Your journey starts off at the Zaanse Schans where you’ll see plethora of beautifully preserved Hollandse windmolens. You’ll have ample time for taking pictures. The stops are located in the so called Waterland area. Where you get to explore some of Holland’s most picturesque villages: Volendam, Edam & Marken.
Wandel langs historische locaties in het centrum van Edam, zoals het wereldberoemde Kaasmarktplein. Proef na Edam enkele lokaal geproduceerde typisch Nederlandse kazen bij een echte kaasmakerij in de buurt van Volendam. Hier laat de lokale kaasmaker u zien hoe die beroemde Gouda- en Edammer kazen worden gemaakt.
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Next to the cheese producer stands a little clog factory. Here you’ll learn everything about those famous wooden Dutch shoes. The last stop of this wide-ranging Zaanse Schans Tour is a intimate fishermen town called Marken.
Feel like you’re walking in the 17th century is you explore the harbor and the Protestant church. This wide-ranging tour is something that you simply cannot afford to miss during your short stay in Amsterdam or the Netherlands.
Zaanse Schans is a working and inhabited neighbourhood in the Dutch city Zaandam which also functions as an open air windmill museum. Between 1961 and 1974 old structures from all over the Zaanstreek region were transported to this little picturesque neighbourhood. It has the best preserved collection of historic houses and windmills.
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De windmolens zijn volledig in originele staat en worden met passie en enthousiasme door de lokale bevolking bediend. Op de Zaanse Schans kunt u naar believen de binnenkant van de windmolens verkennen, waar u de indrukwekkende, massieve draaiende onderdelen met eigen ogen kunt bekijken. Naast een leerzame ervaring is dit de perfecte plek om een aantal mooie foto's van Nederlandse windmolens te maken!
In the 13th century, the small fishing town of Marken got completely separated from the Dutch mainland. What followed was centuries of isolation of the local inhabitants. They survived by fishing from the Zuider-sea and eating bread. The harbour of Marken was constructed in the 19th century to the Marken fleet of typical fishing boats; the botters.
Only as recent as 1959 Marken was finally reconnected with the Dutch mainland by building an embankment. Since then Marken has been a peninsula. Even though it has been reconnected Marken hasn’t lost its authentic quality and spirit. This Dutch town is beautifully preserved.
The tides and frequent flooding forced the local inhabitants to build their wooden houses in clusters. Because Marken was flooded on a regular basis in the past all the homes there were built on earth mounds (werfs) and then on social mounds called “terpen” in Dutch.
People also built houses on poles: these have now been closed to form under-houses. This is the only place in the world where you get to see these beautiful historic little houses.
Visitors can explore the Marken Museum, which is housed in a traditional Marken home, or take a stroll through the Marken Heritage Park. There are also several churches and windmills to see, and the Marken Lighthouse offers stunning views of the surrounding area. In addition, Marken has a number of excellent restaurants and cafes, making it the perfect place to relax and soak up the Dutch culture.
Zaanse Schans is just one option near the city — see all the best day trips from Amsterdam.