By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Man kissing the cheek of his laughing fiancée on a wooden jetty over the Zaan, three windmills of the Zaanse Schans across the water

The photo spots at the Zaanse Schans that I use most lie along the river and in the village lanes. I keep returning to the quay by the lamppost, the jetties, the crowned mill and the white bridges. They are all a few minutes apart, so one session can take in most of them.

This guide follows four of my sessions here, from May to late July. They were a surprise proposal, a family day out, a dancing couple and a red dress among the mills. For every spot, you see when we were there, what the light did and how busy it was. Still deciding on a place? Then start with how I work as a photographer in Zaanse Schans.

At a glance

Spots
1 Zonnewijzerspad | 2 Hydrangeas by dark wood | 3 Quay by the lamppost | 4 Jetties on the Zaan | 5 De Gekroonde Poelenburg | 6 Open fields | 7 White bridges | 8 Heart of clogs
Walking
All within minutes of each other; in June, a family went from the quay to the clog heart in about fifty minutes
Entry
The village is free to walk; the mills and museums have their own tickets
Crowds in these sessions
Visitors along the water and around the big mill on a May and a June day | Quiet lanes from about 16:30 in late June and late July
Light in these sessions
Sun between big clouds in May | Hazy sun at midday in June | Overcast, then blue sky in late June | A white sky in late July

Photo Spots in the Village Lanes

The heart of the village is a web of brick lanes, small waterways and green houses with white window frames. It holds two photo spots at the Zaanse Schans that feel tucked away, only a few minutes from the river.

1. The Zonnewijzerspad and Its Willow

Late July, 16:27–16:33 | A footbridge, a willow, a brick lane

Couple on a wooden footbridge with green railings under a weeping willow, a lamppost, pink hydrangeas and the Zonnewijzerspad sign beside them

Here, a small wooden footbridge with green railings rises under a weeping willow. The street sign reads Zonnewijzerspad, and in late July, pink hydrangeas grew right up to the railing. Beside it stands an old lamppost, with a green house and its curved gable behind.

A few steps on, a brick lane runs between a gray-green house and a wooden fence. A stone dog sits at its edge. On a Saturday afternoon in late July, the lane stayed empty while we were there. The whole walk is told in a red dress among the windmills.

Man in a white shirt and woman in a red halter dress standing in a quiet brick lane at the Zaanse Schans, a stone dog statue in front
A brick lane with a stone dog, 16:33 in late July

2. Hydrangeas Against Dark Wood

June and July | Pink, cream and pale green blooms | One corner right by the Zaan

Hydrangeas grow against several dark wooden houses in the village, and they were in bloom in all three summer sessions. In June, a big bush of pale green and cream flowers covered the wall of a dark blue house. In late June, the blooms beside a dark green wall were bright pink.

Couple embracing among pink and cream hydrangeas beside a dark green wooden house, the river Zaan and the far bank just visible behind

One of these corners lies right by the river. In late July, pink and cream hydrangeas bloomed there against a dark green house, with the Zaan behind. So the flowers, the wood and the water all fit into one frame.

Woman in an ivory top with a long ribbon and man in a dark floral shirt hugging in front of pink hydrangeas on a dark green wooden wall
Pink hydrangeas by a dark green wall, 16:39 in late June

Along the Zaan: Quay, Jetties and the Crowned Mill

The second area is the riverbank, where the mills stand in a long row along the Zaan. All four sessions spent time here, because the water and the mills give the widest views in the village.

3. The Quay by the Old Lamppost

June, 12:16–12:19 | Late June, 16:42–16:52 | Millstones, a mill on a green house

On an open quay, an old lamppost stands at the water’s edge, with millstones resting on the bricks nearby. Right beside it rises a green wooden house with a mill on its roof. Along the river, the other mills stand lined up on the bank, so the whole row fits into one frame.

Family of three seen from behind on the quay by an old lamppost, looking out over the Zaan at the windmills of the Zaanse Schans
The quay at 12:16 in June, with the mills lined up along the Zaan

In June, a family started here, and their little girl climbed onto a millstone as if it were a stage. Later in June, two dancers sat down on the same stones to catch their breath. That family day is in a family trip to the Zaanse Schans.

4. The Jetties on the Zaan

June, 12:30–12:35 | Late June, 16:59–17:01 | Late July, 17:18–17:32

Couple sitting on the edge of a wooden jetty in the Zaan, red and blue boats moored behind them and two windmills on the bank

Wooden jetties reach out into the Zaan, a few minutes from the crowned mill. Out on the planks, the river opens up: mills on one bank, old wooden houses on the other. In late June, small red and blue boats also lay moored beside the jetty.

Back view of a couple holding hands at the end of a jetty, a wooden mooring post beside them and old houses on the far bank of the Zaan
Smiling couple on a wooden bench on a jetty at the Zaanse Schans, she in a red dress, the big green mill rising behind them
Houses on the far bank in May, and a bench below the crowned mill at 17:29 in late July

Some jetties also have a wooden bench, a natural place for two people to sit. Every one of the four sessions stopped at a jetty, and each time the crowned mill was only minutes away.

From experience

Along the river, the wind is part of the picture. In May, a steady breeze kept her long hair moving all session, and in late June, it blew her hair across her face by the water. I let it move, because it brings the frames to life.

