Zaanse Schans visitors will need to pay an entrance fee from 2026

From next year, anyone who visits Zaanse Schans will be expected to pay an entrance fee. The Dutch municipality wants to transition from free to paid access to cut down on nuisance caused by overtourism. 

Entry for Zaanse Schans no longer free from next year

Almost 2,6 million people visit the windmills at Zaanse Schans every year. According to the municipality, this is too many visitors and it is not bringing in enough money to maintain the old buildings. “It is simply far too busy," tourism professor Jan van der Borg told NPO Radio 1. "Residents experience a lot of parking nuisance. It gets completely clogged up and in surrounding neighbourhoods people park their campers on your driveway."

To solve the problem, an entrance fee was proposed. If all goes to plan, tourists who want to visit the attraction will have to pay 17,50 euros each for an entrance ticket from next year, reports NOS. This will be on top of any entrance fees paid to visit individual windmills.

Disagreements over Zaanse Schans entrance fee

There has been some dispute between the municipality, residents and neighbouring areas over whether an entrance fee should be introduced. "These plans are at odds with our way of working and threaten our future," Sterre Schaap, whose family owns an antique and second-hand shop on the Zaanse Schans, told NH Nieuws. "Our regular customers will soon be standing outside the gate."

To ease the minds of residents, another proposal was made which would see an access system similar to the dunes. While visitors would still need to buy a ticket, there would be no fences - this would prevent residents from having to pay to access their homes and would only require guests to show tickets when asked.

Critics of the proposed entrance fee are still not satisfied and have requested a referendum to “keep the Zaanse Schans open”.