See the windmills at Zaanse Schans

Visit the traditional windmills at Zaanse Schans, a traditional spot in the countryside just outside Amsterdam, full of historic windmills, wooden houses and traditional crafts that still continue today.

You can easily spend an afternoon here without spending a cent, soaking up the views, taking photos of the windmills and browsing the shops.

If you're curious, you can actually take a look inside some of the windmills here - some still operate today and accept visitors. You’ll generally need to pay a fee to do this - and you might need to book ahead too. It’s an intriguing insight into traditional industries here - the mills process everything from wood and pepper to paper and paint. You feel like you’re stepping back in time and it’s nice to see this really authentic part of the city.

For all the info, head to the Zaanse Schans website, where they have a list of all the windmills. Here you can find their opening times and how much it costs to go in, as well as a link to their own websites. Make sure to check out the websites of the ones you’re interested in, as they’ll have the full info such as whether you’ll need to arrange your visit in advance or if you can just drop in. If you want to visit a few different spots, or maybe do a tour, then check out a site like Get Your Guide.