Zaanse Landscape Painters
(10 km)Starting point: NS railway station Wormerveer
End point: NS railway station Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
Experience walking across Zaans swamp peat and enjoy the many lands and ditches that so characterise the Zaan region. The bird-watcher will
recognise the meadow birds: godwit, oystercatcher, lapwing and redshank can be found there. Frans Mars and Freek Engel (20th-century Zaan painters) made countless works of this world of meadows and water. It was their source of inspiration. For Freek Engel (1872 -1958), it was mainly meadows with cows, while Frans Mars (1903 - 1973) was a windmill painter. Of the many mills that once stood in the country, only three remain, of which paper mill De Schoolmeester is well worth a visit.
NB: Not accessible during the bird nesting season (15 March to 1 August), dogs are prohibited and, due to swampy land, waterproof shoes are not a luxury.
On the Whitsun weekend, you can really walk on water! More islets will then be open to the public by the Forestry Commission.