Some have described Zaanse Schans as the Netherlands in a nutshell: a town of traditional Dutch crafts and architecture, with six windmills, a wooden shoe workshop, a cheese farm, and more. While it’s easy to think of the town as an open-air museum, in actuality, Zaanse Schans is simply a town full of extraordinarily well preserved architecture and traditions–one that’s capitalized on its authentic atmosphere and added even more typically Dutch phenomena to the mix. Touristy? Yes, but still worth a visit.

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