Alkmaar, Camperduin and Schoorldam

The Schoorlse Duinen offer a beautiful view over the North Sea, but also shows parts of Alkmaar and Bergen and leads through an extensive landscape of fields, dunes and forests. The heathlands, which can also be found in this area, are unique in combination with the dunes. Nowhere in the Netherlands are they wider or higher than here. With a bit of luck you will see a sand lizard foraging between the dunes, hear a pheasant or a nightjar whistling and enjoy tens of thousands of blooming orchids or 800 different types of mushrooms. The cozy narrow streets of Alkmaar are also a feast for the eyes. Beautiful courtyards and beautiful canals will amaze you, but what really sets Alkmaar apart is of course the cheese market and the cheese museum. Explore the "Cheese City" with its historic center, which has no fewer than 700 municipal and 339 national monuments. From the starting point of the cycle route you set course for the Harger mill, which was built in 1904 to drain the Harger and Pettemerpolder. The thatched, octagonal mill is an inside mill, which is not uncommon among North Holland polder mills. This ground sailor was built to replace a defunct mill in 1799 and operated exclusively on wind power until 1962. The second mill you encounter during the cycle tour is ground sailor Groeter, or the Groetermolen. The octagonal inner gate was built in 1890 to drain the Groeterpolder, which had 220 hectares. Until 1977, the bulky mill only operated on wind power, but in that year an electric pump was installed to make grinding easier. This mill is also owned by the Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board. The last sight on this route is also a mill. This is located in Schoorldam and is called" Kijkduin\\\". There was already a mill on this site in 1575, which is believed to have been a standard mill. The current round, stone ground sailor was built in 1772 on a small elevation as a flour mill. The mill milled grain on a professional basis until 1935, but when this stopped, the municipality of Bergen bought the mill and preserved the building as a monument. Nowadays Kijkduin mills grain on a voluntary basis and flour products are sold there. When the mill is running, it can also be visited from the inside. When you return to the starting point of the route, you can have your bike thoroughly checked at Profile Hans de Boer. As a true bicycle enthusiast, it is important to properly maintain your steel steed and with this bicycle specialist you will also receive a 10 euro discount on service or repairs to your bicycle.