The best walks and hikes around Wormerland

It's no wonder the windmills of Zaanse Schans are a must-see for anyone visiting the Netherlands, almost always at the top of the to-do list. Along with the windmills of Kindedijk, they are the only place where you can admire these mighty giants from bygone eras up close and in such variety. Unfortunately, this also has its downsides. Mass tourism has long since taken hold. The result? Overcrowded parking lots, high entrance fees, masses of people, crushes, and often long queues at the entrances to the various craft workshops and windmills. A harsh judgment? Perhaps. Especially since we, too, are part of the problem that has found its way here. Zaanse Schans is a mix of kitsch, commercialism, genuine craftsmanship, scenic beauty, and so on. But if you're interested in windmills and prefer a more relaxed experience, you're better off visiting Kinderdijk. It's overrun with tourists. 🏠 ... 🏠 🏠 We recommend that everyone... 1. Book your admission ticket for the windmill museums in advance online. This will save you from long queues. 2. Be sure to check the opening hours/days of the individual windmills online. They are not always all open and operating at the same time. 3. Choose your visit day carefully. Weekends are a nightmare. If the weather is nice, the trip will be a disaster. During the week, or in less than ideal weather, it's not nearly as crowded. 4. As is typical for such destinations, parking is scarce. It quickly becomes a chaotic mess of arriving cars searching for a parking spot. 5. Bringing your own food in a backpack is a good idea. Everything has its price, and there are no food stalls further along the windmill trail. Having enough to drink is invaluable. 6. At the end of the day, when everyone wants to go home, there's a long queue for the toilets near the entrance. Everyone has to go one last time before heading home! The barcode on the entry ticket has to be scanned before the barrier lets you into the restroom. Unfortunately, the system doesn't work perfectly, which can be frustrating, especially for parents with children. So it's best to plan your bathroom break a little earlier rather than right before closing time. By the way, as far as we know, there's only this one restroom facility near the entrance!

Even from the bridge, you have a fantastic view of the windmills. Even more wonderful is the delicious smell of chocolate in the air during your visit.

Beautiful town center with church

A charming wooden bridge at the Poelsluis, located in the rural area near Wormerveer. From this bridge you have a beautiful view of the calm water and the surrounding reed beds. An atmospheric place for a short break during a walk or bike ride through the green landscape.

old factory buildings are increasingly being replaced by modern residential complexes

The tower characterizes an important part of Wormer/Jisp's history during the whaling and rusk baking industry. In the heyday (1580-1680) there were about 150 rusk bakeries that baked two-back biscuits (ship's rusk that had a long shelf life). These were transported by ship/barge to many places in our country, in particular to the rusk markets in Amsterdam for ships that sailed to the Baltic Sea, the Indies (VOC) and Brazil. Almost 30 mills in Wormer and surrounding villages were busy supplying the bakeries with the necessary flour. The rusks were baked largely in wooden buildings. In order to prevent fires, the municipal authorities decided on December 20, 1605 that the fireplaces of the ovens had to remain extinguished between 6:00 PM and midnight to prevent overheating. After the night watchman first announced the time signals with his rattle through the village, the church bell later indicated this. However, because in the west of the village the church bell could not be heard well in certain wind directions, an extra freestanding bell tower was built in 1620. As a result of a fire in this tower, the original spire was replaced by a wooden splice in 1806. On 21 March 1896, the municipal council decided to "sell for a motion" due to dilapidation and lost function. FKG architects on the Zaan designed a plan for an exact copy of the last version of the tower with a warehouse-like building behind it (referring to the warehouses on the Zaan) that is connected to the tower by a transparent connecting space. Both components are modestly designed and detailed so that the bell tower is shown to its best advantage. Copies of the original decorative facade stones and the weather vane (depicting "Lady Fortuna") are incorporated in the reconstruction. The current location of the Beschuitstoren is slightly more to the east and next to the Dorpsstraat. The current project was granted a permit in 2017 and will be completed in May 2018. The warehouse-like building will have a social/public function on the ground floor and 3 social rental homes on the top floor. The entire building will be built without gas, using heat pumps and solar panels.

Tourist in your own country, great piece of culture 👌 That smell.. warm syrup waffles 👌

Tourist in your own country, great piece of culture 👌