The top three
1) Zaanse Schans — 6 working mills, saw mill, oil mill, paint mill, all functioning. Crowded but genuinely educational. 2) Schermer polder near Alkmaar — three consecutive mills that historically drained a lake, best working system in the country. Free to view outside, $6 to enter. 3) De Rijp windmills — quieter cousin of Zaanse Schans, small village, no crowds.
The rest
4) Molen van Sloten — the only Amsterdam-proper windmill you can climb inside, $8, and a small distillery attached. 5) Molens van Broek in Waterland — cluster of small mills in a very pretty village, worth combining with Volendam. 6) Kinderdijk (Zuid-Holland, but often day-tripped from here) — 19 mills, UNESCO listed, more impressive than Zaanse Schans but 90 min from Amsterdam.
Practical
Most working mills run Saturdays only in low season, daily in high season. Blue-flag day (National Mill Day, second weekend of May) is when 700+ mills open across the country — best value if timing works.
Questions answered
Are windmills still functional?
Around 1,000 remain, of which about 40% run occasionally with volunteer millers. Zaanse Schans mills operate commercially still.
Can I stay in a windmill?
A few operate as B&Bs — search 'molen slapen' — but they’re rare and book 6+ months out. From $180 a night.
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