Beegderheide

The Beegderheide is traditionally a wooded area where farmers used to graze their livestock collectively. Due to intensive use, the area gradually transformed into a meadow landscape. Today, the nature reserve is home to interesting animals and plants; in 1995, a restoration plan was launched to preserve and protect the heathland and its flora and fauna. Initially, the Beegderheide was mainly home to beautiful flora, including marsh gentian, white and brown beak sedge, marsh stag's-wort, and small dodder. During the restoration plan, even several plant species appeared that were never known to have grown on the heathland, such as white water-crowfoot and bare bladderwort. The restoration plan also had a positive impact on the diversity of animal species in the area. The extinct nightjar can be spotted again, and the field cricket has expanded its habitat. New species such as the European stonechat and blue-winged grasshopper now also live on the Beegderheide. After 7 kilometers on the route, you will encounter the Aurora post mill in Baexem. This mill was built in 1845 and still grinds grain on a voluntary basis. Continuing along the route, you'll encounter the Grathemermolen in Grathem. This watermill was modernized in 1874 and converted into a turbine mill in 1915-1916. The waterwheel visible here was installed in 1995 to restore the mill to its original appearance. The Grathemermolen heralds a pleasant change in the landscape: the area is becoming more water-rich. Once you arrive in Beedgen, the St. Lindert, a post mill that was operational again after a thorough restoration in 2000, stands along the route. This grain mill used to be open and freely accessible, but a wall was built around it in 1928. The castle in Horn, situated next to the Maas River, is definitely worth a visit. This medieval fortress is one of the oldest intact ring-walled fortresses in the Netherlands. It's a striking building with a square gatehouse, a southern wing, and two semicircular towers connected by a circular wall. The castle is surrounded by a landscaped park and a 19th-century castle farm that originally belonged to the castle. The Friedessemolen is next on the itinerary. This mill is centuries old, and grain is still ground here using the traditional method of grinding with millstones. If you're curious about how this works, you can also explore the mill from the inside. The last remarkable mill on the route is the Leumolen. This watermill is both a grain and oil mill. The oldest mention of the Leumolen dates from 1558, but it may be much older. A charter from 1276 already mentions a mill in Nunhem, and it is strongly suspected that this is the Leumolen or a predecessor. The mill was rebuilt in stone in 1773.