Zaanse Schans, a Dutch cultural site

Houses of Zaanse Schans

All the houses, stores and windmills have been transferred from various parts of the Zaan region to create Zaanse Schans in the 1960s, with authentic buildings.

Canals bordering the gardens of the traditional Dutch houses

The clog workshop of Zaanse Schans

From the cheese and chocolate factories to the clog workshop, most stores in Zaanse Schans allow not only acquiring various artisan products but also seeing demonstrations, such as how clogs ("klompen") are made.

The rush mat factory of Zaanse Schans

De Gekroonde Poelenburg and Verfmolen De Kat

On the left, the sawmill Gekroonde Poelenburg from 1867, which proceeds from Koog aan de Zaan, to the southwest of Zaanse Schans. In the background, the windmill in the center of the picture is known as De Kat (the Cat), and was built in 1664. This windmill is a "Verfmolen", or paint mill, which grinds pigments for the manufacture of paint.

Garden of the sundial in Zaanse Schans

Workshops and stores immersed in nature

Houses and gardens of Zaanse Schans

Detail of the clogs exhibited inside the clog workshop of Zaanse Schans

Machinery used to manufacture clogs

On the right, a German machine that the artisans use to sculpt the external shape of clogs from a wooden block. This is a veritable clogs copier that rotates and carves the wooden bock imitating the shape of any other clog used as a reference model. On the left, a French machine that is used to drill and carve the clog’s interior.

Side view of the machinery used to manufacture clogs

In the German machine on the right you can see a clog just "copied". The next step will be to drill the interior with the French machine, and then the artisan must finish carving the piece by hand, and let the wood dry, which exudes water, before painting it or adding external details.

The sundial garden

Scenery of Zaanse Schans

A canal and the windmills De Kat and De Zoeker.

Sheep grazing in one of the meadows of Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is no place for stress

Birds of Zaanse Schans

Duck next to a canal and houses of Zaanse Schans

Child clogs

And tools to carve and sculpt clogs.

Clog models exhibited in the clog workshop

The walls and ceiling of the clog workshop is covered with clog models of all kinds.

The diamond clog

Clogs sculpted with sacred geometry

Clog-inspired violins

Clogs for walking on ice used by fishermen

Clogs sculpted with geometric shapes

Giant clogs

Next to the Zaanse Schans clogs workshop.

Skiing clogs

Clogs sculpted with plant motifs

Clogs for horses and for working on the fields

Clogs made by the French artisan Pascal Jusot

The Huisman

The windmill in Zaanse Schans used to process spices.

The windmills De Gekroonde Poelenburg and De Kat

The Gekroonde Poelenburg in Zaanse Schans

Sheep grazing next to a canal in Zaanse Schans

Canals and access bridges to some buildings in Zaanse Schans

Three of the windmills of Zaanse Schans

From right to left: De Gekroonde Poelenburg, De Kat and De Zoeker. The latter is an oil mill transferred to Zaanse Schans in 1968.