Along the world-famous Zaankade

Your route starts at the White Ranch. You will soon cycle past the Former Tolhuis Krommeniedijk, at the end of the dike. The building also used to house a cafe. Further on is the Woudaap: a beautiful polder mill from 1651. At Zaandam, Koog aan de Zaan and Zaandijk you can see the remains of an impressive historic industrial landscape. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries this was the industrial area in Europe: nowhere else was there so much industry in such a small area as here. The Zaan region reached its industrial peak around 1720, when about 600 mills were in operation at the same time. The Westzanerpolder is beautiful with its sleek polders, rugged peat meadow areas and lush reed strips. Everywhere you can fully enjoy the open Dutch landscape with the high skies.