Windmills are one of the most quintessential and stereotypical accents to the Netherlands (alongside clogs, smoking weed, stroopwafels, and unrivalled architecture of course!).
While there are about a thousand of them in all of the Netherlands, one of the best places to see windmills is undoubtedly the Zaanse Schans.
The Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood in Zaandam, a quiet Dutch city near Amsterdam that boasts some of the most picturesque windmills in the Netherlands. The town attracts over one million visitors a year — and you’re about to see why. 📷
READ NEXT | Hiking around the Zaanstreek: 9 perfect walks in the ultimate Dutch region
To bring you these awe-inspiring shots of the Zaanse Schans and its windmills, we’ve teamed up with the talented Dutch photographer Ewout Pahud.
This dreamy video was captured on a misty morning:
The foggy mornings make for epic drone shots. 👇
Windmills weren’t just used to grind flour, but also to dry waterlogged land the Dutch reclaimed from the sea.
Alluring spider web with a picturesque background.
Sunset time! Wouldn’t meandering along these windmills be so peaceful?
Incredible shots, huh? If you want to enjoy more beautiful Dutch scenery, check out Ewout Pahud on his Instagram.
Have you seen the typical Dutch windmills? What’s your favourite Dutch scenery? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for the great article. I enjoyed it sir!
Wow! what a great piece of aerial photography. These photos should be winning awards. I love these Zaanse Schans windmill shots. It makes me feel to visit this place at least once in my lifetime. Anyways, thanks for bringing these photos to life, and credit goes to Ewout Pahud as well.
Zaandam, without the pork.
Wish I had visited Zaanstreek. It looks classic Nederlandse. That being said, my personal favorite windmill has to be the Stadsmolen of Hulst. Not that it’s the grandest in any way but because I got to help set the sails on it one day and got a tour of the inner workings. Just my luck to be there taking pictures on the day and time the molenaar was setting the sails. We were the only people there, and he invited me to help. “Ja zeker!” The Molenaar spotted from my odd Dutch that I was “een buitenlander”. That’s translatable to “an outsider” which sounds unfriendly to Americans but it’s not meant that way. Easily one of my best days visiting mijn lieve Vaderland. My dear Fatherland. Het land van mijn ouders.