You will come across many ribbon villages in North Holland: villages shaped like an elongated strip. Oostzaan and Westzaan are the oldest villages in the Zaan region and were also originally ribbon villages. The villages developed from the 11th century onwards when the area along the Zaan was impoldered. Over the years, Zaandam came into being between these two villages. Oostzaan became increasingly important to the VOC and WIC shipping companies. In the village, many ships were built for the merchant navy and whaling, but Oostzaan also has a true pirate. Claes Compaen, born and raised in Oostzaan, was one of the most notorious pirates around 1625. He conquered ships from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and called himself the 'Conick of the Sea'. After a few years, he became homesick for the family he had left behind in Oostzaan. After having to apologise to the States General, he was allowed to return. Until his death in 1660, he lived in poverty in his native village. Another notorious Oostzaner is Albert Heijn. In 1860 the Heijn family started a grocery shop, which was transferred by father Heijn to his son Albert in 1887. Entrepreneurship was in his blood, just like many other inhabitants of Oostzan, because eight years later he opened a second branch. He started producing his own products and roasted his own coffee in the back of the shop in Oostzaan. Now it is one of the largest supermarket chains in the country. There is a replica of the old grocery shop on the Zaanse Schans. Westzaan is a protected village sight. There used to be more than 150 windmills here, of which five are still standing. Molen De Schoolmeester is the only windmill in the world. The inhabitants of both villages have their own nickname. Westzaners are also called Kroosduikers, Oostzaners are also called Doppehokkers. The inhabitants have one thing in common: they are proud of their bustling villages and are always ready to help their neighbours. You can feel the warmth as you cycle through the two 'Zanen'. On the way, you will see vast polders with hundreds of ditches and canals as far as the eye can see. The Dutch feeling is enhanced by the many windmills. On the Zaanse Schans, old crafts are still being practised and you will see the typical Zaanse wooden houses with beautiful gables. This is the Zaan region at its best! Tip: Start at one of the TOPs, here you will find ample parking space and you are directly on the node route.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Middel , 1551 SR Zaanstad | 58.2 KM | |
|
From
63
to
68
|
1516 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Middel | 870 M | ||
| Turn right onto Provincialeweg | 646 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
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From
68
to
69
|
4127 M | 4.1 KM | |
| Head west on Provincialeweg | 29 M | ||
| Turn left | 50 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kerkbuurt | 3.9 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Overtoom | 122 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
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From
69
to
55
|
2852 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head east on Westzanerdijk | 2.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Aris van Broekweg | 241 M | ||
| Turn right onto Houtveldweg | 67 M | ||
| Turn right | 177 M | ||
| Turn left onto Albert Heijnweg | 313 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
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From
55
to
64
|
1096 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head north | 104 M | ||
| Turn right | 39 M | ||
| Turn left | 6 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 13 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hogendijk | 692 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nicolaasstraat | 242 M | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
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From
64
to
70
|
291 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on A.F. de Savornin Lohmanstraat | 83 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zuiderkerkstraat | 63 M | ||
| Turn right onto Klauwershoek | 31 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Klauwershoek | 54 M | ||
| Turn right onto A.F. de Savornin Lohmanstraat | 19 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on A.F. de Savornin Lohmanstraat | 41 M | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
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From
70
to
18
|
4236 M | 4.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Peperstraat | 109 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Peperstraat | 189 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Peperstraat | 23 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto H Gerhardstraat | 134 M | ||
| Continue straight | 35 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kepplerstraat | 162 M | ||
| Continue onto Kepplerstraat | 165 M | ||
| Continue straight | 37 M | ||
| Turn left | 46 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Walraven van Hallstraat | 227 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dominee Martin Luther Kingweg; Ds. Martin Luther Kingweg | 389 M | ||
| Turn left onto Blooksven | 171 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Weer | 88 M | ||
| Turn left onto Clusiusstraat | 572 M | ||
| Turn right onto Poelenburg | 328 M | ||
| Turn left | 11 M | ||
| Continue onto Weerpad | 515 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkstraat | 1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 18 | 0 M | ||
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From
18
to
19
|
2425 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head south on Zuideinde | 801 M | ||
| Turn left | 11 M | ||
| Continue onto De Zuiderlaaik | 653 M | ||
| Continue straight | 252 M | ||
| Turn right onto Pikpotweg | 170 M | ||
| Turn right | 421 M | ||
| Continue onto Het Luijendijkje | 117 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
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From
19
to
20
|
1431 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head south on Het Luijendijkje | 455 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sportpark | 745 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Sportlaan | 231 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
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From
20
to
16
|
2927 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head north on Dorpsstraat | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Marsenweg | 79 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Marsenweg | 156 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Marsenweg | 6 M | ||
| Turn right | 219 M | ||
| Turn left | 287 M | ||
| Turn right onto Het Luijendijkje | 671 M | ||
| Turn left | 343 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
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From
16
to
17
|
1527 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head south | 324 M | ||
| Turn right | 593 M | ||
| Turn right | 137 M | ||
| Turn left | 301 M | ||
| Continue onto W T van Gelderweg | 34 M | ||
| Turn left onto W T van Gelderweg | 138 M | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
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From
17
to
12
|
1840 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head northwest | 1 KM | ||
| Turn right | 334 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Ringvaart | 205 M | ||
| Turn left | 273 M | ||
| You are now at section 12 | 0 M | ||
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From
12
to
74
|
3088 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Stationsstraat | 359 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Otterbospad | 1.9 KM | ||
| Make a U-turn and continue on Wormerpad | 828 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
50
|
1073 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head north on Wormerpad | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
73
|
2862 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head southwest on Zuiderweg | 895 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zuiderweg (S155) | 154 M | ||
| Turn left | 373 M | ||
| Continue onto Leeghwaterweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
94
|
2318 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head north on Kalverringdijk | 7 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kalverringdijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Engewormer | 636 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
|
From
94
to
45
|
8639 M | 8.6 KM | |
| Head northeast on Engewormer | 3 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Engewormerbrug | 44 M | ||
| Turn left onto Noorderweg | 199 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Noorderweg | 4.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Oosterdwarsweg | 885 M | ||
| Continue straight | 37 M | ||
| Turn left onto Jisperdijk | 356 M | ||
| You are now at section 45 | 0 M | ||
|
From
45
to
93
|
6425 M | 6.4 KM | |
| Head west on Jisperdijk | 2.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Weiver | 3.8 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zandweg | 34 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 51 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zandweg | 385 M | ||
| You are now at section 93 | 0 M | ||
|
From
93
to
89
|
2831 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head north on Veerdijk | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Poelweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wormerringdijk | 697 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Dorpsstraat | 945 M | ||
| You are now at section 89 | 0 M | ||
|
From
89
to
14
|
674 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northwest | 7 M | ||
| Take the ferry Voetveer Oostknollendam - Starnmeerdijk | 42 M | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| Turn left onto Starnmeerdijk | 457 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 161 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
88
|
260 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head south on Provincialeweg | 260 M | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
|
From
88
to
91
|
2411 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head south | 2.4 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Industrieweg | 14 M | ||
| Turn right | 45 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M | ||
|
From
91
to
63
|
3320 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head south | 178 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkstraat | 29 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto De Groene Valk | 3 M | ||
| Turn right | 547 M | ||
| Turn right | 14 M | ||
| Turn left | 985 M | ||
| Continue onto Middel | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M |