Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Zaandam

The Zaanse Schans is a historic neighbourhood in the Zaanstad municipality, which was established by relocating wooden buildings and industrial mills from the Zaan district. To preserve as much as possible original of these timber buildings, in 1949 a special neighbourhood was set up to relocate the houses. From the middle of the 20th century the plans were elaborated. From 1963 many wooden buildings were moved to the Kalverpolder , where the Zaanse Schans was created. Although set up as a 'normal' residential neighbourhood, the area attracted more and more tourists. Between 1970 and 1974, the plan was expanded to include historic buildings and several replicas suitable for catering and tourism. Some of the buildings are now housing museums, small craft businesses and shops. In 1976, the Zaanse Schans became a tourist destination. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited tourist places in the Netherlands with more than two million visitors per year. The Zaanse Schans comprises approx. 30 inhabited houses, 15 commercial buildings/shops and 12 windmills . The neighbourhood has about 75 inhabitants. In 2010 the Zaanse Schans was designated as a protected village sight. The neighbourhood was named after the sconce, which “Diederik Sonoy”, governor in the service of “Willem van Oranje”, had built in the Eighty Years’ War to stop the Spanish troops.

The Zaanse Schans is a residential neighbourhood in which the 18th and 19th centuries are brought to life. It is best known for its collection of well-preserved historic houses and windmills. The Zaanse Schans is a unique and one of the most visited places in the Netherlands, with green wooden houses, windmills, barns and typical Dutch crafts. From 1961 to 1974 old buildings from all over the region were relocated using lowboy trailers to the area. Zaanse Schans derived its name from the river Zaan and its original function as sconce (“schans” in Dutch) against the Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War. The area around the Zaanse Schans , called the Zaanstreek , once was the largest industrial zone in Western Europe. During the 18th and 19th century heyday it used to have more than 600 windmills; 245 were sawing mills and 160 oil mills. Built for industrial functions, they were used for grinding grain, making wood for shipbuilding, pressing oil from seeds, makling paper from hemp and a lot of cocoa was also produced in the Zaan region. Starting in the 1960’s, these historical mills and other threatened and antique buildings were moved to the Zaanse Schans to create a collection and to preserve them. Nowadays there are 12 windmills on the <and four more in the vicinity. Most of the mills were moved in the last century, some stood already at their current location along the river Zaan and some have been completely rebuilt according to the original plans. Most of the mills are owned by the Vereniging de Zaansche Molen , which is also responsible for the maintenance and operation of the mills. Seven fully operative windmills and the Molenmuseum (Mill Museum) can be visited.

I had heard about it and saw a lot of pictures of the Inntel Hotel in Zaandam, but never seen it myself. I have to say it is one of the most remarkable (modern) buildings in my country. The very unusual building is located in the new centre of Zaandam. The external walls look like a lot of small houses, all piled up on top of each other. This spectacular design reflects the traditional architecture of the Zaan region with its cozy wooden houses. It seems that there are about seventy house fronts, each one on top of another. The walls are painted in several so called “Zaan-green” colours. Just one house has a blue colour, referring to “The Blue House”, a work by Claude Monet, which he painted in Zaandam in 1871 The hotel - opened in 2010 - was built as part of the so called “Inverdan project”, which started in 2003. The aim of the project was to restructure the centre of Zaandam. This traditional Zaan architecture is also found in other “Inverdan buildings” - like the new townhall of Zaanstad .

The Zaanse Schans is a residential neighbourhood in which the 18th and 19th centuries are brought to life. It is best known for its collection of well-preserved historic houses and windmills . The Zaanse Schans is a unique and one of the most visited places in the Netherlands, with green wooden houses, windmills, barns and typical Dutch crafts. From 1961 to 1974 old buildings from all over the Zaanstreek were relocated using lowboy trailers to the area. Zaanse Schans derived its name from the river Zaan and its original function as sconce (schans in Dutch) against the Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War. Main image: panorama of some of the windmills PiP1: De Huisman, a spice mill PiP2: De Gekroonde Poelenburg, a saw mill PiP3: De Kat, a paint mill

The area around the Zaanse Schans , called the Zaanstreek, once was the largest industrial zone in Western Europe. During the 18th and 19th century heyday it used to have more than 600 windmills; 245 were sawing mills and 160 oil mills. Built for industrial functions, they were used for grinding grain, making wood for shipbuilding, pressing oil from seeds, making paper from hemp and a lot of cocoa was also produced in the Zaan region. Starting in the 1960’s, these historical mills and other threatened and antique buildings were moved to the Zaanse Schans to create a collection and to preserve them. Nowadays there are 12 windmills on the Zaanse Schans and four more in the vicinity. Most of the mills were moved in the last century, some stood already at their current location along the river Zaan and some have been completely rebuilt according to the original plans. Most of the mills are owned by the Vereniging de Zaansche Molen , which is also responsible for the maintenance and operation of the mills. Seven fully operative windmills and the mill museum belonging to them can be visited. The Zaanse Schans is one of the most popular windmill sites in the Netherlands.

The Zaanse Schans is a historic neighbourhood in the Zaanstad municipality, which was established by relocating wooden buildings and industrial mills from the Zaan district. To preserve as much as possible original of these timber buildings, in 1949 a special neighbourhood was set up to relocate the houses. From the middle of the 20th century the plans were elaborated. From 1963 many wooden buildings from the Zaanstreek were moved to the Kalverpolder , where the Zaanse Schans was created. Although set up as a 'normal' residential neighbourhood, the area attracted more and more tourists. Between 1970 and 1974, the plan was expanded to include historic buildings and several replicas suitable for catering and tourism. Some of the buildings are now housing museums, small craft businesses and shops. In 1976, the Zaanse Schans became a tourist destination. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited tourist places in the Netherlands with more than two million visitors per year. The Zaanse Schans comprises approx. 30 inhabited houses, 15 commercial buildings/shops and 12 windmills. The neighbourhood has about 75 inhabitants. In 2010 the Zaanse Schans was designated as a protected village sight. The neighbourhood was named after the sconce, which “Diederik Sonoy”, governor in the service of “Willem van Oranje”, had built in the Eighty Years’ War to stop the Spanish troops.

Zaanse Schans: some of the windmills along the Zaan. See for more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaanse_Schans