Ports of Amsterdam, Muiden and Muiderberg

Less known than their big brother in Rotterdam, but therefore no less fun to visit, are the ports of Amsterdam, Muiden and Muiderberg. The port of Amsterdam is by far the largest of the three and was founded in the thirteenth century. Amsterdam's oldest port developed at the mouth of the Amstel, between Dam Square and the IJ. Beautiful buildings of merchants who played an important role in the development of the cities were built along the banks and today there is more activity than ever. Take a look at the beautiful marina of Muiden or soak up the atmosphere in Amsterdam while getting a breath of fresh air along the water. For the necessary delicacies to satisfy your hunger during your bike ride, you can go to the K. Günes supermarket in Amsterdam, where you can also park your car for free. In the supermarket you can choose from tasty fresh sandwiches, fruity snacks or savory cookies. Don't forget to take a bottle of water with you on the go so you can quench your thirst. Less than half a kilometer away, visit the De Gooyer mill, a gigantic tower mill from 1814 that completely dominates its surroundings. It is the highest wooden mill in the Netherlands. In 1603, one half and in 1609 the other half were sold to Claes and Jan Willemsz., brothers from Gooi, then still called Gooiland. The name De Gooyer dates from this time and therefore already belonged to the predecessors of this mill. Most Amsterdammers do not know this and speak of"the mill on the Funen\\\" or simply,"the Funenmolen\\\". You follow the water in an easterly direction and arrive at West Battery (Muiden fortress). The tower fort was built in 1850-1852 as part of the New Dutch Waterline, but an earthen fort was already built on this site in 1799. The West Battery is not completely round but oval and has two floors. The walls on the sea side are much thicker than the rest, because most enemy fire was expected from that side. The fortress was surrounded by a moat about 8 meters wide. The arrival of the high-explosive shell in 1885 made the fort militarily obsolete. Because Fort Pampus, which had large cannons that could better protect the harbor entrance and the sea lock of Muiden, could now be put into use, no attention was paid to adapting or improving this fort. Since 1973, a sea scout group has been using the West Battery. Two kilometers further on you will see the Muiderslot, which was built around 1285 by Count Floris V, after he took charge of the area around Muiden. In 1296 he was overpowered by his own nobles and kidnapped to his own castle. When they fled after five days, they were stopped at Muiderberg and the count was brutally murdered. The most famous resident of the Muiderslot is PC Hoofdt, after which the famous shopping street in Amsterdam is named. In 1609 he was appointed drost of Muiden and bailiff of the Gooiland. He lived in the castle for no less than 38 years. The fort can now be visited and you can rent the location for various purposes. The Naardermeer was created naturally and has been mentioned since around the year 900. Attempts have been made several times to drain the lake, without success. Unfortunately, in 1672 all mills and houses in and around the lake had to be demolished, after which the dikes were broken. The water remained there until the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Meermolen/de Onrust in Muiderberg was a ground sailer that was built in 1809 to drain the resulting polder, but the mill was never able to rid the area of the water. In 1831 a steam engine was installed with which they once again tried to grind away the water. Once you arrive in Weesp, you will pass the Fort on the Ossenmarkt. To protect the railway line between Hilversum and Amsterdam, the ramparts had to be reinforced. A bomb-proof tower with a circular moat and drawbridge was built on the Ossenmarkt in 1859-1861 to protect the railway line. Fort Ossenmarkt can now be viewed from the Ossenmarkt. On some days the fort is open to the public and sometimes walks are organized that include a visit to the fort. Near the Fort on the Ossenmarkt is the former flour mill T Haantje. From 1626 onwards there was a seesaw mill on this spot that drained the Kostverlorenpolder. Around 1705, this polder was merged with a number of other polders under the name theCommunity Polder. The large Community Mill (further on the route), built in 1708, made the seesaw mill redundant and was converted into a corn mill. In 1820, an oil mill named De Haan was built on that site. In 1828 this mill was also converted into a flour mill and in 1896't Haantje was sold to a cocoa manufacturer. The mill was restored in 1964, 2001 and 2002. The Community Mill was jacked up in 1892 and a pumping station was installed in 1926 to take over the drainage. The upper part of the mill was then sawed off. When this pumping station was replaced, it was decided to restore the mill and on April 25, 2003, the rebuilt mill was put into use by Amsterdam mayor Cohen. The mill is inhabited and cannot be visited. Before you return to the supermarket, where you can buy the ingredients for dinner so that you can enjoy this tour at home, Kustbattery near Diemerdam is on the program. Fort Diemerdam is part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam. It is an open coastal battery and therefore looks different from other forts; In fact, the complex should not even be called a fortress."Fort Diemerdam\\\" is therefore a popular name. The coastal battery has two official names:'Work on the IJ for Diemerdam\\\' and'Coastal battery near Diemerdam\\\'. The fort is somewhat hidden on the IJmeer with a view of Pampus, the coastal battery at Durgerdam and IJburg.