The best way to reach Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam is by taking a bus from Amsterdam Centraal Station. The bus number 391 leaves every 10 minutes and it is the shortest, fastest and cheapest way to reach the famous windmill district of Amsterdam. The return bus ticket is 11 euros and can be bought online, from the kiosks and also from the bus driver. Tickets from the bus can be purchased using credit cards only.
The bus took 40 minutes to reach Zaanse Schans. The road to the windmill district passes through some beautiful canals, houses, roads, and villages. The view from the bus was captivating and didn’t let us get bored all through the journey.
The bus dropped us in front of the Zaanse Schans Museum. The first glimpse of the windmills from the bus stop was enough to mesmerize us.
The distance from the bus stop to the windmills is a short walk of 10 minutes through a picturesque village with old cottages, clog factories, farms, cheese factories, and a diamond factory. Before we went towards the windmills we went to visit the famous ‘clog’ factory. Holland is famous for the manufacture of clogs or wooden shoes. Clogs were conventionally used by farmers however these days clogs are used to make a fashion statement.
The village of Zaanse Schans has houses that are 500 years old but they have been maintained in such a way that they seem as if they were built the other day. Exploring those old cottages are also a treat in itself. We spent quite some time gazing at the houses before we went near the windmills.
Once we reached the threshold of the village we found a small lake and the windmills were standing on the edge of that lake. It was almost sunset time and the reflection of the setting sun on the water in the backdrop of the windmills created a surreal image. This place is undoubtedly a place to attain nirvana.
There is an option to climb atop the windmills by purchasing tickets worth 5 euros, however, we had to skip it as it was closing time. Nevertheless, the view from the ground was equally satisfying and we have no complaints.
There are a cheese factory and an adjoining farm that we visited. It gave us an idea about the rustic life of Holland and an idea about how cheese is made. Cheese factory also offers free cheese tasting and there were close to 100 varieties of cheese on display.
It was getting dark but we still didn’t feel like leaving this beautiful village. This was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip to Amsterdam. Leaving with few more images for the readers to cherish.
Trina Looks Back 
This brought back memories of my own unforgettable trip to this magical windmill village . I still have my clogs from the shop. The cheese we gobbled a long time ago ( went there 11 years ago! )
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the cheese is amazing. I didn’t buy clogs as husband bought them during his visit 14 years back and we still have them. thanks for the comment dear.
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Beautiful pictures, Tina! Looks like a village straight out of a fairy tale! Love those colourful windmills and those bare but picturesque trees really caught my eye! I’m sure it must be very cold there but the air must be pure, especially compared to our polluted Indian cities! I’d really love to visit this place someday.
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It was -2 degrees but didn’t feel uncomfortable as it was sunny. The air was fresh and this place is indeed out of fairytale. I wish I had more time. Do visit someday bur go during spring, winter is quite harsh.
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I skipped Zaanse Schans deliberately because someone working in the tourism industry warned me that it’s a touristy place set up to sell wares. This was when I had already paid for the trip. Instead, I chose a cycling trip in the Dutch countryside. I’m glad I made that choice. I wanted to visit Kinderdijk but couldn’t. Have you heard or visited this place?
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A cycling trip must have been awesome. I loved the Dutch countryside. I couldn’t visit Kinderdijk due to lack of time. Thanks for reading.
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It was super! Loved every moment. 🙂
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This is such an impressive and beautiful travelogue, Balaka. Loved reading and seeing the pictures of this gorgeous place. Did you buy clogs for yourself??
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No, I didn’t buy clogs for myself. I bought cheese from the cheese factory.
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It’s sooooo beautiful!
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WOW windmills!! They look absolutely beautiful. The houses indeed have been maintained very well. No one would say they are so old. Lovely collection of photos from your trip.
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It is such a beautiful place. The reflections of the windmills in the lake water look lovely to me. Thank you for this wonderful photo tour. Reality main to kabhi jaana ho nahin paayega.
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Ahh! The memories. I visited last in April. The cheese with herbs was so good. I sampled many varieties too. Lovely photographs.
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I missed going to this place when I was in Amsterdam because I was short of time. But your post kinda took me on a trip there. Looks straight out of a fairy tale.
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This looks truly mesmerizing. Beautiful pics as well.
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Looks like a beautiful trip. Those trees – their bare branches reaching into the sky, are so wildly beautiful. And the windmills reflected in the water. What a lovely sight to behold!
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