Zaanse Sachans is situated just north of Amsterdam and makes for a very easy day trip from Amsterdam. A visit here is a great way to learn about 17th, 18th and 19th century Dutch life. This open air museum gives you a glimpse into some of the traditional houses, windmills and industries of the Netherlands. This post covers how to go on a day trip to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam and what to do once there.
How to Get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam?
Train
The fastest way to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam is by train. It’s about a 17 minutes train ride to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam Centraal, followed by an easy 17 minute walk. Get off at Zaandijk- Zaanse Schans station and follow the brick sidewalk to your left. The name of the street you are looking for is Stationsstraat. Go down Stationsstraat and at the ‘Historie Cacao de Zaan’, turn left (Note: you’ll also see signs that show the way to Zaanse Schans). Cross the bridge over the River Zaan. The pedestrian path is on the left side of the bridge. Once you cross the bridge you will see a welcome sign to Zaanse Schans.
You can use the official train website to plan your journey.
Bus
You can also take a bus but this takes about 40 minutes. The Rnet-bus 391 runs from Amsterdam Centraal about every fifteen minutes to Zaanse Schans. There’s also an Express line 891 than runs during the summer and some holidays. This bus takes you to Zaanse Schans in 20 minutes. This may be a great option if you are visiting on a day this service runs.
Check out the official website for more information!
Car/Driving
If you want to drive, the address is Schansend 7 in Zaandam. Parking can be expensive so public transport may be cheaper unless you are driving with other people. The journey takes about ~20 minutes (~17 KM)
What to do in Zaanse Schans?
Visit the Clog Workshop
Visit the clog workshop to learn about how clogs are made. It’s a very informative demonstration and the best part is that it’s free! After the demonstration, you can visit the shoe museum or even buy yourself a pair of clogs as a souvenir!
Visit a Working Windmill
The Zaans river was dotted with over 1000 windmills back in the day. Out of all these windmills, only 13 remain today and only 6 out of these 13 are working windmills. These are two sawmills, a mustard mill, two oil mills, and one dye mill. For a few euros you can visit one (or more) of these working windmills and see how they work to produce these goods.
Visit the Albert Heijn Shop and Coffee Museum
Albert Heijn is a huge supermarket chain in the Netherlands with its origins here. This first shop is now a museum. There’s also a very small museum dedicated to the history of Dutch coffee at the back.
Hop on a Boat for a Tour
Sail along the Zaan river and learn about Zaanse Schans from the water.
Taste Dutch Cheese
Sample Dutch gouda cheese of all kinds of flavors at the Cheese Farm De Catherina Hoeve. They also conducts free cheese making demonstrations throughout the day.
Indulge in a Dutch Pancake
Fulfill all your pancake dreams at De Kraai. This restuarants serves almost foot long sweet or savory Dutch pancakes
Wander Around
Wander around Zaanse Schans and take in all the sights and sounds. I especially loved all the houses, bridges, waterways and flowers! Even found some sheep in a pasture.
How Much Time Do You Need?
This depends on you but Zaanse Sachans can easily be explored during a morning and afternoon. Which is great because that leaves you with more time or a free evening in Amsterdam.
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Geithoorn also makes for a great day trip from Amsterdam! Check out more details HERE or below!
