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The Zaanse Schans is a historic neigbourhood in Zaandam which is built along the Zaan. The Zaanse Schans has been created as an initiative to maintain historic buildings which are characteristic for the area. The Zaanse Schans has been comprised from many original and historic buildings and windmills from the entire area surrounding the Zaan river.
The Zaanse Schans ia a historic neigbourhood in Zaandam which is built along the Zaan. The Zaanse Schans has been created as an initiative to maintain historic buildings which are characteristic for the area. The Zaanse Schans has been comprised from many original and historic buildings and windmills from the entire area surrounding the Zaan river.
Especially in the 18th and 19th century trade and industry flourished in the Zaanstreek. Windmills played a very important role in this development. There were, and still are, many different types of windmills which were used for a large variety of tasks. Some of these types of windmills are available for visiting on the Zaanse Schans. There is for instance an oil-windmill (de Zoeker), a wood-sawmill (de gecroonde Poelenburg), a paintmill (de Kat), a mustardmill and some smaller mills. Two very important and still recognizable names from those times are;

  • Honig, nowadays a large foodproducer, but at that time recognizable by the windmills with the green sails.

  • Albert Heijn (founder of one of the largest grocers in the world.) At the Zaanse Schans you'll find a replica of the little house where his first store was located.

"Peter the Great made it his workplace. Napoleon called the area the most beautiful he had ever seen."
De Zaanse Schans is not an outdoormuseum, but a historic neighbourhood where people used to work and live and that has been assembled largely in the sixties and seventies. The authentic buildings have practically all been moved here. Unique about the zaanse Schans is that there are still people living and working here.
Because of the soft soil in this area the application of light materials was necessary. The constructionstyle in this area is therefore characterized by the use of wood instead of stone. By walking through the Zaanse Schans you can get a glimpse of the impressive past of the area, and every year many tourists from all over the world visit us to experience that for themselves.