Rottemeren route

This route leads around beautiful recreational and nature reserves: the Lage and Hoge Bergsche Bos, the Rottemeren and the Eendragtspolder. The Lage Bergsche Bos is a wooded recreational area of 216 hectares, created in 1970. Water and land alternate in the area and Scottish Highlanders graze in part of the forest. A recreational area of over 900 hectares has been created around the Rottemeren, a system of widenings of the Rotte river. The Rottemeren were created after the draining of surrounding polders and the river and its branches are much higher than the polders due to peatification and subsidence. The Eendrachtspolder was built on a place that has traditionally been agricultural land. Part of it has been constructed to prevent flooding, but also for recreation and (top) sports. Near the starting point is the Eendrachtsmolen, the only mill that survived the history of Eendragtspolder in its entirety. This ground sailor was built in 1727 as the upper mill of a mill that no longer exists. Although the mill is still in excellent condition, it hardly ever grinds. Further along one of the extensions of the Rotte is the Bleiswijkse Droogmakerij A-1 mill (hull/remains). This mill was partly demolished in probably 1915 or 1922. When it was still in good condition, this mill had an inclined paddle wheel; its watercourses and other masonry are still recognizable. On the other side of the bank of the same spur there are more mills, including Tweemanspolder No. 3 and Tweemanspolder No. 4. Number 3 was built in 1792, number 4 is even 70 years older. In 1953 the entire mill corridor was decommissioned, but extensive restoration was carried out in the summer of 2009. The mill four-gang now runs twice a month on Saturdays. You continue the tour past Zevenhuizen and around the Eendragtspolder, until you come across the mill called'Vier winden\\\' near the Terbregseplein. The mill, which was built in 1776, ground grain until 1964. Although it is now out of service, it is still in excellent condition and ready to grind. At the bottom of the mill there is a shop where flour products are sold and the mill is usually still running when the shop is open. Cycling deeper into Rotterdam, you will also see the Bergkapel on your route. A church service still takes place here every Sunday morning for a liberal Protestant religious community. Cycle further north and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind you.