‘Shocked’: Tourists lose it over viral tiny town

A tiny town that’s been trending for years has gone viral all over again with tourists describing it as a “dream world”.

A quirky city in Europe that looks like it’s been made entirely out of Lego has gone viral.

Located on the river Zaan, just north of Amsterdam is Zaandam — a city that’s been dubbed a real-life Lego village by tourists for its unique-looking buildings.

“Don’t skip out this place in the Netherlan️ds,” one TikToker wrote alongside a clip showing off Zaandam.

@helloangelia Don’t skip out this place in the Netherlands ⬇️ 📍Zaandam 🇳🇱 Can you believe that this city is just 15 minutes away from central Amsterdam? 😍 I still can’t believe a place like this even exists! I was so shocked at the architecture here - it is so unique and nothing like I’ve ever seen before 🤯 In the video, there is the famous Hotel Inntel Zaandam which looks like 70 different cottages stacked on top of each other! They also have incredible unique city hall buildings, and the architecture alone is a reason why to visit! #amsterdam #netherlands🇳🇱 #zaandam ♬ original sound - Ang 🤍 | Travel Creator

“Can you believe that this city is just 15 minutes away from central Amsterdam? I still can’t believe a place like this even exists!”

The US travel creator who goes by the name Ang, said she was “so shocked” at the architecture.

“It is so unique and nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

TikTok is inundated with clips showing off the quirky city. Picture: TikTok

Ang’s clip shows the famous 4-star Hotel Inntel Zaandam which she said looks like 70 different cottages stacked on top of each other.

“They also have incredible unique city hall buildings, and the architecture alone is a reason why to visit!”

@traveltipforyou 📍ZAANDAM Este lugar se encuentra a 10 minutos del centro de Amsterdam y alucinarás con sus calles que parecen sacadas de un videojuego 🎮 o el mundo lego. Ese hotel tal chulo que veis se llama 📍Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam Este lugar es una zona más barata para alojarse si quieres ahorrar un poco. #zaandam #amsterdam #cinematicvideo #legocity #ciudadlego #primavera #holanda #soyviajero #ciudadesconencanto #cinematicvideo #viralreel ♬ sonido original - TravelTipForYou

@cray.travel Places that look fake but are real 😍 📷 @Anung Onneweer #crayoutdoors #craytravel #traveldestinations #traveldestination #thenetherlands #netherlands #zaandam #visitnetherlands #amsterdam ♬ WE RE THE POGUES - HAERTXEDITT

The hotel describes the design as a “modern take on the history of the Zaan region” which served as a large milling centre in the Dutch Golden Age, with windmills powering saws that produced wood and paper.

The hotel has a 4.5/5 star rating from more than 14,000 reviews across TripAdvisor, Booking.com and the hotel’s own website.

Zaandam is located on the river Zaan, just north of Amsterdam. Picture: TikTok

The city has been dubbed a real-life Lego village by tourists for its unique-looking buildings. Picture: TikTok

“Fantastic looking hotel on the outside, fresh, clean and modern inside. Very helpful and friendly staff,” one customer wrote on TripAdvisor.

Another described it as a “unique amazing quirky hotel”.

Hotel Inntel Zaandam. Picture: TikTok/Expedia

The hotel is a stacking of traditional houses found in the Zaan region. Picture: TikTok/Expedia

“We stayed in a Junior Suite which had its own sauna and jacuzzi. King size bed was extremely comfortable with fluffy pillows. Spectacular view of the town from the bedroom window,” they wrote.

Visitors often boast about the city’s colourful design with the Dutch houses featuring a wooden facade and white window frames.

The houses look like they’ve been stacked on top of one another, giving them a Lego-like appearance.

The town has been trending for years with viral clips continuing to resurface.

Last year, travel blogger Peaked wrote: “After leaving Zaandam station, I was kinda shocked to see the outside world. It felt like I ended up in a colourful dream world,” they wrote in a blog.

“Well, you can compare this city with Legoland or toy world, the only difference is it was not a fantasy world, it was a real world where people actually live.”