Etten-Leur, Terheijden and Zevenbergen

The village of Terheijden arose in the Middle Ages on a sand ridge that lay parallel to the Mark river. Much peat was extracted in the area, but for centuries the village remained small; it was virtually nothing more than a street until 1960. Subsequently, residential areas rapidly developed along that main road, but all important facilities, such as churches and shops, remained concentrated along the street. Terheijden's location on the river and close to Breda has resulted in many battles throughout history. Against the tide of the water, but skirmishes also took place because Breda had an important role in the defense and protection of Holland during the Eighty Years' War. The Grote and Kleine Schans are reminders of this. The area around the forts was designed as a nature and recreation area.

The route leads you to De Korenmolen (hull/remains) in Etten-Leur. The mill was built in 1849 and was originally a wind-powered mill. In 1915, lightning struck the mill and a fire broke out that largely destroyed De Korenmolen. The mill was restored in 1917, but the blades blew off in 1921. Although the mill was restored, it was dismantled in 1929. In 2009, the remaining mill hull was placed on the National Monuments List. It has served as a warehouse for a pet shop for many years.
Another mill where history has had less influence is De Lelie. This round stone mill is still in regular operation; a group of fanatical volunteers still produces real artisanal flour here. The Lelie from 1804 originally served not only as a flour mill, but also as a bark mill and burned down in 1937. For those who are curious about the products the mill produces, the mill is usually open on Saturdays.

The third mill you will see in Etten-Leur is the Zwartenberg mill. This relatively young polder mill from 1889 replaces a mill from 1721 that burned down in 1988. The round stone ground sailor drains the De Haagsche Beemden polder on a voluntary basis and then moves 80 cubic meters of water per minute.
Then you set course for De Kleine Schans in Terheijden. The location of Terheijden, close to the Belgian border and situated parallel to a sand ridge to the river Mark, makes it a great attraction for Spanish troops and state soldiers during the Eighty Years' War. The Kleine Schans is a remnant from this time and was constructed by the Spaniards in 1590. In 1637, the Dutch troops gave the fortress its current shape and used it as a protection structure for shipping on the Mark and the connection between Breda and Moerdijk. The fortress was demolished in 1680 after the Eighty Years' War, but in 1830 a new castle was built on the same site to serve as a fortress during the Belgian War of Secession.

In Terheijden you will also find De Arend tower mill near the Kleine Schans. In 1742, the noble Nassau-Siegen family from Breda commissioned the construction of the flour mill. The mill was rebuilt in 1756 after it went up in flames. The mill contains three pairs of grinding stones, which are still used to grind grain professionally. If you want to visit the mill, you can do so from Tuesday to Saturday during the opening hours of the mill shop.