Zaanse Schans is a fully inhabited, open-air conservation area and museum located just a few miles north of Amsterdam. Hereyou can get a vivid impression of the Dutch way of life in the 17th and 18th centuries. The area consist of authentic houses, a historic shipyard, a pewter factory, a cheese and dairy farm, a age-old grocery store, clog-making demonstrations, and above all, lots of windmills.