Visit Holland

The Zaan Tour — The Industrial Heartland

This tour is best experienced by water! Don't own a boat or a canoe? No need to worry; there are numerous rental companies in the area where you can easily hire one.

For a long time, the port of Amsterdam faced the challenge that the sea was only accessible via the Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer). The idea of digging a canal straight through the dunes to create a direct connection to the North Sea proved to be the best long-term solution. Excavation began in 1865, and the North Sea Canal was officially opened in 1886. The opening of the canal and the subsequent mechanization triggered a massive boost in employment. Heavy industries—such as the NDSM shipyard, machine and munitions factories (like the Hembrug site), and various processing plants for bread, biscuits, preserves, and chocolate—quickly established themselves along the banks of the North Sea Canal and the Zaan River.

The Zaan region is often considered one of the earliest industrial areas in Europe. Starting around 1600, a concentration of industrial activity developed here on an unprecedented scale. Between 1575 and 1875, approximately one thousand windmills were built around the Zaan to drive production. Today, the legacy of this industrial revolution—ranging from iconic mills and historic warehouses to transformed factory sites—tells the story of how the Netherlands powered its Golden Age and beyond.