Zaanse Schans ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzaːnsə ˈsxɑns] ) is a neighbourhood of Zaandam , near Zaandijk , Netherlands . It is best known for its collection of historic windmills and wooden houses that were relocated here from the wider region north of Amsterdam for preservation. From 1961 to 1974, old buildings from all over the region known as the Zaanstreek were relocated using lowboy trailers to Zaanse Schans. Two of the windmills in Zaanse Schans are preserved on their original site where they were first constructed, and therefore do not constitute part of the relocated structures. The Zaans Museum , established in 1994, near the first Zaanse Schans windmill, is located south of the neighbourhood. This architectural reserve for Zaanse timber construction is a protected village scene because of its architectural-historical and landscape value. It developed into an international tourist destination with several million visitors every year: in 2016, there were 1.8 million, in 2017 – 2.2 million.
22-775: Zaanse Schans derived its name from the river Zaan and its original function as sconce ( schans in Dutch) against the Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War of Dutch independence. Zaanse Schans is a popular tourist attraction and an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH). The neighbourhood attracted approximately 1.6 million visitors in 2014. It is served by Zaandijk Zaanse Schans railway station , 18 minutes away from Amsterdam Centraal station . The Zaanse Schans houses seven museums —
44-539: A nightlife scene as well which takes place in the pubs in front of the cheesemarket. Every year, at the end of May Alkmaar hosts the four-day event Alkmaar Pride, which has a canal pride parade on Saturday. Alkmaar is home to the professional football team AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek). In 2006, the club moved to a new 17,000 capacity stadium, the DSB Stadion, now named the AFAS Stadion . In 2008–2009 , AZ won
66-454: Is a popular cultural destination. The municipality has a population of 111,766 as of 2023. The earliest mention of the name Alkmaar is in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted city rights in 1254. The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank a couple of meters (yards) above the surrounding region; it afforded some protection from inundation during medieval times. Its vicinage consists of some of
88-461: Is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products. The Waag is also home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. Alkmaar has 399 registered rijksmonuments , of which most are situated along the city's old canals. Alkmaar has two large theatres and a big cinema (which was originally two cinemas). A red light district is situated at the Achterdam , and Alkmaar has
110-442: Is thus since a part of Alkmaar. These once separate villages are now all linked together by the suburban sprawl of buildings that arose between the late 1970s and early 1990s. During this time, the population of Alkmaar almost doubled. The municipal council of Alkmaar consists of 39 seats, which are divided as follows after the 2022 elections: The A9 motorway runs from Amsterdam to Alkmaar, then continues on to Den Helder as
132-653: The Convention of Alkmaar which met to determine the fate of the defeated Anglo-Russian force. The French victory was commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as "Alkmaer". The North Holland Canal , opened in 1824, was dug through Alkmaar. In 1865 and 1867 the railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and between Alkmaar and Haarlem were built respectively. In the second half of the 20th century, Alkmaar expanded quickly with development of new neighbourhoods. On 1 October 1972,
154-578: The Eredivisie , the Dutch football league. It was the second league title for the club after the Eredivisie in 1980/81 with only one league defeat. Notable coaches include former FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman , and Netherlands national football team coach Louis van Gaal . The city also has a velodrome where the Dutch national track cycling championships are held every year. The city hosted
176-607: The Prince of Orange ; he responded by promising to open the floodgates of the dykes and flood the region if the need arose, which despite the protestations of the peasantry, fearful for their harvest, he proceeded to do. Some of his dispatches fell into the hands of Don Fadrique, and, with the waters beginning to rise, the Spaniards raised the siege and fled. It was a turning point in the Eighty Years War and gave rise to
198-507: The oldest polders in existence. Older spellings include Alckmar . On June 24, 1572, after the Geuzen captured the town, five Franciscans from Alkmaar were taken to Enkhuizen and hanged, becoming the martyrs of Alkmaar . In 1573 the city underwent a siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Don Fadrique , son of the Duke of Alva . The citizens sent urgent messages for help to
