The Zaanse Schans in North Holland is a complete day out! It is an area that every tourist should visit to get a taste of old Dutch life. It breathes the atmosphere of life in the 18th and 19th centuries. The wooden houses, barns and workshops make it a unique village in the Netherlands. But the many windmills are the showpiece of this region! In the 18th and 19th centuries, industry flourished in the Zaanstreek. This was a direct result of the glorious trade during the Golden Age in the 17th century. At that time, there were about six hundred windmills here, all working at the same time. The Zaan entrepreneurs were creative and created all kinds of products with the industrial mills. Thanks to the Zaan invention of the crankshaft, the mills were able to saw wood. Shipbuilding played an important role: in the Golden Age, there were no less than 26 shipyards that launched more than a hundred ships per year. The wealthy mill owners and traders in the Zaan region had beautiful, colourful wooden houses built with both a beautiful front and rear façade as status symbols. You will encounter many of these houses during this cycle tour, with the stacked houses in Zaandam as the highlight. On the Zaanse Schans, you can explore numerous old crafts. The smell of fresh biscuits wafts into your nose when you walk past the Bakery Museum. At the warehouse, you can see how clogs are made and also visit the cheese dairy and the tinsmith's shop. From the Zaan, you have a wonderful view of the unique row of windmills next to each other. You will not only see windmills here, but also if you continue cycling towards Koog aan de Zaan and Zaandam, you will encounter many more windmills! Enjoy this nostalgic cycle route along cultural heritage. But the houses on the Zaanse Schans are still inhabited, the residents would appreciate it if you would bear this in mind.
Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
Start: Middel , 1551 SN Zaanstad | 24 KM | ||
From
63
to
91
|
3113 M | 3.1 KM | |
Head northwest on Middel | 203 M | ||
Make a slight right to stay on Middel | 1.4 KM | ||
Continue straight | 985 M | ||
Turn right | 14 M | ||
Turn left | 547 M | ||
Turn left onto De Groene Valk | 3 M | ||
You are now at section 91 | 0 M | ||
From
91
to
92
|
1780 M | 1.8 KM | |
Head east on Krommenieërweg | 671 M | ||
Turn right onto Krommenieërweg | 147 M | ||
Make a slight left onto Marktstraat | 233 M | ||
Turn right onto Zaanweg | 677 M | ||
Make a slight right | 30 M | ||
Turn right | 5 M | ||
Turn left onto Zaanweg | 13 M | ||
Turn left | 4 M | ||
You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
From
92
to
94
|
1634 M | 1.6 KM | |
Head northeast | 23 M | ||
Make a slight left | 95 M | ||
Continue onto Nieuweweg | 98 M | ||
Continue straight | 200 M | ||
Enter Unieplein and take the 2nd exit onto Rigastraat | 47 M | ||
Exit the roundabout onto Rigastraat | 54 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Bordwalserstraat | 144 M | ||
Make a slight left onto Rigastraat | 133 M | ||
Continue onto Koetserstraat | 358 M | ||
Make a slight left | 113 M | ||
Turn right onto Zaandammerpad | 343 M | ||
Turn left to stay on Zaandammerpad | 26 M | ||
You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
From
94
to
73
|
2321 M | 2.3 KM | |
Head south on Engewormer | 636 M | ||
Turn right onto Kalverringdijk | 1.7 KM | ||
Turn right onto Kalverringdijk | 7 M | ||
You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
From
73
to
72
|
1837 M | 1.8 KM | |
Head east on Leeghwaterweg | 14 M | ||
Turn right onto Diederik Sonoyweg | 876 M | ||
Continue straight | 62 M | ||
Turn right onto Haaldersbroek | 183 M | ||
Turn right onto Kalf | 702 M | ||
You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
From
72
to
71
|
1265 M | 1.3 KM | |
Head southwest on Kalf | 207 M | ||
Turn left onto Doctor H.G. Scholtenstraat; Dr. H.G. Scholtenstraat | 396 M | ||
Turn right onto Slachthuisstraat | 180 M | ||
Turn right to stay on Slachthuisstraat | 4 M | ||
Make a slight right onto Boere Jonkerstraat | 112 M | ||
Turn left onto Oostzijde | 360 M | ||
Turn right onto Paltrokstraat | 6 M | ||
You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
From
71
to
70
|
2211 M | 2.2 KM | |
Head south on Oostzijde | 2.2 KM | ||
Make a slight right | 45 M | ||
You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
From
70
to
64
|
224 M | 0.2 KM | |
Head southeast | 50 M | ||
Make a slight right onto A.F. de Savornin Lohmanstraat | 174 M | ||
You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
From
64
to
55
|
1118 M | 1.1 KM | |
Head southwest on Wilhelminastraat | 242 M | ||
Turn left onto Hogendijk | 673 M | ||
Make a slight right | 13 M | ||
Make a slight left | 15 M | ||
Turn left | 31 M | ||
Turn right | 39 M | ||
Turn left | 105 M | ||
You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
From
55
to
69
|
2849 M | 2.8 KM | |
Head southwest on Albert Heijnweg | 313 M | ||
Turn right | 177 M | ||
Turn left onto Houtveldweg | 67 M | ||
Turn left onto Aris van Broekweg | 238 M | ||
Make a slight left onto Westzanerdijk | 2.1 KM | ||
You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
From
69
to
68
|
4110 M | 4.1 KM | |
Head west on Overtoom | 122 M | ||
Turn right onto Zuideinde | 3.9 KM | ||
Make a slight right | 58 M | ||
You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
From
68
to
63
|
1517 M | 1.5 KM | |
Head east on Provincialeweg | 646 M | ||
Turn left onto Middel | 871 M | ||
You are now at section 63 | 0 M |