Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Easter-Oct Tue-Sun 10:30-13:00 & 13:30-16:00, closed Mon;
Nov-Easter Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri).
• A few doors up the street is...
Het Noorderhuis Museum
—Walk through this old merchant's
house from 1670, with two diorama scenes showing local lifestyles
around 1800 and 1900 (€1.50, Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-
17:00, closed Mon).
• Just beyond the De Hoop op d'Swarte Walvis restaurant (see “Eating,”
page 297) is the dock for the...
Boat Cruise (Rederij de Schans Rondvaarten)
—T h is
45-minute boat tour floats visitors through the park and adjacent
town (€6, departs on the hour Tue-Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon
except July-Aug, closed Oct-March, tel. 065/329-4467, www
.rederijdeschans.nl).
• From here, enjoy a fine view of the windmills. But before you go on to
visit them, poke into the little village area across from the boat landing.
First you'll pass an adorable curiosity shop that's a pack-rat's heaven.
Then you' ll encounter the...
Bakery Museum (Bakkerijmuseum)
—his fragrant and very
modest “museum” displays old bakery equipment (including cookie
molds) and sells what it bakes. Borrow the English descriptions to
navigate the slapdash exhibit (€1 to enter museum, various treats
available—most around €2.50, Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon).
• Now head for the...
s
Windmills (Molens)
—The very industrious Zaan region is
typified by these hardwork-
ing windmills, which you'll see
everywhere. Mills are built with
st urdy oa k timber frames to
withstand the constant tension of
movement. To catch the desired
amount of wind, millers—like
expert sailors—know just how
much to unfurl the sails. When
the direction of the wind shifts, the
miller turns the cap of the building,
which weighs several tons, to face the
breeze.
You can tour several of Zaanse
Schans' old-fashioned windmills, each
one used for a different purpose (€2.50
per mill, hours vary, www.zaansemolen
.nl).
De Gekroonde Poelenburg
is a
sawmill, where stout logs are turned into
building lumber (open sporadically).
De
Kat
(“The Cat”) grinds dyes. Watch its
