Countryside shopping

If you like shopping and windmills, this route, offered by the South Holland Bureau for Tourism, is a great choice. The route runs through a water-rich area along the Lek and its foothills. Small villages and beautiful orchards where fruit is grown are a feast for the eyes. In the villages you cycle past cozy shops, where many tasty treats are offered. A piece of artisanal cheese or smoked fish, a pound of cherries from the rural orchards or a delicious fresh piece of apple pie add flavor to this fun bike ride. The eight windmills that you encounter on this route all have their own story to tell and stand out beautifully in the open environment. The route starts at the Toeristisch Overstap Punt (TOP) in the small village of Hoornaar. After 2.5 kilometers you see the first windmill: the Oudendijkse windmill. This hollow post mill is one of the two remaining mills in Het Land der Zes Molens and was built in 1683. The mill was in operation until 1967, but when the inner rod broke, the mill was shut down. In 1983 and 1984, the mill was restored and you can now visit it by appointment. When you cycle along the edge of the small village of Giessenburg, you will come to the Bovenkerkse mill (hull/remains). What is left of the round stone ground sailer is the hull. The predecessor of this polder mill was a hollow post mill that burned down in 1865, after which a new mill was built on the site. This was a level mill of the Overwaard, which in 1928 received a crude oil engine to drive the (outer) scoop edge. The mill remained in operation until 1980, but then the pumping function was taken over by a fully automatic pumping station. This resulted in the mill being demolished and only the body remaining. You cycle north towards the village of Groot-Ammers. Before you get there, there are four more mills on your route, all of which are relatively close to each other. Achterlandse molen dates from the end of the 16th century and is one of the three hollow post mills that stand on the water of the Ammersche Boezem. The function of this mill was to drain the Ammers-Graafland polder, together with the Graaflandse molen that is also on the route. In 1865, the polder board decided to make both mills habitable and they were given a chimney, a box bed, light frames, door frames and an attic. The mills were also finished on the outside. The mills still function as a home, but also drain the Liesveld polder on a voluntary basis. Both mills can also be visited. The Achterlandse mill is usually open to the public when it is milling, but an appointment is required to visit the Graaflandse mill. The Achtkante mill, which was built in 1805, is the successor to a hollow post mill that burned down on that spot four years earlier. This mill, which, like the Achterlandse mill and the Graaflandse mill, serves as a home, was marked by history. During the Second World War, the sails were damaged by a low-flying aircraft until the mill finally went out of service in 1964. It was not until 1972 that a major restoration followed, but restoration work was also carried out in 1991 and 1992. In 2010, the mill was further improved, making it fully operational again. With the scoop wheel, which is narrower than that of the other mills in the polder, it mills small quantities of water on a voluntary basis. The last mill on the route is the Gelkenes mill. This mill also dates from the end of the 16th century and is still operational. In the past, the mill drained the Liesveld polder and was a signal mill for the water board 'de Overwaard'. If you want to view the inside of this mill, you can make an appointment with the miller.