If you are staying in Amsterdam don’t miss the windmills at Zaanse Schans; its only a 25 minute trip on the train from Amsterdam’s Central station – trains leave every 15 minutes and cost 7 euros 60 cents return.
No trip to the Netherlands is complete without seeing a windmill – and Zaanse Schans has them in abundance; and not just windmills either, there is so much more to see and do. There are lots of little museums – some are free and some levy a small charge (you can but a Zaanse Schans card for 15 euro) and you can also go into a windmill where you get a close-up view of the workings.
Whilst there we also got to see a demonstration of a clog being made from a lump of poplar and in another building there was a film about cheese-making plus the opportunity to sample (or buy) literally dozens and dozens of different flavoured cheeses.
Lots of gift shops with an array of reasonably priced souvenirs, an old-fashioned style tea/coffee shop (and you can get a hot beverage at the back of the shop) and picturesque surroundings.
I had gone for a quick trip to see some windmills but spent a good 3 hours there and could happily have stayed for longer.
