Step into a romantic little village and bump into your Prince Charming by chance！ The picturesque Dutch Windmill Village

Text and photos by /Evan

Today I’m going to introduce you to the Zaanse Schans Windmill Village in the Netherlands. When people think of the Netherlands, they often think of tulips, wooden shoes, or windmills. This time in the Netherlands~ Evan of course also visited the windmills Up~ Because we drove ourselves this time, we got to see many windmills in various places. I highly recommend the Kinderdijk and the Windmill Village as top spots！

Introduction

As soon as our car pulled into the Windmill Village, at first I thought we had arrived in a green village！ Every house was green, complemented by lots of grass and waterways — this place is literally a fairyland, the kind of setting where fairy tales take place. Basically, you’d expect to turn a corner and suddenly see a prince riding a horse appear or something, u? At night how would that even go... ）(The wife rolled her eyes (of course with DDD))

Brief introduction with photos

Alright, let’s get back to the point！ I always want to joke around at the start XDD

Entering the open area of the Windmill Village is free; only some museums charge admission, such as the Wooden Shoe Museum, Cheese Museum, or Windmill Museum, etc.
But this time we participated in the Kinderdijk for the windmill museum, not this one here. Here, it’s purely for strolling around outside, and you can also ride a bike here.
It’s just that when we came that day, the wind was quite strong, and it was too cold, so we just walked slowly, taking our time to enjoy and explore.

In the old days in the Netherlands, windmills were not just for show to locals but were an indispensable tool for daily life. Most people might think these windmills generate electricity, but actually no～ Windmills have different designs for different functions — some pump water, some grind things！ Their uses are very diverse. It’s just that as technology advanced over time, today’s windmills have largely become tourist attractions, allowing everyone to catch a glimpse of the way of life of the powerful Dutch people back then！

We took such a great photo as soon as the car arrived！

There’s a place here that looks like a little chapel, but now it’s a souvenir shop. We didn’t buy any souvenirs there.

We spent quite a while taking photos just outside, and as we walked further in, we could still see many beautiful houses！

We also passed by this spot where you can see many windmills, but the wind was super strong here～ Took a few photos and wanted to leave right away.

Further in, there’s also a small shop selling cocoa, shaped chocolates, and Dutch pancakes. If you’re feeling cold, you can stop here for a hot drink before heading back. We bought Dutch pancakes here～ So delicious！ A small piece for 0.5 euros (equivalent in value to, uh, peeing...).

The restroom here costs money, and business is pretty good — 0.5 euros per use.

On the way back, there was a little rain～ W and I thought about having a hot soup, and seeing others drinking hot cocoa looking so happy～ we decided to buy one too. But immediately regretted it after buying — the price makes you homesick (a cappuccino for 2.8 euros + instant noodles for 3.5 euros....... Taiwan, I miss you a bit).

But after drinking it, the rain stopped. Alright～ just consider it a necessary part of taking shelter from the rain！ Rain in the Netherlands is usually not heavy; it’s a romantic kind of rain. After all, when have you seen a foreign handsome guy with his hair completely soaked？ Usually, they’re walking toward you in the light romantic rain wearing a coat on the other side of the street......... (Hey～～ wake up！) Alright！ After the rain, the sun came out right away, and we continued strolling～ and admiring these cute houses.

There’s also a bridge you can walk across～ Walking on it and taking a photo looking back is also very pretty！

Personal Thoughts

After seeing so many photos, do you think this is a green village～～～XDDD (or is it just me who thought that！XD)
This is the Windmill Village～ I think it’s a really dreamy place. If you have time when you come to the Netherlands, I hope you can also come and stroll here.
Even if you don’t necessarily meet your Prince Charming, it can really help your heart take a break！

How to Get There？

1. By car: You can just GPS it！(Hey～～ is that even a key point XD)
2. By public transport: You can use this system to check schedules and how to get there: https：//9292.nl/en
3. Most common departure points:
From Amsterdam to the Windmill Village
Taking the bus allows you to avoid walking, but if you take the train, you’ll need to walk for about 15 minutes—though I’ve heard the route is quite scenic (decide for yourself).
A. The bus can take you directly (take bus No. 391) and get off at Zaanse Schans: around 45 minutes
B. You can take a train heading toward Alkmaar, get off at Koog-Zaandijk, and then walk for about 15 minutes

Evangeline-Evan
Hello everyone, I’m Evan, someone who’s timid and easily scared,
but through independent travel, I’ve slowly found my courage,
and each independent trip has helped me discover a different side of myself.
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