Along the world famous Zaankade

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