Zaandam, tourist information

The Short Rozengracht

Zaandam is a city located on the river Zaan. The city is also located in the province of North Holland. If you like the real Dutch Glory then you must have been to Zaandam. Zaandam was founded in the year 1811 and is therefore not very old, but it is characteristically Dutch.

The city is known worldwide for the beautiful wooden Zaan houses, as well as the beautiful wooden colored windmills. You will not find this beautiful part of the city directly in the center of the city, but a little further along the Zaan river at the Zaanse Schans. Much has also been built in the Zaan style in the center of Zaandam. So there is plenty to discover in this special Dutch city.

You can shop very well in the center of Zaandam, there is also plenty to discover in the field of Cultural Heritage.

The Zaanse houses at the Zaanse Schans

Cultural heritage is certainly present, although not all of the cultural heritage can be found in the center, but largely in the Zaanse Schans, this is a neighborhood of Zaandam.

As mentioned before, Zaandam is known for its Zaan style, but what exactly is the Zaan style? The answer is the Zaan style: old Dutch houses with a wooden facade in the colors green & white. (see pictures)

As mentioned, not all of the cultural heritage can be found in the center of Zaandam. The center is currently being nicely converted into buildings with Zaanse facades, so that the city center also gets the cozy old Zaan atmosphere.

How do I get to De Zaanse Schans?
It is a 7 minute drive (5km) by car, about an hour's walk on foot, a 6 minute walk by train and then a XNUMX minute walk.

Zaanse Schans

The city has many sights

In Zaandam center you must have seen the town hall. If you then walk towards the river Zaan, you will come across two more churches, called the Bonifatiuskerk and the Oostzijderkerk. A beautiful lock can be viewed through the Zaan, this lock is called the Willeminasluis with two beautiful statues on both sides. The most beautiful sight in Zaandam center is the hotel near Central Station, this hotel was built by tinkering with the Zaan style, because it is a mixture of different Zaan houses. Finally, the Tsar Peter House is a must to visit, this is one of the oldest surviving wooden houses in the Netherlands.

The Zaanstreek is the oldest industrial area in Western Europe, there were no fewer than 600 mills running at that time! At the Zaanse Schans, 10 of these are still running. The windmills are in the typical Zaanse style, but that is not the only thing you will find in the Zaanse Schans, you can find many Zaanse houses there, which resemble a cozy village. You can see it as a nice large open-air museum, but you can visit it for free. One of the nicest sights at the Zaanse Schans is the replica of the first Albert Heijn store, which is now the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands. Finally, there are many Houses that you must have seen!

A shopping street in the center of Zaandam

Shopping is perfectly possible in Zaandam! There are many shops in Zaandam, these shops can be found in particular on the Gedempte Gracht and in the Rozenhof Passage.

In Zaandam you can find the well-known retail chains and here and there a smaller private store. If you need something, you will find it in Zaandam.

Zaandam
Shopping evening: Thursday

The Zaantheater in the center of Zaandam

In Zaandam you can certainly go for activities the city is full of museums
these museums can mainly be found at the Zaanse Schans. You can also enjoy theaters, catch a movie or enjoy a boat trip.

Park at the Klaas Kanstraat

In Zaandam you will find many parks including the Parks: Vijfhoekpark, the Darwinpark followed by the Burgemeester in 't Veldpark and finally you can take a look at the Jagersveld.

Prefer to go to the dunes? Then you should take a look at the De Kennemerduinen, this nature reserve, which is about 38 minutes drive (28 km) from Zaandam Center

Dam Square in Zaandam with places to go out

If you want to go out for a while, you can have a good time in Zaandam, the city has many entertainment venues in the center, most venues can be found on Dam Square.