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Zaanse Schans - Authentic Dutch countryside !!

Apart from bulb fields,canals,clogs, cheese, red light district, space cake, Ntherlands is also famous for its windmills. With over a thousand windmills throughout the Netherlands, it's very likely that you'll bump into one.Centuries ago, windmills were used to pumping water or grinding grain.
Its been approx. 3 years that i am living in Netherlands and i must admit that i have been to this place n number of time. Whenever, we have any friends from India, Zaanse Schaans is on top in their list.
Zaanse Schaan is a typical Dutch village with green-timbered houses and historical windmills. Half day is good enough to explore the place and you can combine Volendam or Marken if you wish you explore some more.
Zaanse Schaans can be explored by walk, cycle or by boat. There are lots of things to do here. First of all , you can visit the tourist center, where you can get the information and ticket to cheese museum if you wish to visit. As you walk further up, you will find your self sorrounded with typical dutch village environment. There are small canals, bridges, a small sheep farm, a cheese tasting shop. There is also very inetersting clog museum where a show happens every 10mins for tourists to show how clogs were made in older times. It's very interesting show to witness.
If you are curious to see how windmills look from inside and what do they do? You can get into one, and experience it yourself. Entry ticket is 5 Euros.
Don't miss to go for cheese tasting and buy the one that you liked most. There is lots of variety available of cheese with lots of flavors and recent to very old once, from mild flavor to very strong flavor. Everytime i go there, I buy Pesto and red peperica one ;) Cheese tasting is always super packed with crowd as you can see in the picture below ;)
How to reach there
The Zaanse Schans is a stone’s throw from Amsterdam and is easily accessible by bus, train, car and bicycle.
By Public Transport
Bus
The Rnet-bus 391 runs from Amsterdam Central Station every fifteen minutes to the Zaanse Schans. The trip takes forty minutes. For more information: www.bus391.nl.
The Rnet-bus 817 drives in July and August from the Zaanse Schans to Volendam/Edam. Also in the weekends Ascension Day and Pentecost is the bus available. For more information: www.bus817.nl.
Train
The nearest railway station is Zaandijk – Zaanse Schans. This station can be reached by local train from Amsterdam Central Station in 17 minutes. Subsequently walk to the Zaanse Schans in 15 minutes.
Plan your journey by public transport via 9292.
Bicycle
The Zaanse Schans is easy to reach by bike as well. A bicycle path runs both along and across a portion of the Zaanse Schans. For health and safety purposes cycling on the narrow paths between the houses is not permitted. There are for this reason plenty of bike racks to leave your bike in the large parking area.


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