5. De Gekroonde Poelenburg and Its Meadow

In all four sessions | June, 12:40–12:47 | Late June, 17:13–17:18 | Late July, 17:08–17:11

The big green mill by the water is De Gekroonde Poelenburg, a wooden sawmill of the paltrok type. The whole mill turns to face the wind, not just its cap. Look for the small gold crown on its cap: it matches the name, the Crowned Poelenburg.

He twirls her under his raised arm on the grass before De Gekroonde Poelenburg, a green mill with a gold crown on its cap, at the Zaanse Schans
The gold crown on the cap of De Gekroonde Poelenburg, in May

Below the mill lies an open meadow with old millstones in the grass. On one side stands a light green house with a curved gable. In May, this was where he went down on one knee. That moment is in a surprise proposal at the Zaanse Schans.

Woman in a long pink dress walking across a sunny meadow, visitors gathered around a big green mill and a light green gabled house behind

At midday in June, groups of visitors stood around the mill. Meanwhile, a mother in a long pink dress walked across the meadow alone. Seen from the far side of the grass, the visitors stayed small in the background.

Man holding his partner close as she kicks one heel up, below a green mill flying Dutch flags with decorated sails, at the Zaanse Schans
Dutch flags and decorations on the sails, 17:15 in late June

A mill also changes from day to day. On that late June afternoon, the Poelenburg flew Dutch flags and wore decorations along its sails. A couple danced right below them. Their whole afternoon is in dancing among the windmills.

Bridges, Clogs and the Open Fields

6. The Open Fields Behind the Mills

May | A farm gate, tall grass, a narrow path | Cow parsley and buttercups

Around the village lies the Kalverpolder, a stretch of flat green fields. In May, a metal farm gate opened onto those fields, and cow parsley and buttercups lined the paths. Closer to the mills, however, the grass stood tall in front of a dark wooden mill.

Woman hugging her partner from behind as she sits on a metal farm gate, flat green fields and a ditch stretching out under a cloudy sky
Couple walking hand in hand down a paved path lined with yellow flowers, a dark wooden mill and a black house behind them at the Zaanse Schans
A farm gate and a narrow path at the edge of the village, in May

In these frames, no other visitors appear, and the mills are never far away. So this corner suits a quieter, more open ending to a session.

7. White Bridges and a Small Mill

June, 12:58–13:00 | Late June, 17:24–17:35 | A drawbridge, a lamppost, a red roof

Small white wooden bridges cross the water between the houses. One of them stands beside a green house with a red tile roof. It appears in two sessions: a family walk in June and the last dance in late June.

Couple holding each other by an old lamppost on a brick path, a small mill with lattice sails, tall reeds and a white drawbridge behind
Woman in a long pink floral dress standing on a small white wooden bridge at the Zaanse Schans, a green mill and trees behind her in the sun
A small mill and a white drawbridge at 17:25 in late June, and a white bridge at 13:00 in June

Nearby, a small mill with open wooden sails stands by a brick path, an old lamppost and a white drawbridge. In late June, tall reeds grew all around it. From there, the white bridge was only a two-minute walk.

8. The Heart of Clogs

June, 13:05 | Late July, 17:49–17:51 | A dark wooden wall

Couple holding hands in front of a big heart of painted wooden clogs on a dark wooden wall, she in a red dress and he in a white shirt

On a dark wooden wall, dozens of painted clogs form one big heart. It was the last stop of the June family walk, five minutes after the white bridge. The red dress session in late July also ended here. In June, four giant yellow clogs stood at its foot; by late July, the bricks in front were bare.

When the Zaanse Schans Is Quiet

The village is a public heritage area, free to walk. According to the official opening hours, most mills, museums and shops open from 9:00 to 17:00. The same page also shows a calendar of quiet and busy days.

In my own sessions, the difference showed in the photos. On a Wednesday in May and a Friday in June, visitors lined the water and gathered around the crowned mill. However, the late afternoons looked different. On a Thursday in late June and a Saturday in late July, the lanes were nearly empty from about 16:30.

Couple standing on an old millstone in the grass below a green mill at the Zaanse Schans, a light green house with a curved gable beside it
The meadow below the crowned mill at 17:11 on a Saturday in late July

The seasons change these spots even more than the crowds do. In May, cow parsley and buttercups lined the paths, while the hydrangeas bloomed from June to late July. The light changed just as much. In May, bright sun broke through big white clouds, and at midday in June, the sun was hazy. Late June went from overcast to blue sky, while late July stayed under an even white sky. I work with whatever the day brings, so each of these sessions has a look of its own.

How a Session Here Works

For a one-hour session, we stay within one area. All eight photo spots at the Zaanse Schans in this guide lie close together. In June, a family walked from the quay to the heart of clogs in about fifty minutes. On the way, they passed the jetty, the crowned mill and a white bridge.

Parents holding hands in front of a large hydrangea bush against a dark blue wooden house, he in a white shirt, she in a pink floral dress
Hydrangeas by a dark blue house, 12:22 in June

I suggest the route and map it out, based on the light, the atmosphere and the surroundings. Before the day, I also share outfit suggestions. During the session, I guide you with simple direction, so you can relax and enjoy the walk. Light rain is usually not a problem. If I confirm that the weather makes a session impractical, you can reschedule without extra cost. Afterward, your gallery is ready to download within seven days.

One practical note: the Kalverringdijk, the dike road past the mills, is also a bike path (official visitor FAQ). So we keep an eye out for cyclists whenever we stop there.

Found the corner of the village that feels like you? Discover how my photoshoots at the Zaanse Schans work.