Zaandam

Directly outside the train station Zaandam is a shopping esplanade (which is being completely rebuilt), bike rental, taxis and a hotel. It takes a 10-minute walk through the rather dull shopping esplanade (called Gedempte Gracht) to get to the slightly more atmospheric area where you can find the pubs and restaurants. That area, with streets like the Zuiddijk and Prins Hendrikkade, is located at the waterfront of the river Zaan.

In all honesty, the centre of Zaandam is not very special, except for a few nice pubs and a venue with live music. The centre is a big construction site, as the town council is putting much effort into reconstructing and rebuilding the city centre under the name "project Inverdan". This project consists of the building of a completely new town hall adjacent to the railway station, a brand new hotel which looks like a pile of wooden houses from the Zaan Region, a shopping mall and apartment complex (Hermitage) and bringing the water back into the Gedempte Gracht shopping mall.

You can explore the typical Dutch landscape with completely flat meadows and windmills around the city. The Zaan Region is possibly the oldest industrial area in the world (as it was not driven by steam but by wind), and it is shown in many old buildings. Zaandam is an excellent starting point for a cycling trip through the region.

• VVV Agentschap Zaandam, Ebbehout 31 (near the railway station), ☏ +31 20 201-8800. 24 hours. This tourist information centre has cycling maps, hiking paths and advice on where to go in the region. 

Connexxion operates local buses in this area.

• Tsar Peter House, Krimp 23 (at walk distance from railway station Zaandam), ☏ +31 75 681-0000. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. A small house where Tsar Peter lodged in the 17th century. It is one of the oldest wooden houses of the Netherlands. It was built in 1632 as a working class house from old timber. The Russian Tsar Peter lived here in 1697, when he wanted to learn how to become a shipwright. It is owned by the Zaans Museum in Zaanse Schans. €2, children €1. 

The whole area around the river Zaan, to be explored biking, walking, driving around or boating over the Zaan River. You will see a great mix of old style industry unusual for the Netherlands, old wooden houses and windmills, together with open green pastures (grass land) in the span of just a few miles. It will be like different epochs clash. This journey has to be arranged on an individual basis, as outside the Zaanse Schans tourism is not very well developed.

• Blue House (painted by Claude Monet), Hogendijk 87. This house was painted by Claude Monet during his stay in Zaandam in 1871. The house isn't blue any more, but plans are to change it back.
  Getting out of the Tsar Peter House, turn right, go up the dike and turn left. Nr 78. 

• 🌍 De Pizzabakkers Zaandam, Dam 36 (.), ☏ +31 756150419, zaandam@depizzabakkers.nl. 17:00 - 22:00. Italian pizza baked in the wood oven, prepared with fresh ingredients. (updated Mar 2022)

• Blacksmith, Hogendijk 46, ☏ +31 6 150-719-02. Small pub in the old workplace of a blacksmith. On the Hogedijk near the old harbour. A truly local pub with beer-tasting. 
• 🌍 Brouwerij Hoop, Lagedijk 71, 1544 BC Zaandijk, ☏ +31 75 207 7000. (updated Apr 2019)

• Inntel Hotel, Provincialeweg 102 (close to Zaandam railway station), ☏ +31 75 681-0171. Probably one of the weirdest buildings in the country. It's a new building, designed by architects Molenaar en van der Winden, that resembles about a dozen traditional Zaan houses plopped on top of each other. It looks odd, to say the least, but makes an impressive sight as you walk out of the railway station. It is a four-star hotel that has 160 rooms available. Free WiFi. €85-151. 

The Zaanse Schans is north of Zaandam, but still in the Zaan Region. It is an open air museum that consists of old windmills and the original wooden houses. These windmills have approximately 1 million visitors each year.