of a windmill in Zaanse Schans on the Zaan River
  • Looking towards two windmills along the Zaan River in The Netherlands
  • People walking a path in front of two windmills in Zaanse Schans in The Netherlands
  • Behind a large green windmill lies three other windmills in Zaanse Schans in The Netherlands

Not everyone was charging to go inside their business. The Henri Willig Cheese company was open and shared how they make Gouda cheese. At the entrance the company plays a video showing their cheese production. The company produces a variety of cheeses using not just cows milk but goat and sheep milk as well. I had never heard of sheep milk cheese before or even that one milked a sheep.

Even more interesting was that they make a variety of cheese flavors. We saw cheeses with coconut flavor, lavender flavor, and asparagus flavor along with quite a few other unique choices. These were all out to be sampled which is a little challenging during COVID. I risked it and ate a few of them. The coconut cheese tasted like coconut, but my question was why? Why would you want a cheese that tasted like coconut?

  • Two young women offer different poses for photos at the cheese factory in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • A display case of different flavored gouda cheeses at the cheese factory in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Flavored cheeses in a display case in the Henri Willig cheese factory in The Netherlands
  • The demonstartion area with many gouda cheese rounds in the background at the Henri Willig Cheese Factory in The Netherlands

We wandered around some of the shops in the area. We eventually came to a place where visitors can climb up to an observation deck and look out over the farm land near Zaanse Schans. Apparently the water had been taken out of the land here for the peat moss. This actually caused the level of the land to drop by a meter.

As a representation of Dutch life, Zaanse Schans has an area for sheep and goats, and since it was spring, there were a few lambs around. The area also had some homes which seemed to be occupied. I’m not sure I would want to live in such a public place.

  • Three black lambs and an adult sheep in the field of Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Resting comfortably in a field in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands is a goat with curved horns
  • Looking across a field with some sheep to the buildings beyond in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Three black lambs near a canal in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • A home next to a tree lined pathway and a canal in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Two canals intersect and a house sits on the corner at Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • A wooden bridge crosses a canal in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • People eating their lunches on picnic tables near a canal and some shops in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands

After walking through other sections of Zaanse Schans, we ended up in the clog factory, another free place to visit. We dropped in as they were doing a demonstration of how they make clogs. It was interesting to see the process and how quickly they were able to do it. Basically they were using wood working tools to clone one shoe from another that had already been made. They used this method on both the outside and the inside of the clog.

They also had a display of old clogs that was quite interesting. Apparently one had to have their best Sunday clogs to attend church. These clogs were either painted or had intricate carvings in them. They were definitely works of art for one’s feet.

  • The equipment used to carve wooden clogs in a factory in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • A display of Dutch painted clogs
  • Carved and decorated clogs on display in a factory in Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands

We didn’t stay in Zaanse Schans too long as both of us were feeling tired. We didn’t want to wait another hour for the ferry so we caught an early one back. This time we sat outside so I could take photos of the scenery along the river starting with the windmills as we sailed away. One of the buildings along the river was a factory that produces cacao powder, and we could definitely smell the chocolate odor as we went by. There were also a number of apartment buildings along the river.

  • Three of the windmills at Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Four of the windmills at Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • Looking down the aan River to five windmills at Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands
  • A windmill in an industrial area along the aan River in The Netherlands
  • A factory with large exterior doors along the Zaan River in The Netherlands
  • A church steeple rises over some houses along the Zaan River in The Netherlands
  • Staggered apartments along the Zaan River in The Netherlands
  • A large aprtment complex of 13 stories along the Zaan River in The Netherlands
  • An old brick buildin in Zandam, The Netherlands on the Zaan River
  • Various apartment buildings side by side along the Zaan River in The Netherlands

Today was a day where it seemed food was a part of the challenge of travel. Before we left for Zaanse Schans we went to a sandwich shop to buy a sandwich which seems the best option for breakfast here. I saw a sandwich marked ham so chose that one. However, as I began to eat it, I realized it was not ham but perhaps salmon. I’m not sure what happened there.

For dinner that night Andrea was looking for a food truck that sold pizza. She had read online that it was good. However, we couldn’t find it, but we did see a pizza place so we decided to eat there. The menu was in Dutch. They offered an English menu with a QR code, but we couldn’t make that work. So I ordered a pizza. All I knew for sure was that it had prosciutto. Well it turned out to also have hard boiled egg slices on it. After my initial surprise, I discovered that it was actually a very tasty pizza.

My final food challenge was my desire for ice cream. I had tried to find some in the afternoon, but the shop didn’t take credit cards. After pizza we tried again. We went to a different place and saw a credit card machine. I assumed that indicated they took credit cards. When I went to pay, the young woman informed me they did not take credit cards. It was either cash or PIN. We had seen the PIN sign before but didn’t know how to pay by PIN. It turns out that is the term for a debit card. Unfortunately my debit card didn’t work either so I had to walk out leaving my ice cream cone behind. Another lesson about having cash with you.

Windmills, cheese, clogs, and canals are all things one might think of when mentioning The Netherlands. We had a good day enjoying these iconic elements of The Netherlands, but tomorrow would offer some similar experiences. I hope you will join me next week as we explore The Netherlands further. In the meantime I’d love to hear from you with a comment, a like, or maybe a subscription to my blog. I look forward to your response.

  1. Nate

    Did everyone speak English there? I noticed the gouda packaging for the Henri Willig Cheese company is in English. Did they also have packaging in Dutch.

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