220-465: The N9. There are direct trains to Den Helder , Hoorn , Zaandam , Amsterdam , Utrecht , Ede , Arnhem , Nijmegen , 's-Hertogenbosch , Eindhoven , Maastricht and Haarlem . For exact details see Alkmaar railway station . Alkmaar has two railway stations: The waterway Noordhollandsch Kanaal , which opened in 1824, runs through Alkmaar. As of 2017 . it can be crossed (among other ways) using two of
242-667: The Weavers House, the Cooperage, the Jisper House, Zaan Time Museum, Albert Heijn Museum Shop and the Bakery Museum. The whole neighbourhood is a popular tourist attraction and there is a debate in local politics on how to reduce overcrowding. The windmills were built after 1574. Zaan The Zaan ( Dutch pronunciation: [zaːn] ) is a small river in the province of North Holland in
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#1732773375333264-514: The Zaan are named for the river: Koog aan de Zaan , Westzaan , Oostzaan , Zaandijk and the city of Zaandam . The river also runs past Zaanse Schans , a village with historic windmills and houses. It ranks among the top tourist destinations in the Netherlands. The region through which the river runs is called the Zaan district ( Dutch : Zaanstreek [ˈzaːnstreːk] ). It comprises
286-547: The Zaan district to paint during visits to the Netherlands in following years . The name of the Alkmaar -based football club AZ is short for Alkmaar Zaanstreek . Alkmaar Alkmaar ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑl(ə)kmaːr] ) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands , located in the province of North Holland . Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it
308-520: The Zaan district. The dialect spoken in the Zaan area is known as Zaans . It has some similarities with the West Frisian dialect. French impressionist painter Claude Monet stayed in Zaandam in the summer of 1871 and produced a series of 24 paintings of the Zaan district, writing to his friend Camille Pissarro that, "there is enough here to paint for an entire lifetime." Monet returned to
330-585: The expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie ("Victory begins at Alkmaar"). The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on 8 October, the day the siege ended. In 1799, during the French Revolutionary Wars , an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum . After that battle, on 18 October 1799, the two opposing sides held
352-568: The first Friday in April through the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (10:00–12:30) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheese market. After the old-fashioned way of the hand clap, traders and carriers will weigh the cheeses. It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. The traditional fare of this cheese market is those cheeses made in
374-512: The five operating vlotbruggen , Koedijkervlotbrug and Rekervlotbrug. Alkmaar has many medieval buildings that are still intact, most notably the tall tower of the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk , where many people from Alkmaar hold wedding ceremonies. The other main attraction, especially in the summer months, is Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The cheese market traditionally takes place from
396-457: The local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, including the Edam and Gouda cheeses . It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it
418-652: The municipalities of Zaanstad, Oostzaan, and most of Wormerland . During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, the Zaan district was dotted with windmills with a variety of functions and it is often considered to be one of the world's first industrialized areas. Joining an already considerable number of flour mills were, for example, from 1592 "wood mills" for sawing wood, from 1600 "hemp mills" for extracting fibers from flax and hemp, from 1601 oil mills for crushing oil-bearing seeds and "paint mills" producing dyes and paint, and shortly after paper mills for
440-464: The northwestern Netherlands and the name of a district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 13.5 kilometers (8½ miles) through the municipalities of Zaanstad ("Zaan City") and Wormerland north of Amsterdam , from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam in the south, where it empties into the IJ . The municipality of Zaanstad and several towns along
462-487: The production of paper. By the mid-17th century, approximately 900 windmills could be found along the river, some of them still preserved, particularly in the Zaanse Schans neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk. The Zaan district continues to be a heavily industrialized area with many factories, particularly around the city of Zaandam . A number of major Dutch companies, like Ahold and Verkade , were founded in
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#1732773375333484-496: The town of Oudorp and the southern portions of Koedijk and Sint Pancras were added to the municipality of Alkmaar. The municipality of Alkmaar historically consists of the following cities, towns, villages and districts: Alkmaar, Bergermeer, Daalmeer, De Hoef, De Horn, De Nollen, Het Rak, Huiswaard, Koedijk (southeastern part), Overdie, Oudorp and Omval. On 1 January 2015 the municipalities of Graft-De Rijp and Schermer were merged into Alkmaar. The historical village of De Rijp
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