Zaanse Schans Clog Making Workshop

The clog workshop at Zaanse Schans is a combined factory, museum and shop where visitors can see how Dutch wooden shoes are made. It stands in an old warehouse at the Zaanse Schans, the open-air museum on the Zaan river just north of Amsterdam, where historic houses, windmills and workshops from the Zaan region were gathered together, many of them moved to the site in the 1960s and 1970s. The clog workshop is one of the busiest stops, and it gives a clear view of a craft that most people associate with the Netherlands but few have seen being made.

The demonstrations are the main attraction. A craftsman shows how a block of wood, normally willow or poplar, is turned into a pair of clogs, using machines to shape the outside and the inside, and then finishing the shoes by hand with traditional tools. The process takes only a few minutes for the rough shape, though drying and finishing take longer, and the commentary explains why certain woods are chosen and how the shoes are made to fit. The demonstrations are held daily, and they are entertaining for all ages, particularly children, who are fascinated by the shavings that fly off the machines.

The museum section shows how clogs have been worn and made over the centuries. Wooden shoes were practical in the wet, marshy land of the Netherlands, because they kept feet dry and protected them from sharp objects, and they were worn by farmers, fishermen and workers for centuries. The collection includes work clogs, church clogs and bridal clogs, examples with painted decoration, and clogs from different regions and times. A showpiece is the diamond clog, decorated with crystals, which shows how a working shoe became a decorative object. Related items such as ice skates show how the people of the region lived.

Visitors can try on various styles of clog and buy them in the shop, which is among the largest of its kind, along with other souvenirs. The workshop is free to enter, and it is reached within the Zaanse Schans area, which has several other attractions: the windmills, including De Hoope, the Zaans Museum, the cheese farm, the traditional crafts demonstrations and the Zaans Houten Huis. Zaandam is a short distance away, with its waterfront promenade and the Sint-Jozefkerk.

The workshop suits families, groups and anyone looking for a souvenir with a story. It is busy in summer, especially around midday when tour groups arrive, so go early or late for a quieter visit. Allow thirty to forty-five minutes.