The windmills of Zaanse Schans: what you see from the water

More than scenery

The Zaanse Schans windmills are not stage props. They are working machines that grind paint, press oil and saw timber — some of them for centuries. From the water you see their real face: the side where barges once moored to unload raw materials.

The mills you pass

De Kat — The last working paint mill in the world. Pigments are still ground here from natural stone.

Het Jonge Schaap — A sawmill, rebuilt from a 17th-century original. From the waterside you can see where the logs came in.

De Zoeker — An oil mill, pressing linseed and peanuts. With the doors open you can smell it from the boat.

De Huisman — Small and refined: a spice mill that grinds mustard.

Het Klaverblad — Another sawmill, with that typical rhythmic sound when it runs.

Why the Zaan region had so many mills

In the 18th century more than 600 windmills stood in the Zaan region — the first industrial area in Europe. Plenty of wind, an open landscape and a direct link to Amsterdam made the area unique. Everything moved by water: raw materials in, products out.

That's exactly why a boat tour makes sense here. You follow the same route as the cargo barges once did.

A tip for photographers

Ask your skipper to pause by the row of mills. From the low waterline you get the full sails in frame with the sky behind them — a perspective you'll never get from the dike.

Book your boat tour and see for yourself.