WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2013

Today people live and work in the village just
as the Dutch did hundreds of years ago. The
village’s narrow paths lead past a small retail
center with gift and gourmet shops, and
a hotel with outdoor dining. Here you’ll find
a grocery museum and Pewter Foundry De
Tinkoepel, one of the last pewter foundries
left in the Netherlands. On the other side of
the road is a narrow canal with humpback
bridges scattered down its length. They lead
to homes where local families live.
As we wander out of the village we take the
path toward a string of eight windmills of
all shapes and sizes. Six are industrial windmills
designed to produce its own product.
There are demonstrations of how the power
of the windmill is used to produce oil, make
pigments for paint, and saw timber.
Some of the windmills also serve as homes
for their owners who can be seen tinkering
at the sails and parts of the windmills that
must need regular maintenance. A number
of windmills are retail stores and offer free
admittance, while others ask for a small fee
so that they can maintain these ancient giants.
It was truly remarkable to think that
they were the height of industrial technology
well over 400 years ago.
After visiting several windmills we took a
fork in the path that led to an equally interesting
section of the historical park.
Grouped in several period-style buildings
were a cheese farm with an elaborate retail
sales area and a wooden shoe museum and
factory displaying hundreds of pairs of fascinating
clogs of every era for every need.
Clog and cheese making demonstrations
add to the fun.
Within this complex are a couple casual
restaurants with outdoor seating. We enjoyed
a meal made with local ingredients
and some local brews. As I sipped my beer,
I could imagine slipping on my comfortable
wooden shoes and heading out to my own
giant windmill that would do nothing but
rock a giant hammock. Thinking about living
in the past can be hard work.
IF YOU GO
Guided tours are available and lasts about 1.5 hours.
€ 6.50 p.p. (minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20
people per guide)
Hours for the park and stores are from 11 a.m. -- 5 p.m.
Website: www.zaanseschans.nl
Top: Visitors chat with sheep whose milk is
used in the cheese production as shown in
the cheese making plant above.
Left: A docile replica of a cow lets visitors
try their hand at milking without upsetting
the real thing.
Right: Displays of unusual wooden shoes.
The wooden shoe making museum and
manufacturing plant has several demonstrations
daily.
Wine Dine & Travel Fall 2013 | 30