Zaandijk is a town that lies about 11km northwest of Amsterdam. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad but it was a separate municipality until 1974.

Today the population of Zaandijk is around 9,000. The first citizens of Zaandijk were members of the family of Hendrik Pietersz who moved into 'de Lage dijk' (The Lower Dike) in the year 1494. De Lagedijk still exists in Zaandijk. In 1571 the town consisted of 19 houses. These dwellings were burned by the Spaniards in 1572, during the Eighty years war. The town began to prosper and grow following the return of the population. This was brief history of seemingly uninteresting little town. So why should you come here?

This place is a walking history of Holland. It is here where you can find typical old Dutch houses, mills, and showcase of main Dutch products.

The easiest way how to get here is by car following signs to Zaanstad till seeing the mills on your left.

This is a very poetic place. You can find here the last working color mill in the world. Color mill "De Kat" was build in 1646 to grind wood, plants and roots into coloring materials for textile industry. It burned down in 1782 and was rebuild using parts of other color mill in 1960. Today you will find it reflecting its beauty on nearby lake together with many other mills.

You will find here Mustered mill, Saw mill, Paint mill, Oils mill, Water mill, and others. However, wondering around here like wondering around past is not all you should do while here. Take some time and visit some of the museums and workshops.

In the wooded shoe shop you can see the production of typical Dutch wooden shoes and the personal will explain to you all the advantages of these shoes. They are light, you can walk through water and they don’t get wet and when they loose shine you just repaint them.

The exhibits show such rarities as wooden wedding shoes, beautifully carved pieces and even shoes on wheels - the grandfather of rollerblades.

Visit also the cheese farm and after seeing how the cheese is made, taste few and buy many as they all are lovely.

There is much more to do here like visiting the antique shop, the grocery shop, the museum, and more. So take your time and enjoy your visit to this poetic place where past leads into present conserving its original colors and fragrances.