Start the day with a trip back to the 1850s Netherlands and visit Zaanse Schans. In this unique commuting area, you will find beautiful windmills and traditional wooden houses. Visit one of the mills, take a look at the clog makers, and don't forget to stop by Kaasboerderij Catharina Hoeve. Here you will learn all about cheese making and you will be able to taste the best cheeses. The Zaanse Schans area is freely accessible. There is an entrance fee for some mills and museums.
The Zaans Museum is located in a contemporary building on the Zaanse Schans. Through paintings, films, photographs, utensils, and traditional Zaans painted furniture, the museum offers a fascinating insight into the cultural and industrial heritage of the Zaan region. A fun part of the museum is the Verkade Pavilion, where visitors can immerse themselves in the early 20th-century Verkade Factory. The authentic machines are still running, bringing the history of Verkade biscuits and chocolate back to life.
After exploring Zaanse Schans and the museum, don't forget to explore the center of Zaandam. The modern Inntel Hotel, also known as the 'Zaanse Huisjes Hotel', is a must-see. This eye-catcher is very striking because the exterior consists entirely of an accumulation of almost seventy individual Zaanse houses, finished in four colors of Zaans green, with one exception: the house in the top right corner is bright blue. A nod to a Claude Monet painting The Blue House. Be sure to walk over to the town hall. This town hall from 2011 is a sequence of several large Zaanse houses, in which the typical Zaanse architecture can be recognized by the typical facades with many shades of green and white.
In short, there is plenty to see and do in Zaanstad, about an hour and 15-minute drive from the park and 20 minutes from Amsterdam.
