National shopping

If you love shopping and windmills, this route, offered by the South Holland Tourism Board, is perfect for you. The route runs through a water-rich area along the Lek River and its tributaries. Small villages and beautiful orchards where fruit is grown are a feast for the eyes. In the villages, you'll cycle past charming shops offering a wide variety of delicacies. A piece of artisanal cheese or smoked fish, a pound of cherries from the rural orchards, or a delicious fresh slice of apple pie add flavor to this enjoyable bike ride. The eight windmills you'll encounter along this route each have their own story to tell and stand out beautifully against the surrounding landscape. The route starts at the Tourist Transfer Point (TOP) in the small village of Hoornaar. After 2.5 kilometers, you'll see the first windmill: the Oudendijkse windmill. This hollow post mill is one of the two remaining mills in the Land of Six Mills and was built in 1683. It operated until 1967, but when the inner sail broke, it was shut down. The mill was restored in 1983 and 1984, and you can now visit it by appointment. After cycling along the edge of the small village of Giessenburg, you'll come to the Bovenkerkse mill (hull/remains). What remains of the round stone ground-sail mill is its 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 its site. This was a gauge mill belonging to the Overwaard. In 1928, the mill was fitted with a crude oil engine to drive the (outer) scoop. The mill remained in operation until 1980, but then its drainage function was taken over by a fully automated pumping station. As a result, the mill was demolished, leaving only the body. You cycle north towards the village of Groot-Ammers. Before you get there, there are four more mills on your route, all relatively close together. Achterlandse Molen dates from the end of the 16th century and is one of three hollow post mills located on the waters of the Ammersche Boezem. Its function was to drain the Ammers-Graafland polder, along with the Graaflandse Molen, which is also on the route. In 1865, the polder board decided to make both mills habitable, adding a chimney, a box bed, window frames, door frames, and an attic. The mills were also finished off on the outside. The mills still serve as residences, but also drain the Liesveld polder on a voluntary basis. Both mills are open to the public. The Achterlandse mill is usually open to the public when it's operating, but an appointment is required to tour the Graaflandse mill. The Achtkante mill, built in 1805, replaced a hollow post mill that burned down on the same site four years earlier. This mill, which, like the Achterlandse mill and the Graaflandse mill, serves as a residence, was marked by history. During World War II, its sails were damaged by a low-flying aircraft, until the mill finally ceased operation in 1964. A major restoration didn't take place until 1972, but further restoration work was carried out in 1991 and 1992. In 2010, the mill was further improved, making it fully operational again. With its 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 late 16th century and is still operational. In the past, it drained the Liesveld polder and served as a signal mill for the De Overwaard water board. If you would like to see the inside of this mill, you can make an appointment with the miller.