Westzaan: Mills, Architecture and Waterways

Westzaan is a linear settlement about six kilometres long, with the Kerkbuurt at its centre. If you are planning a hotel stay in Westzaan, the town’s history and range of activities offer useful ideas for planning your trip. Mills and crafts are one part of the town’s character, while protected architecture and waterways offer other perspectives.

Mills and crafts in Westzaan

De Schoolmeester is the only wind-powered paper mill in the world where Zaansch Bord is still made. To produce the paper, textile waste such as rags, old rope and fishing nets is shredded. The finished Zaansch Bord is used for maps, in bookbinding and by artists. Thus, Westzaan’s craft tradition includes not only the mill but also its distinctive paper.

Het Prinsenhof tells a different story of production. The hulling mill stands at the end of the Relkepad in the Westzijderveld and is one of the last hulling mills in the Netherlands. Built in 1722, it was devoted exclusively to hulling barley for the next 178 years. Pearl barley is still produced there. De Jonge Dirk stands on the Weelsloot, east of Het Prinsenhof. The remains of the mill were brought to Westzaan in 1958 and brought back to life there under this name.

Historic buildings and townscape

In the Kerkbuurt, the protected townscape reflects different periods of construction and architecture typical of the Zaanstreek. These include mills, wooden houses, industrial heritage and 19th-century villas. The Dutch national monument ’t Reghthuys adds to this picture with watercolours and oil paintings inside that depict Westzaan in earlier times.

The Zuidervermaning is a schuurkerk (barn church) built in 1731 and is one of Westzaan’s oldest buildings. Its interior includes a Smuiger fireplace, typical of the Zaanstreek and decorated with 328 tiles. The Grote Kerk also brings together different periods of construction: it was built between 1740 and 1741 alongside a Gothic tower dating from around 1300. These buildings reveal the town’s different historical layers.

Wet meadows, mill landscape and meadow birds

Further afield lies the Westzaan polder, a historic wet-meadow area on the western edge of Zaanstad. The Westzijderveld is the polder between Westzaan, Zaandam and Wormerveer, and attracts many meadow birds. It was part of a mill district with around 150 mills, four of which remain. So, alongside the buildings, the wet meadows and the history of the mill landscape offer themes to explore as you plan your trip.

Cycling, walks and waterways

The Monumentenroute Westzaan is a circular cycling route of about 15 kilometres that passes Westzaan’s historic monuments. The Historische Vereniging Westzaan also organises historic walks through the town. These options offer different ways to explore: a circular bike tour or a guided look at local history on foot.

There are also named options on the water. The signposted Westzaan canoe route is seven kilometres long and starts and ends at Kanoverhuur, Middel 180A, in Westzaan. SUPFUN rents stand-up paddleboards for trips through the Westzaan polder. So, you can choose between a marked canoe route and SUP tours for water-based activities on your trip.

Discover more destinations: Zaanstad, Assendelft, Zaandam, Wormerveer, Zaandijk, Koog Aan De Zaan.

Back to the main travel overview: Zaanstad.