Like most other villages in the Dutch countryside, Zaanse Schans makes you feel like you've stepped back a century or two. As one of the most popular villages to visit outside Amsterdam, along with Edam, Volendam and Marken, Zaanse Schans is known for its green painted houses, river cruises along surreal landscapes and windmills. You should carry a separate memory card for clicking photographs in Zaanse Schans alone; the place is magnificent! The panoramic views offered make the village a part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It's easy to get around the village on foot, since the place is quite small. You could obviously explore about on the bike, but you'll need to hire one in Amsterdam itself. This is unlike any other village you'll ever visit and it is in fact a museum explaining why you have to pay an entrance fee.