Highlights of this tour
- Zaanse Schans
- Cheese farm
- Clog factory
- Inside visit windmill
- Volendam
Dutch herring, windmills, wooden clogs, cheese, and traditional Dutch costumes, is what most people imagine when they think of The Netherlands. And these are precisely the things you will see during this Zaanse Schans and Volendam tour. First, you visit the Zaanse Schans, and afterward, you continue towards the fishermen’s village Volendam. These two typical Dutch villages give you a clear view of the country in just a couple of hours.
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Your English-speaking private guide meets you at your hotel in Amsterdam or cruise port, and together you head to the Zaanse Schans in a private adapted vehicle. At the Zaanse Schans, you see the wooden windmills along the water with meadows on the background. This creates the beautiful and typical Dutch view: wooden mills and much green flatness. Furthermore, the Zaanse Schans gives you a glimpse of life in the 18th and 19th-century in the Zaanstreek, the oldest industrial region of Western Europe. Once, there used to be hundreds of windmills active, that produced a variety of products.
During this tour, you get to explore the windmills up close. When inside, you learn that every mill has a unique name and that they all have a little factory. Working in the windmills was tough. Wood and oil were cut, and flour, spices, and dyes were ground.
Some of the mills are still active for you to see how the process worked back in the days.
Besides seeing the mills, there is a traditional cheese farm to visit. In cheese farm Catharina Hoeve, the cheesemakers dress in traditional costume and they will explain the differences between the types of cheese. They also have a shop to taste and buy.
Furthermore, you find a clog factory. Here you see how artisans make clogs from single pieces of wood. If you wish, you have the option to enjoy a workshop where you can make your own clogs. And, do not forget to add some typical Dutch pancakes while you are at it.
Later in the day, you visit Volendam, an authentic fishermen’s village with an important harbor, located on the Markermeer. You feel the authentic ambiance in the entire town. During the tour, you stroll through the streets with the small colorful houses with wooden facades. Moreover, you find a fish shop at every corner of the street. Volendam is the perfect place where you can eat typical Dutch herring. A small fish that you eat while it is raw and pickled. Furthermore, you see the traditional historical Dutch costumes and the many fishing boats in the harbor.
The tour continues with a stroll through the streets of Doolhof and Oude Kom quarters. A suggestion from your tour guide is to visit Restaurant Spaander, to see the collection of art or drink a good cup of coffee. Spaander is a restaurant with a typical Volendam atmosphere and a beautiful sun terrace for the summer months.
After your visit to Volendam, your private guide and driver take you back to Amsterdam, to your hotel or the cruise port.
You can also chose an English speaking driver-guided tour. In that case the Volendam area will be done from the vehicle with various stops. If time allows, we can include the surroundings of Volendam as well, such as Edam. Contact us for the possibilities.
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