How To Spend The Day In Zaandam, Netherlands
When we first came to the Netherlands, we found a great spot to call home for a month in Zaandam, a city just north of Amsterdam. We would wake up and when the breezes were headed our way, we’d smell chocolate thanks to the Verkade chocolate manufacturer in the area. Not necessarily a touristy hot spot, there are some very fun, beautiful, and historical reasons to spend a day in the area.
If you asked me how to spend a day in Zaandam, this is what I would tell you:
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What To Know About Zaandam
Zaandam is a town just north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Zaandam is the biggest town in Zaanstad. As a whole, it doesn’t have a ton to see, but what there is to see can create one of the most picturesque day trips from Amsterdam.
One Day In Zaandam: What To Do
Zaanse Schans
Most people coming to Zaandam from Amsterdam are headed to Zaanse Schans and that really is the perfect place to start a day in Zaandam. If you have visitors or are just looking for those iconic Dutch experiences, this is the place to go.
While you used to be able to see traditional wooden windmills all over the Netherlands, you’ll learn at the museum at Zaanse Schans that there aren’t as many as you might think anymore. The eight traditional windmills in Zaanse Schans were relocated here in the 1960s and provide a glimpse into life in the Netherlands in the 18th and 19th century.
These windmills were used in production as a sawmill, oil mill, and more and when you can visit you can see and learn how that worked. It’s a great learning opportunity for adults and children. The windmills are still operational and inside is information for how they work and docents that will show you everything.
You can also see a clog-making demonstration, a cheese-making demonstration, try 15 different kinds of cheeses, and more in this village. It’s definitely where we take every visitor from abroad so they get the quintessential Dutch experiences in.
- Address: Zaanse Schans, Schansend 7, 1509AW, Zaandam, Netherlands
- Directions:
- By Bus: You can get the Rnet bus 391 from Amsterdam CS Station to Zaanse Schans. The bus departs every 15 minutes. The trip will take about 40 minutes.
- By Train: You can take a train to Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans. From Amsterdam Centraal Station, the trip takes just 17 minutes. However, you will have a 15 minute walk to the village from the train station.
- By Ferry: The Ferry Zaanboot from Amsterdam Centraal Station heads to Zaanse Schans and takes a liesurely 110 minutes. Get more information on the timetable at www.zaanferry.com
- Admission: Entrance to this traditional Dutch village is technically free so you can walk around and see the views without paying a thing. That said, if you want to enter the windmills, museums, etc. You’ll want to look into purchasing the Zaanse Schans card.
- Buy the Zaanse Schans Card on GetYourGuide or on Tiqets
Gedempte Gracht
Gedempte Gracht is an open air pedestrian-only shopping street set along a canal just outside of Zaandam Station. Created in 1858, this shopping thoroughfare sees a lot of visitors throughout the day. Though, visit after 6:00pm and you’ll find it pretty empty. There are a number of things to see along the street or nearby which include:
Inntel Hotels Zaandam
Right as you exit the train station, you’ll notice the pathway leads right by this very picturesque and somewhat quirky building. The area of Zaan is known for their green cottages, but usually you don’t see them stacked one on top of each other so chaotically.
Inspired by the small green cottages of the area and Claude Monet’s painting of the blue house of Zaandam, architect Wilfried van Winden decided to create a futuristic hotel with an homage to the past. The exterior brings together seventy cottage facades and inside there are 160 rooms, a swimming pool, and Turkish baths. It’s quite the sight.
Shopping Along The Canal
After you pass the architectural wonder above, you cross a small bridge down to the shopping street along the canal. If you don’t have anything to shop for, it’s still a nice place to take a walk and you can find cafes and restaurants further down past the big name shops and boutiques.
Het Zaanse Pannenkoeken Paleis
There are a ton of restaurants just at the end of the Gedempte Gracht and plenty of them features seating outside to watch the other pedestrians walking by. We, however, always opt to visit Het Zaanse Pannenkoeken Paleis… for a few reasons.
They serve delicious budget-friendly food including some very delicious poffertjes, but on top of that, the outdoor seating here allows you to either look out over the canal locks which is really fun for children and adults to watch as the boats filter in, the water is raised or lowered, and they’re let through, or on the other side, a small jumping house is blown up when the weather is nice for kids to jump and let off some energy.
Because there is a busy restaurant area just before this, a lot of people don’t come just one block further, so this tends to be a quieter place to get a bite to eat.
- Address: Wilhelminastraat 8, 1501 CT Zaandam, Netherlands
- Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00am ~ 9:00pm
- Website: https://zaansepannenkoekenpaleis.nl/
Czar Peter House
Constructed in 1632, just a block outside of the shopping street, find this house known as the place where Czar Peter I of Russia lived in 1697. If that’s not enough, this is also known as the oldest wooden house in the Netherlands, and the second oldest museum (after the Teylers Museum in Haarlem, Netherlands).
Peter met Zaandam blacksmith Gerrit Kist in Moscow when Kist worked for the czar. During his visit to the Zaanstreek, Peter insisted on staying with Kist despite the latter’s protests about his humble home, shared with a worker’s widow. The widow was paid to move out, and Peter stayed for a week, traveling incognito as Peter Michaeloff. Though Kist didn’t reveal his identity, Peter was soon recognized, complicating his observations. He came back multiple times over the years with his last visit being in 1717.
This house became somewhat of a tourist attraction and even caught the attention of Napoleon in 1811 and later, Russian leaders Gorbatsjov and Poetin. Look for a blue “N” by the fireplace which Napoleon left there.
Saved from demolition by a local innkeeper in the 18th century, it was later bought by King Willem I in 1818 for his Russian daughter-in-law, Anna Pavlovna. With protective measures, including a stone cover from Czar Nicolaas II, the house has been preserved beautifully.
- Address: Krimp 23, 1506AA Zaandam, Netherlands
- Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 5:00pm
- Admission: Adults: €6; Children 4-17: €3; Children 3 and under: Free
Museum of Humanity
Heather further south in Zaandam, and you’ll find a very cool area, a collection of derelict looking buildings that have been transformed to hold museums and restaurants. The Museum of Humanity is in one such building, formerly an ammunitions factory. It is the brainchild of photographer Ruben Timman and provides striking visuals of people from around the globe.
- Address: Building 155, Ketelhuis 10, Zaandam, Netherlands
- Directions: From Zaandam Station, take bus 456 that will get there in just 7 stops. It’s a pretty quick ride.
- Hours: Friday – Sunday: 12:00pm ~ 3:00pm (Check website for current hours as they can change seasonally.)
- Admission: Free/Donation based
- Website: www.museumofhumanity.nl
Lab-44
End the day at nearby Lab-44, also a former ammunitions factory turned cool industrial building, this one features a restaurant with a great menu and good drinks. We were so hungry by the time we got there, I didn’t take one picture of the meal, but it was delicious.
- Address: Middenweg 44, 1505 RK, Zaandam, Netherlands
- Hours: Thursday – Sunday: 12:00pm ~ (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays groups can be accommodated upon request.)
- Website: www.lab-44.nl
If you need to get from here back to Amsterdam, there’s a quick 5 minute ferry if you head back over and past the Museum of Humanity. Look up the Hempontplein for more information. There’s a ferry every 20 minutes and it’s completely FREE for pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders.
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