Zaanse Schans: windmills near Amsterdam and how to get there

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Zaanse Schans, in Zaandam, some twenty minutes north-west of Amsterdam, brings together working windmills, green wooden houses, craft workshops and several museums on the banks of the river Zaan. The village remains free to enter in 2026: only the windmills and museums charge admission, with the Zaanse Schans Ticket at €29.50 (€20 for ages 4 to 17), which covers two windmills and the participating museums. Allow half a day: most sites open from 9am to 5pm, and the Zaans Museum, at Schansend 7, opens daily from 10am to 5pm. Bus 800 from Amsterdam Centraal (about 24 minutes) or the train to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans (17 minutes, then a 15-minute walk) are the easiest ways to get there.

Highlights

The windmills of the Kalverringdijk

Lined up along the Zaan, the windmills still grind pigments, spices or oil. The paint mill De Kat, built in 1664, still makes pigments sold to artists and restorers; it opens daily from 9am to 4:30pm. De Huisman grinds spices (10am-5pm) and Het Jonge Schaap, the only one accessible by wheelchair, opens from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Climbing onto a mill's stage gives you a view over the meadows and the river.

Windmills: single tickets

Without the Zaanse Schans Ticket, entry to one windmill costs €7.50 (€3.75 for ages 4 to 17); the all-in-one ticket for all open windmills and the Windmill Museum (World of Windmills) costs €15 (€7.50 for young people), and the Windmill Museum alone €10 (€5). Entry to the windmills is free with the I amsterdam City Card. De Zoeker and De Bonte Hen close from November to March.

The Zaans Museum and the Verkade Experience

At the entrance to the site, the museum tells the industrial history of the Zaan region: tools, costumes, paintings and machines from the food industry. The Verkade Experience recreates the former Verkade biscuit and chocolate factory, with machines that still run. Open daily from 10am to 5pm, closed on 25 December and 1 January; card payment only.

The clock museum (Zaanse Tijd)

Housed in a 17th-century weaver's house brought from Assendelft, this small museum traces the history of Dutch clockmaking, from the 16th-century bell tower to electric clocks. You will see pendulum clocks from the time of Christiaan Huygens, and almost every piece still works.

The cheese farm and the clog workshop

At the Catharina Hoeve farm, cheesemakers in costume give demonstrations every day, in 10 languages, with tastings. The clog workshop, in the De Vreede warehouse (1750), shows how clogs are made and houses a small shoe museum; entry is free.

Opening hours and tickets

The village is free to enter; most sites open from 9am to 5pm. Zaanse Schans Ticket: €29.50 for adults, €20 for ages 4 to 17, free up to age 3, valid only on the chosen date. It covers the Zaans Museum and the Verkade Experience, the clock museum, the Windmill Museum, two windmills of your choice among those open that day, a digital audio tour and a 10% discount at restaurant De Kraai. The Weaver's House and the Tiemstra cooperage, also included, are temporarily closed. The e-ticket is exchanged for a card to scan at the Zaans Museum, World of Windmills or the clock museum.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Prices checked in October 2026. The village entrance fee planned by the municipality of Zaanstad (€17.50) has been postponed by about a year: access to the village remains free in 2026. The MeerPlus & Zaanse Schans combination ticket (€39.50, €30 for ages 12 to 17, €18 for ages 4 to 11) adds a return trip on bus 800 or 801. There is no luggage storage, toilets cost €1 (bank card only) and drones are not allowed. Bus 800 leaves from [Amsterdam Central Station](/fr/attractions/gare-centrale-amsterdam); bus 801 continues to Volendam, which you can combine with [Volendam and Marken](/fr/attractions/volendam-marken). For tickets and passes, see our guide to [getting around Amsterdam](/fr/articles/transports-amsterdam).

How to get there

Schansend 7, 1509 AW Zaandam. Bus 800 (Zaanse Schans Express) from Amsterdam Centraal, about 24 minutes, stop next to the Zaans Museum; bus 391 also serves the Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam Centraal. Local train from Amsterdam Centraal to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans (17 minutes), then a 15-minute walk. By car, parking costs €15 per visit (open from 8am to 7pm); there are no spaces for motorhomes.