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Zaanse Schans is a beautiful Dutch neighbourhood you can visit by train

Photo credit: Achim Thomae - Getty Images
Photo credit: Achim Thomae - Getty Images

When planning a trip to the Netherlands, Amsterdam, with its vast range of museums, art galleries, theatres, and its famous canals dotted with delightfully colourful townhouses, is usually on the itinerary.

VISIT HOLLAND WITH CL THIS AUGUST

It's true that Amsterdam's tulips are one of the finest sights to witness, but if you're looking to combine a city break in one of Europe's most culture-rich and restless cities with a taste of rural life, you should add Zaanse Schans to your bucket list.

Zaanse Schans is a serene neighbourhood on the east banks of the river Zaan, characterised by its wooden houses, windmills, barns and workshops.

Photo credit: Harald Herwarth / 500px - Getty Images
Photo credit: Harald Herwarth / 500px - Getty Images

It has a history as a working community dating back to the 17th century, when there were an incredible 600 windmills powering local tradesmen's workshops. Today, it's a living, open-air museum, where you can step back in time and get a taste of Dutch life from days gone by.

Zaanse Schans is incredibly easy to reach from Amsterdam, with the nearest train station just a 17-minute journey from Amsterdam Centraal. There's also a ferry that will take you on a pleasant, two-hour trip along the Zaan.

You could choose to cycle there, a journey that will take a few hours but will allow you to soak in the views of the idyllic Dutch countryside as you ride.

Photo credit: SCStock - Getty Images
Photo credit: SCStock - Getty Images

Once you arrive you can begin to explore the neighbourhood and immerse yourself in historical rural life.

VISIT ZAANSE SCHANS WITH CL THIS AUGUST

You can visit workshops to see how colourful clogs are made and visit a cheese factory where you can watch Gouda being produced (and of course, taste it afterwards), all while the smell of fresh bread from the Bakery Museum fills the air, tempting you to visit.

But the real star attraction of Zaanse Schans is its wonderful windmills. There's hardly a more iconic emblem of the Dutch countryside than these impressive wooden structures.

There are still a few working mills remaining here - in fact this neighbourhood is one of the few places in the world where you can still see working traditional windmills.

De Kat, which uses wind power to create pigment for paints is one of the area's working mills and the world's only remaining working windmill making paint. During a visit to Zaanse Schans, you can drop by here to see the miller in action.

Photo credit: Eloi_Omella - Getty Images
Photo credit: Eloi_Omella - Getty Images

Zaanse Schans is no hidden gem. It's one of the Netherlands' most visited tourist attractions, but due to its size it never feels crowded. Even in the summer months you can amble around at a pleasant pace, enjoying the laid back atmosphere of this magical place without feeling rushed.

Photo credit: f9photos - Getty Images
Photo credit: f9photos - Getty Images

Its peaceful, bucolic nature is a large part of its appeal, and during spring you can easily pass the hours wandering around outside listening to the rhythmic creaks and thuds of the windmills as you pass along the banks of the river.

Photo credit: Ventura Carmona - Getty Images
Photo credit: Ventura Carmona - Getty Images

At this time of year you'll also be blessed by one of the Netherland's most famous spectacles - the flamboyant tulips that burst out in colour, making this already magical place even more beautiful.

But there's really no bad time to visit and the summer season when you can soak up the beautiful weather and events of Holland is an excellent time to experience Zaanse Schans, too.

You can visit the neighbourhood on a five-day tour of the Netherlands with Country Living this August, when you'll also get to experience the once-in-a-decade Floriade Expo. Our no-fly holiday will take you by Eurostar to Amsterdam, where you'll go on a canal cruise through the capital, too.

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