Far from St. Petersburg, in the Netherlands, rests a microcosm of Russian history in the form of a small house where Peter the Great once lived.

The Tsar Peter House in Zaandam is one of the oldest woorden houses in the Netherlands. It was built as a labourer’s cottage in 1632 using old ship wood. The Russian Tsar Peter the Great lodged in this little woorden house in 1697 when he came to learn the shipswright’s trade.Blacksmith Gerrit Kist’s cottage became the lodgings of the Tsar during his time in the Zaan area.

The royal guest stayed there for seven nights, sleeping in Gerrit’s box bed. The Tsar then departed for the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) shipyards in Amsterdam. With this short stay, the Tsar lent his name and fame to a humble little wooden labourer’s cottage.Peter the Great did return to the house on subsequent trips to Holland, the last of these being in 1717.

After Tsar Peter’s departure, the house changed hands several times and was forgotten. In the latter half of the 18th century, after Voltaire mentioned the house in his 1761 biography of Peter the Great, and Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich Romanov (later Pavel I) visited it, the house became renowned among royalty and high society, as well as a place of pilgrimage for Russians travelling in the Netherlands.

The Tsar Peter House is one of the oldest examples of Dutch timber. Without the united efforts of Russia and the Netherlands, the cottage would no longer exist. To protect the wooden cottage against the elements, a stone roof was added in 1823 with open arches, paid for by Princess Anna Pavlona. After her death she left the house to her son, Prince Henry. Tsar Alexander III had supports added in 1890, as well as a stone foundation.

The last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, asked the well-known Amsterdam architect Salm to design a new stone roof in 1895. Salm’s special design was declared a national monument in 2001, meaning that there are now two monuments in one spot there.

Plan Your Visit

Please NOTE:
the Tsar Peter House is located at the city center of Zaandam

Czaar Peterhuisje
Krimp 23
1506 AA Zaandam
+31(0)75 681 00 00
info@zaanseschans-museum.nl
www.zaansmuseum.nl

Opening Hours
Tuesday -  Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 h
On public holidays (on Mondays as well) the Tsar Peter House is opened from 10:00 pm to 5:00 pm
On 25 december and 1 January the Tsar Peter House is closed.

Entrance Fees:
Adults 3,00
65+ 2,50
0 to 4 years free of charge
4 to 17 years 2,00
Museum Card free of charge
CJP 2,50
Student Card 2,50
Groups > 10 pers. 2,50

subject to price changes

Accessibility
For the disabled, the accessibility to the Tsar Peter House is restricted. The stone conversion and the presentation is reasonably accessible, the wooden house is not accessible for wheelchair users and walkers.

The Tsar Peter House is located in the city center of Zaandam at 'Krimp 23'.
It will take a ten minutes walk from the train station.

(click images to enlarge)

(paid) parking on walking distance is possible e.g. at 'De Burcht' and the car park at the 'Zaanstheater' (theatre).

Workshops

On a regular base, you can join Russian Workshops at the Tsar Peterhouse, like painting Matrosjka's. The Russian artist Larisa Bilous will teach the specific techniques and tells you the story behind the Russian traditions.

The costs of the workshops are  15,00 p.p. (including entrance fee, materials, coffee/tea/lemonade)